Debt-for-nature swaps offer a promising pathway to address developing countries’ debt burdens while promoting environmental conservation and climate resilience. An initiative at Duke — guided by Sanford School of Public Policy’s Alex Pfaff, Elizabeth Losos from the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment, & Sustainability and Stuart Pimm from the Nicholas School of the Environment—explored key reforms to enhance the impact of these swaps. Their analysis, published this year in Science, advocates for greater debt relief, streamlined costs, reliable performance metrics, and a stronger focus on both biodiversity and climate goals.
