Environmental & Social Policies at the World Bank | Bank Information Center: Monitoring the projects and policies of the World Bank, IMF and other international financial institutions


bicusa.org/WBenvironment Environmental & Social Policies at the World Bank Overview Background Concerns Updates RSS Press Release \| 18 November 2008 IMF and World Bank need to bolster transparency measures in the extractive industries A newly released joint report between Bank Information Center (BIC) and Global Witness critically assesses the World Bank Group's and the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) success in increasing transparency in extractive industries in resource-rich countries. Read more Update \| 2 October 2008 BIC's popular Tools for Activists now available in Chinese To broaden its use among civil society organizations in China, the Bank Information Center’s World Bank Toolkits for Activists is now available in Chinese. Read more Update \| 2 October 2008 New irrigation project in Egypt’s West Delta raises critical questions about the World Bank’s priorities in reducing poverty The project will divert water from the Nile to the reclaimed lands in the West Delta region, while the introduction of the private sector for the first time in Egypt could leave small farmers behind. Read more Update \| 24 September 2008 Dramatic increase in World Bank loans to Europe and Central Asia The World Bank Group (WBG) loans to countries in Europe and Central Asia (ECA) increased by 30% between FY07 and FY08. Read more Update \| 22 September 2008 World Bank excludes indigenous peoples from climate change discussions Amazonian civil society organizations demand that the World Bank adhere to international standards by increasing the participation of indigenous peoples in meetings on forests and climate change. Read more Update \| 22 August 2008 The IFIs and financial intermediaries in ECA: Implementation of environmental and social standards International Financial Institution (IFI) lending through financial intermediaries (FIs) has become particularly significant in the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region, but the IFIs lack adequate policies to ensure social and environmental best practices are applied to subsequent FI lending. Read more Press Release \| 5 August 2008 World Bank acknowledges serious flaws in West African Gas Pipeline But questions on compensation for displaced, “upstream” impacts, and gas flaring remain unanswered. Read more Update \| 8 July 2008 World Bank signs new emission reductions purchase agreement in Egypt The World Bank will buy 325,480 tons of carbon credits from Egyptian Company for Solid Waste Utilization (ECARU) on behalf of governments and companies in Organisation for Econmic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. Read more Update \| 20 June 2008 BIC's MENA program organizes third workshop in Egypt The workshop introduced BIC's work to Egyptian media and civil society organizations, and focused on the activities of the international financial institutions in the country. Read more Update \| 18 June 2008 Questions remain unanswered surrounding the Red Sea – Dead Sea Canal as feasibility study begins The World Bank’s support for the $15.5 million feasibility studies continues to raise questions about the Bank’s application of its operational safeguard policies on the project. Read more Update \| 12 June 2008 World Bank teams with celebrities to save the tiger; India refuses funds The World Bank's Tiger Conservation Initiative aims to raise global awareness about the plight of the endangered tiger and to work with local and international communities to stave off its extinction. The initiative is unprecedented for an institution whose stated mission is to fight poverty in developing countries rather than conserve endangered species. But a day after the launch, India is reported for have refused the World Bank's "offer" for a loan for the inititiative. Read more Update \| 30 May 2008 Congolese groups denounce disinformation campaign by industrial logging industry During the French environment minister's recent visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Congolese civil society organizations released a statement drawing attention to the alarming situation in the Congo forests and the destructive activities of logging companies. Read more Update \| 7 April 2008 Joint Bretton Woods Project Update # 60 Read the special Spring Meetings edition of the Bretton Woods Update, co-produced with Afrodad, Bank Information Center, Choike, and Eurodad. The issue is also available in Spanish. Read more Update \| 8 February 2008 Bank President reiterates support for agriculture at African Union summit Robert Zoellick told Africa's leaders the World Bank wanted to expand its "efforts to help countries produce their own food, instead of relying on imports.” This would represent a complete reversal of Bank policy which has focused thus far on encouraging Africa to devote more land and resources to growing commodities, and to rely on international markets to purchase the food they were no longer growing. Read more Update \| 17 January 2008 World Bank, EIB to release funds for Bujagali Dam as investigations into safeguard violations continue Construction of the dam proceeds despite an ongoing investigation into claims presented by civil society groups that the project violates environmental and social standards of both the World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB). Read more Update \| 16 January 2008 Rebuked by internal investigation, World Bank plans to do more in DRC forest sector, but will it do better? An Inspection Panel report on the World Bank’s safeguard policy violations in its Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) forest sector operations prompts discussion on new approach and greater role for Pygmies in decision-making about the future of the world’s second-largest rainforest. Read more Update \| 18 December 2007 West Africa Gas Pipeline to start operations by year’s end World Bank's Inspection Panel expected to submit findings of its investigation into claims made by local communities that the project violated the Bank's environmental and social policies. Read more Update \| 13 December 2007 Loans to Hunt Oil’s Peruvian fossil fuel project challenged A high level delegation of indigenous, civil society and Parliamentarian leaders from Peru are in Washington, DC to lobby against the expected vote on public loans for the Peru LNG natural gas liquification plant. The delegation argues that by approving the project, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Ex-Im Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), would breach their own social and environmental safeguards. Read more Update \| 11 December 2007 Press highlights World Bank blunders in Congo's forest Last week, the Financial Times published an article on the World Bank's errors in its forest operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and allegations of support for illegal logging in the country by the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Just two days later, the IFC announced it would sell its stake in Olam International Ltd., the Singaporean commodity trading company accused of "environmental malpractice" in the world's second largest rainforest. As those gathered in Bali for the United Nations conference on climate change discuss the importance of forests to the future health of the planet, the Bank's missteps in Congo deserve a closer look. Read more Press Release \| 11 December 2007 Press Release: World Bank hands off forests Environmental groups gathered in Bali for the United Nations convention on climate change warn that the World Bank's market-oriented Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF), launched today, will have negative social and environmental impacts. Citing the Bank's poor track record in the forest sector and ongoing support for fossil fuels, the groups are demanding that forests be kept out of the carbon market and that governments increase their funding for other approaches to forest protection and climate change mitigation. Read more Update \| 4 December 2007 Seeing the forest for the carbon? As the World Bank prepares to launch the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) -- its flagship initiative to address deforestation-related greenhouse gas emissions -- at the United Nations climate change conference in Bali, Indonesia, we offer some background on the FCPC and outline the concerns surrounding this controversial new mechanism. Read more Update \| 4 December 2007 BIC hosts working session on international financial institutions in Indonesia Working session aims to update the Indonesian civil society organizations and movements on the old and new trends in the governance and operations of the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as they relate to Indonesia. Read more Update \| 27 November 2007 Comment: Try as it might, the World Bank cannot hide its failings The World Bank touted it's meeting with a delegation of Pygmies from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during the Bank's Annual Meetings in October. But as Simon Counsell of Rainforest Foundation UK points out, the Bank has consistently ignored the findings of the quasi-independent Inspecition Panel and violated its own "safeguard policies." Read more Update \| 5 November 2007 People's tribunal in Bangladesh announced A people's tribunal against the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and the Asian Development Bank was announced in Dhaka, Bangladesh yesterday, hours before World Bank President, Robert Zoellick's arrival in the country. Read more Update \| 1 November 2007 NGOs urge World Bank to stop funding mega-projects in Pakistan As the World Bank President, Robert Zoellick, embarks on his first official visit to South Asia, non-governmental organizations in Pakistan urge the Bank to cease funding for large infrastructure projects. Read more Country Update \| 1 November 2007 Mongolia Country Update #1 Recent developments, decisions, and civil society activities related to activities of the International Financial Institutions (IFIs) in Mongolia. Read more Update \| 30 October 2007 WB/IMF Annual Meetings 2007: Little Flash, Some Substance Robert Zoellick’s first World Bank annual meeting passed with little fanfare or flak – a marked contrast to the boisterous semi-annual meeting in April, when the pressure on his predecessor, Paul Wolfowitz, to resign reached a fever pitch. Read more Update \| 19 October 2007 Internal watchdog slams World Bank agriculture programs in Africa since 1991 As the World Bank launches its latest flagship World Development Report, this year on "Agriculture for Development," the Independent Evaluation Group's report clearly acknowledges that the Bank's engagement with the most important sector in its highest-priority region has largely been a failure. Read more Update \| 15 October 2007 South Asia Early Warning Update #1 This is the first of a series of periodic electronic updates on World Bank projects in South Asia, from BIC's South Asia office. Read more Update \| 9 October 2007 World Bank tribunal in The Hague On October 15th, a public hearing on the World Bank will take place in The Hague. The hearing aims to raise the debate on the legitimacy of the World Bank and influence the aid distribution process. Read more Update \| 26 September 2007 Independent People’s Tribunal charges World Bank with serious violations of democracy, human rights and sovereignty In its preliminary findings, the first ever Independent People’s Tribunal on the World Bank in India found that the Bank had an undue and disturbingly negative influence in shaping India’s national policies disproportionate to its contribution, financial or otherwise. Read more Country Update \| 24 September 2007 Kazakhstan Country Update #15 Recent developments, decisions, and civil society activities related to activities of the International Financial Institutions (IFIs) in Kazakhstan. Read more Country Update \| 24 September 2007 Azerbaijan Country Update #13 Recent developments, decisions, and civil society activities related to activities of the International Financial Institutions (IFIs) in Azerbaijan. Read more Update \| 20 September 2007 UN adopts Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples On September 13th, after over 20 years of negotiations, the United Nations General Assembly finally adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The international declaration sets a higher standard for international financial institutions (IFIs) to ensure safeguards and strengthen their policies on indigenous peoples. Read more Update \| 23 August 2007 Prospect of profits is making more MENA governments see 'green', says World Bank A recent article by the World Bank applauds governments in MENA for increasing investment in environmental protection. While the World Bank is encouraging MENA countries to decrease their carbon emissions, it continues to finance extractive industry projects in the region. This apparent contradiction is just one of several reasons to take a closer look at the Bank's recent coverage of the 'greening' of MENA. Read more Update \| 22 August 2007 Journalists confirm Wolfowitz censored "climate change" Journalists confirmed that former World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz, personally intervened in removing the words "climate change" from Bank progress reports, and that it may be years before the World Bank considers greenhouse gas emissions in its projects. Read more Update \| 1 August 2007 World Bank to trade carbon credits for forest preservation The Bank's $250 million Forest Carbon Partnership Facility will offer some nations carbon credits in exchange for preserving their forests. The fund is anticipated to launch in December. Read more Update \| 5 July 2007 World Bank removes pollution death toll from report at urging of Chinese government The World Bank allegedly removed inflammatory findings on pollution-related deaths from a report under pressure from the Chinese government. Read more Update \| 14 June 2007 Bank to pilot carbon fund for avoided deforestation The World Bank is preparing to announce a new $250 million fund aimed at using carbon finance to reduce emissions from deforestation. According to recent news reports, world leaders have encouraged the Bank to move forward with plans to create a Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF), which would leverage private investor money and donor contributions to help countries develop strategies for avoiding forest degradation and secure payment for forest-related emissions reduction, through the creation of tradable carbon credits. Read more Update \| 23 February 2007 MIGA reviewing Social, Environmental and Disclosure Policies The World Bank's Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) has posted draft policies for public comment until April 27, 2007. Read more Print this page Email this page		Search Key Issues Accountability Debt Energy & Extractive Industries Environmental & Social Policies IFI Governance Infrastructure Trade Transparency U.S. Government Oversight See also Environmental & Social Policies Stay Informed! Sign up for our e-newsletters. SignUp

	Last updated 01 December 2008 © 2008 Bank Information Center Website content may be freely reproduced as long as BIC is credited as the source.

Site by CaudillWeb