UK should prioritise green projects to kickstart economy, says IMF

Chief economist tells committee that coronavirus recovery is an opportunity to create jobs and greener planet

The British government should prioritise spending on green projects to create jobs and kickstart the economic recovery from the coronavirus crisis, the International Monetary Fund's chief economist has said.

Gita Gopinath, the IMF's economic counsellor, said that mounting unemployment triggered by the Covid-19 crisis would require swift action to prevent lasting damage, and that spending on low-carbon projects could be used in response.