Despite the World Bank’s commitment to move away from funding coal, a series of loopholes in its financial intermediary lending remain that will continue to allow finance to support coal power projects.
East Asia & Pacific
IFI governance
Analysis
V20 communiqué analysis Annual Meetings 2023: Climate vulnerable countries demand more voice at Bretton Woods Institutions
V20 seeks confirmation of official observer status at the Bretton Woods Institutions by COP28, as IMF quota review fails to give greater voting power to climate vulnerable countries.
Environment
News
World Bank’s reliance on private capital to finance green transition in low- and middle-income countries risks falling flat
Despite lofty rhetoric, Bank’s attempts to use scarce concessional finance to build investable project pipelines to secure power sector decarbonisation faces significant hurdles.
IFI governance
Analysis
IMFC chair's statement analysis Spring Meetings 2023: Optimism and complacency at odds with growing desperation of Global South stakeholders
The IMFC again did not issue a communiqué as it could not agree on language on the war in Ukraine. A chair’s statement was issued in lieu of the communiqué and emphasised the resilience of the global safety net system, better than projected conditions and concerns about significant challenges.
Private Sector
News
B-Ready for more ill-founded private-sector solutions
The World Bank released a concept note of Doing Business report replacement, B-Ready project, ignoring civil society demands of an independent evaluation.
IFI governance
Analysis
V20 communiqué analysis Spring Meetings 2023: Climate vulnerable countries call for global financial architecture fit to tackle climate and debt emergencies
V20 called for substantive debt relief and increased concessional financing to help break vicious cycle of debt and Loss and Damage, and spur ‘climate-positive development’.
IFI governance
Analysis
IMF quota review: Putting climate at the core of IMF governance reform
Addition of cumulative carbon emissions indicator in IMF quota formula would give climate-vulnerable countries greater voice in IMF.
Gender
Analysis
New IMF gender strategy's potential to catalyse change undermined by austerity and problematic mission creep
IMF’s new gender mainstreaming strategy makes effort to include civil society demands but falls short of transformative vision as austerity remains Fund’s raison-d’état.
IFI governance
Analysis
V20 communiqué analysis Annual Meetings 2022: Climate vulnerable countries call for debt relief and a revamped IMF
The finance ministers for the Vulnerable Group of Twenty, a bloc of 58 developing country economies representing some 1.5 billion people, issued a communiqué on 16 October.
IFI governance
Background
Greening whole economies? Unpacking World Bank plans for Paris alignment by July 2023
Notes from a Civil Society Policy Forum event on 14 October titled "Greening whole economies? Unpacking World Bank plans for Paris alignment by July 2023."
Finance
Analysis
A new Bretton Woods for whom? Civil society calls for democratisation of global governance
As geopolitical tensions rise amidst worsening global economic conditions, civil society demands the democratisation of a world economic order away from the established Global North and elite capitalist hegemony.
Infrastructure
Analysis
World Bank announces support for CCUS in Nigeria despite criticisms it reinforces fossil fuel dependence
World Bank trust fund ESMAP will provide support for domestic market, while IFC will support private sector investment in CCUS.