Despite efforts to boost its influence within climate finance circles and a call to “decarbonise development”, the World Bank continues to support fossil fuels.
Climate change
Infrastructure
Background
Issue overview: World Bank and energy
What’s the issue? Energy is a crucial economic sector which has a disproportionate influence on…
Environment
Analysis
Climate Investment Funds Monitor 11
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)
Concerns have been raised about a projected shortfall of resources for the Clean Technology Fund, with an early warning mechanism due to be discussed. Questions were raised about development benefits of a Colombia project and on safeguards for a Vietnam project.
Environment
Analysis
Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR)
The Pilot Program for Climate Resilience has invited new countries apply for participation and is also expanding the private sector set-aside to non-PPCR countries. Biodiversity and gender impacts were questioned on a Grenada project and the gender focus on a Haiti project.
Environment
Analysis
Forest Investment Program (FIP)
Options for potential new funding for the Forest Investment Program have been further elaborated, including priority rankings for current and potential new pilot countries, however, funding constraints remain and many current projects continue to be delayed.
Environment
Analysis
Scaling Up Renewable Energy Program (SREP)
Indicative funding allocations have been agreed for 14 new Scaling up Renewable Energy Program in Low Income Countries pilot countries, however, cautions remained about “unrealistic expectations” about funding availability. Questions were raised about incentives for diesel in a Kenya project.
Land
Analysis
Will the World Bank get truly climate smart?
World Bank is criticised for focusing on climate-smart agriculture, including industrial approaches, instead of more sustainable agroecological approaches.
IFI governance
Background
Aligning the financial system with sustainable development
Notes from a meeting on the financial system and sustainable development during the World Bank/IMF spring meetings.
Environment
Analysis
World Bank pricing carbon: real solution to climate change?
World Bank continues to promote putting a price on carbon as a key policy to tackle climate change while critics say it is just a new way of promoting failed carbon markets.
Featured briefings
30 March 2021
World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings 2021
23 March 2021
The Bretton Woods Observer: Spring 2021
23 March 2021
Tip of the iceberg: How the call for SDRs reveals the urgency for deeper reforms of the global reserve system to address systemic inequalities
Renewed calls for a substantial SDR allocation raise urgency of reforming the inequitable global reserve ‘non-system’.