Climate change

Environment

Analysis

Climate Investment Funds Monitor 5

The Climate Investment Funds (CIFs) are financing instruments designed to pilot low-carbon and climate-resilient development through the multilateral development banks (MDBs). They are comprised of two trust funds - the Clean Technology Fund (CTF) and the Strategic Climate Fund (SCF).

1 May 2012 | Briefings

Infrastructure

Background

Kosovo's options for a sustainable energy future

Minutes of presentation and discussion on Kosovo's options to develop a sustainable energy future, Washington DC, 20 April 2012.

20 April 2012 | Minutes

Infrastructure

Background

World Bank's Climate Investment Funds 4 years later

Minutes of meeting on the World Bank-housed Climate Investment Funds and the Green Climate Fund, Washington DC, 19 April 2012

20 April 2012 | Minutes

Land

Background

Agriculture and Food Security

Minutes of agriculture and food security meeting, Washington DC, 19 April 2012

20 April 2012 | Minutes

Infrastructure

Background

Climate change, energy access and sustainable development

Minutes of climate change and energy access meeting, Washington DC, 18 April 2012

20 April 2012 | Minutes

Accountability

Analysis

'Leveraging' private sector finance

The notion that public investments should be used to 'leverage' additional investments from private actors is increasingly used in a variety of development finance forums, including aid, development finance, agriculture and, in particular, climate finance. The World Bank has become one of the leading proponents of this concept, though nowhere has it spelled out clearly what it means by 'leverage' or how it should be measured.

18 April 2012 | Reports

Infrastructure

News

World Bank backs dirty energy despite objections

Continued controversy over a coal power project in Kosovo, partly funded by the World Bank, and a catalogue of complaints over its projects highlight the impact of extractives and the lack of alternatives in the Banks energy lending portfolio.

5 April 2012

Environment

News

Nature on the market?

The Bank will showcase new initiatives on oceans and the valuation of ecosystem services at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, or Rio+20, in Brazil in late June, but is attracting criticism from civil society groups for its approach to 'green growth'.

5 April 2012

Infrastructure

News

False solutions? The IFC, private equity and climate finance

As the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Bank's private-sector arm, announces new investments in its climate-focused private equity fund, critics argue that investing scarce public climate funds in the financial sector is of unproven effectiveness, will miss the world's poorest regions and has questionable developmental impacts.

5 April 2012

Land

News

On a carbon market mission

While steaming ahead with new carbon market initiatives, the World Bank attracted further criticism and suffered potential setbacks on agriculture and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) at the UN climate negotiations in Durban.

7 February 2012