By Kimberlee Kruesi

WASHINGTON (MNI) - The World Bank must find a solution to address both energy poverty and climate change, even if it means halting funding of to high carbon emitting coal plants in developing countries, Sen. John Kerry said Wednesday.

As the global economy begins to recover, climate change and energy poverty are the most important issues the World Bank must focus on, said Kerry, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, in a speech at the World Bank.

Promoting and funding clean energy projects in countries that cannot afford to change their energy policies would help lower carbon emissions while also diminish the energy poverty rate in developing countries, he said.

"I'm all for burning the coal we have," Kerry said. "But I'm committed to massive new investments to make real clean coal commercially viable. The bank shouldn't be in the business of funding yesterday's coal technology."

Developing countries with access to electricity have a greater possibility achieving economic growth and stability, Kerry said, which should serve as an incentive to funding clean energy projects.

However, the World Bank should not fund coal plants if they do not have the technology to "capture and sequester the carbon emission," Kerry said.

New clean technology need more support from institutions like the World Bank because they are not commercially popular, he said.

In 2008 the World Bank launched a strategy aimed to support development success, while at the same time, help lower climate change costs, and Kerry praised the World Bank's success so far.

According to a report released by the International Energy Agency, greener energy projects must be enforced immediately or the cost of keeping climate change below "catastrophic levels" after 2010 will cost $500 billion dollars a year.

Kerry said he looks forward to the climate change summit in Coppenhagen December 7 to further discuss cleaner energy strategies for developing countries.

** Market News International Washington Bureau: 202-371-2121 **