The World Bank has announced its intention to fund the Azerbaijan and Turkey part of the Southern Gas Corridor to Europe, despite concerns over the geopolitical context and fossil fuel dependency.
European Investment Bank (EIB)
Background
Global Infrastructure Forum: Opening plenary
Notes from the opening plenary of the inaugural Global Infrastructure Forum, during the World Bank/IMF spring meetings 2016.
Accountability
Analysis
Where’s the remedy? Development banks must do more to remedy harm caused by the activities they finance
A report assessing the effectiveness of 11 development bank’s accountability systems found that they are not effective at consistently providing remedy to those harmed.
Environment
Analysis
Climate Investment Funds Monitor 12
New edition of the Bretton Woods Project's biannual Climate Investment Fund (CIFs) Monitor, published to coincide with the World Bank-hosted CIFs committee meetings.
Environment
Analysis
Clean Technology Fund (CTF)
An impending shortfall in available resources for the Clean Technology Fund continues to concern, leading to cancellation of projects. Questions were raised about development impacts and reliance on geothermal energy in India and Indonesia's revised investment plans, and on debt sustainability in a Caribbean project.
Environment
Analysis
Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR)
The Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR) has expanded with ten countries despite a lack of funds. The US questioned the approval of a Bolivia project and resettlement issues were raised on two Cambodia projects.
Environment
Analysis
Forest Investment Program (FIP)
Six new countries were invited to join the Forest Investment Program (FIP), with a further nine invited to develop investment plans, despite insufficient funds. Potential support for oil palm plantations in Democratic Republic of Congo and industrial logging in Indonesia and Peru were questioned.
Environment
Analysis
Scaling Up Renewable Energy Program (SREP)
Concerns have been raised about the slow progress with the Scaling up Renewable Energy Program in Low Income Countries (SREP). Ghana, Haiti and Nicaragua's investment plans were approved, with questions asked about the loan/grant ratio, promotion of PPPs, and reliance on funding from the Green Climate Fund.
Environment
Analysis
Climate of controversy
Despite efforts to boost its influence within climate finance circles and a call to “decarbonise development”, the World Bank continues to support fossil fuels.
Environment
Analysis
Multilateral Development Banks’ unburnable carbon
Bretton Woods Project briefing on MDBs' fossil fuel investments and exposure to the carbon bubble
Accountability
Commentary
Year 2 of the Tunisian revolution: Private profit vs public interest
In October 2012, the Tunisian government submitted a draft bill to the Constituent Assembly to shape a legal and institutional framework favourable to public-private partnerships (PPP).
Conditionality
News
Eurozone meltdown: IMF providing "political cover"
As European elections show the public increasingly rejecting austerity, critics call on the IMF to focus on the flaws of the eurozone rather than austerity in country programmes.
