TED: The climate crisis is expensive -- here's who should pay for it | Avinash Persaud

The video discusses a pragmatic plan to address climate change, inspired by the speaker's personal experience with Hurricane Maria in Dominica. It highlights the need for global cooperation, especially from developing countries, to build climate resilience. The Bridgetown Initiative is introduced as a solution, proposing a three-bucket financing plan to make climate resilience affordable and profitable. The speaker emphasizes the importance of collective action and innovative financial strategies to combat climate change effectively.

What prompted the speaker to take action on climate change?

• A call from a friend to help after a hurricane

• A personal realization about overconsumption

• A government mandate

• A professional obligation as an economist

What was Dominica's strategy to recover from Hurricane Maria?

• Focus on economic growth over resilience

• Rebuild as a climate-resilient nation

• Relocate affected communities

• Seek international aid without conditions

Why is the green transformation of developing countries crucial?

• They contribute the least to greenhouse gas emissions

• They have the most resources to combat climate change

• They are now the majority contributors to emissions

• They have already achieved climate resilience

What is the main challenge in funding the green transformation of developing countries?

• Excessive international aid

• Abundance of natural resources

• High cost of borrowing and investment

• Lack of interest from developing countries

What is the essence of the Bridgetown Initiative?

• Developing new unproven technologies

• Relying on altruism of financiers

• Making resilience affordable and profitable

• Focusing solely on rich countries

What is the purpose of the 'small bucket' in the financing plan?

• To provide grants to rich countries

• To invest in new technologies

• To cover costs that don't generate savings or profits

• To fund projects with high returns

What is the role of international agencies in the third bucket of the financing plan?

• To increase the cost of investments

• To focus on short-term profits

• To lower the cost of guaranteeing returns

• To provide grants to developing countries

What is the significance of the Bridgetown Initiative's three-bucket approach?

• It focuses only on rich countries

• It separates costs, savings, and revenue-generating projects

• It relies on unproven technologies

• It ignores the needs of developing countries

What is a 'pause clause' in debt instruments?

• A temporary halt on interest and debt repayments during disasters

• A permanent cancellation of all debts

• An increase in interest rates during economic crises

• A requirement to pay debts immediately after a disaster

What personal motivation does the speaker share at the end?

• A desire to become famous

• A commitment to follow in their father's footsteps

• A need to prove themselves professionally

• A wish to avoid unpopular causes