International Finance Corporation announced new ‘green equity’ policy to encourage financial intermediaries to divest from coal, while Bank pulled plug on mooted Kosovo coal project.
Climate change
Environment
News
Shared prosperity? WBG fails to progress on energy access for poor
A new civil society report criticises the World Bank for not doing enough to help meet Sustainable Energy for All (SEforAll) objective of achieving universal energy access by 2030.
Environment
News
Landmark climate-change complaint against IFC lodged in Philippines
The Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ) makes history by filing first ever climate-related complaint against the IFC with the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO).
Private Sector
Background
Examining the IFC’s climate and forest footprint in its financial sector investments
Notes from a side event at the IMF/World Bank 2016 annual meetings on how the World Bank Group can ensure that its financial intermediary investments are consistent with its forest and climate commitments.
Environment
News
Flirting with disaster? World Bank's push for climate insurance questioned
The World Bank continues to push climate and disaster insurance programmes, despite concerns that such schemes are being ‘oversold’ and do not address the root challenges of making countries more resilient to climate change.
Environment
Background
On track to 1.5C: Mainstreaming climate and forest actions in MDB lending and country strategies
Notes from a meeting at the IMF/World Bank 2017 spring meetings on MDB actions on climate change and forests.
Environment
News
World Bank policy lending undermines climate goals
A CSO report has found that the World Bank’s development policy lending is supporting incentives for fossil fuels in Egypt, Indonesia, Mozambique and Peru.
Environment
Analysis
Behind the fumes: the dirty truth behind the World Bank’s commitments on climate change
New report provides evidence that IFC investments in financial intermediaries (FIs) support the construction of coal power plants in contradiction to World Bank policy and IFC statements that FI lending is ring-fenced and does not support coal.
Infrastructure
News
World Bank call for hydropower to combat climate change challenged
Calls by the World Bank for hydropower to play a major role in efforts to strengthen resilience to climate change have been challenged by civil society organisations and recent research.
Infrastructure
News
Report calls on the World Bank not to invest in Kosovo power plant
A report has cast further doubts on the viability and efficiency of the proposed lignite coal power plant in Kosovo which the World Bank is considering supporting.
Featured briefings
6 December 2018
The Bretton Woods Observer: Winter 2018
3 October 2018
The Bretton Woods Observer: World Bank and IMF Annual Meetings 2018
28 September 2018
The World Bank's role in crafting a neoliberal hegemony with a feminist face
The World Bank’s recent gender equality approach constitutes an attempt at establishing a consensus over the regulation of the economy.