Despite efforts to boost its influence within climate finance circles and a call to “decarbonise development”, the World Bank continues to support fossil fuels.
Fossil fuels
Infrastructure
News
Risking the bottom line? World Bank infrastructure initiatives criticised
The Global Infrastructure Facility is expected to be launched as a World Bank-hosted programme in October. Concerns remain about the Bank’s continued support for fossil fuel infrastructure.
Infrastructure
News
New briefing: Multilateral Development Banks' unburnable carbon
Bretton Woods Project has published a briefing examining five MDBs' fossil fuel investments and exposure to the carbon bubble.
Environment
Background
Climate risks and the World Bank
Sponsor: World Resources Institute (WRI) Panelists: Milap Patel (World Resources Institute), Nezir Sinani (Bank Information…
Environment
Analysis
Multilateral Development Banks’ unburnable carbon
Bretton Woods Project briefing on MDBs' fossil fuel investments and exposure to the carbon bubble
Infrastructure
Commentary
Tata Mundra: making a mockery of accountability
IFC criticised over Tata Mundra coal power plant in India, for ignoring recommendations from its accountability mechanism.
Infrastructure
Background
Energy sector trends
Sponsors: Bretton Woods Project, Mott Foundation, Heinrich Boell Foundation-North America, Latindadd, Pacific Environment, International Rivers,…
Rights
News
Witness: The World Bank's damage to communities and the environment
Bretton Woods Project and Oxfam are pleased to invite you to a meeting with leading activists including from Cameroon, India, and Argentina who are visiting London as part of a European lobby tour. 11 March 2014 at 14:30.
Environment
Analysis
World Bank’s climate change crusade: rhetoric or reality?
The World Bank is focussing significant time and resources into promoting itself as an agent for tackling climate change, but is still funds dirty energy through coal and gas projects, most recently in China.
Environment
News
World Bank’s mining treasure map
The World Bank is promoting a “billion dollar map” of minerals in Africa, and continues to invest in fossil fuel extraction. Controversy is tainting Bank-funded mines in Colombia and Haiti as locals resist the extractive projects.
Featured briefings
6 April 2023
World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings 2023
5 April 2023
The IMF at the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: The need for governance reform
As the world celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it is time the IMF’s shareholders use the opportunities provided by the anniversary and growing calls for reforms to the international financial architecture to redesign the IMF’s governance structures and programmes to ensure they are consistent with the commitments outlined in 1948 and with international human rights law.
5 April 2023
The global financial architecture and the international debt crisis: An urgent call for reform
Influence of unreformed international financial institutions and creditor interests in debt solutions in low- and middle-income countries plagued by delay and ineffective when undertaken.