Conservationists Push Debt Relief for 3rd World
- Share via
WASHINGTON — A group of conservation organizations on Tuesday opposed giving new U.S. money to the World Bank unless it is tied to debt relief for the Third World.
Sierra Club representative Larry Williams told a congressional hearing he also was speaking for the National Wildlife Federation, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Environmental Defense Fund and the Environmental Policy Institute.
“Without adequate environmental reform within the bank, an increase on the scale now before this subcommittee suggests that environmental disasters may be bankrolled at an ever increasing rate,” Williams said.
He agreed with Rep. Bruce A. Morrison (D-Conn.), who said that if Congress provides the money, it will be done in a way to promote relief for the Third World from its $1.2 trillion in debt.
It was the third and last of a series of hearings before the House Banking subcommittee on international development institutions.
The World Bank is the largest source of aid to the Third World, lending about $17 billion a year. It is owned by 151 governments.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
