IF-EYE Newsletter

Issue #51

Thursday, December 16, 2010

A publication of the Bank Information Center (BIC)

Welcome to the December 16, 2010 issue of the IF-EYE – the Bank Information Center’s monthly synthesis of key developments concerning international financial institutions. This issue spotlights the coverage of the COP-16 meeting in Cancún, our updated numbers on the World Bank's energy sector lending, and the publication of our Executive Director advocacy toolkit. Please send suggestions, contributions and subscription requests to: info@bicusa.org. Thanks for reading!

in this issue:

1. SPOTLIGHT: Cancun Climate Chronicles

2. SPOTLIGHT: BIC updates numbers on energy sector lending at the World Bank

3. SPOTLIGHT: BIC's new Executive Director advocacy toolkit

4. Civil Society Updates

5. IFI Updates

6. Announcements

1. SPOTLIGHT: Cancún Climate Chronicles   

With the help of our on the ground reporters, BIC and partners bring you updates from the climate negotiations at COP-16, with information on high-level government meetings, civil society initiatives, side events and more. The meeting was a key moment in determining not only the future of climate change initiatives worldwide, but also the World Bank's role in climate finance.

 Cancún climate chronicles (BIC website)

 

Below, read some of the highlights from the blog

World Bank and climate finance: Kicking the coal addiction

The Sierra Club's Justin Guay blogs from Cancun about the importance of the World Bank's energy lending strategy in the context of the institution's interest in playing a role in climate finance. He argues that "in order to credibly deliver climate finance...it is clear the institution must make a strong and credible commitment to clean up its act."

 Read more

Global Climate Fund in, World Bank out

Elizabeth Bast of Oil Change International reports from the COP-16, raising concerns around the World Bank positioning itself as the trustee for a new Global Climate Fund. In her blog posting, Bast questions "How can the World Bank effectively oversee climate finance funding while its energy portfolio continues to fuel the problem?"

 Read more

With each day, voices of dissent gain strength

Mahabat Murzakanova of Kyrgyzstan's Citizens Against Corruption blogs from Cancun on day 3 of the South-South Summit on Climate Justice and Finance. She writes that the CSOs involved are continuing to articulate a very different narrative from the one being proposed at the summit.

 Read more

2. SPOTLIGHT: BIC updates numbers on energy sector lending at the World Bank

11/12/2010 Bank Information Center

Adding additional information to the previously released fact sheet, BIC consultant Heike Mainhardt-Gibbs has released updated numbers on energy financing at the World Bank Group from fiscal years 2006 through 2010.

read the factsheet

World Bank Group Energy Sector Financing Update, by Heike Mainhardt-Gibbs, November 2010 (PDF, 372KB)

read more

 World Bank loans to energy projects, both clean and dirty, soar, by Timothy B. Hurst, Ecopolitology, November 22, 2010 (Reuters)

3. SPOTLIGHT: BIC's new Executive Director advocacy toolkit

12/16/2010 Bank Information Center

BIC is happy to announce the publication of our new Executive Director advocacy toolkit. Drawing on the experience of our staff and partners, the toolkit provides strategies for civil society actors to engage and build relationships with the World Bank's Executive Directors. Built around our ED advocacy workshop held during the 2010 Annual Meetings, this guide provides a blueprint for constructive work with the Board

read the guide

Executive Director advocacy toolkit, by Sarah Bedy, Bank Information Center, December 16, 2010

read more

 Executive Director advocacy training at 2010 Annual Meetings, Bank Information Center, October 21, 2010 (BIC website)

4. Civil Society Updates

NGOs want reforms tied to new World Bank funding

12/15/2010 Inter Press Service

As the World Bank is expected to announce a new funding package for the world's poorest countries, Matthew Berger of IPS examines NGOs' last-minute appeals to donor countries to use their leverage to compel reforms at the institution.

read more

 NGOs want reforms tied to new World Bank funding, by Matthew O. Berger, Inter Press Service, December 14, 2010 (IPS website)

 Donors pledge $49.3 billion to World Bank fund for poor nations, by Howard Schneider, Washington Post, December 16, 2010 (Washington Post website)

Civil society statement on energy access and public financing of fossil fuels, May 6, 2010 (PDF, 124 KB)

 PRESS RELEASE: Civil society opposes Zoellick's GCI request, Bank Information Center, April 22, 2010 (BIC website)

 Medicine fit for the World Bank?, by Rebecca Harris, The Washington Post, June 28, 2010 (Washington Post website) 

BIC article published in PNoWB Network Review newsletter

12/13/2010 Parliamentary Network on the World Bank

A BIC article detailing the first 99 days of the implementation of the World Bank's access to information policy is published by the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank as part of their 2010 Annual Conference newsletter, alongside contributions from World Bank President Robert Zoellick and Director-General and Senior Vice-President of the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG), Vinod Thomas.

read the article

 Network Review, no. 7, by the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank, December 2010 (PNoWB website)

Read more

 BIC's World Bank Transparency Review webpage

CAN International: World Bank to coal: ‘I just can’t quit you!’

12/7/2010 Climate Action Network

CAN International highlights inconsistencies between World Bank rhetoric and action when it comes to their energy lending portfolio and climate finance, arguing "if the World Bank believes it can credibly deliver climate finance, it must make a strong and credible commitment to clean up its act."

 Read more (BIC website)

PRESS RELEASE: Landmark US$1 billion forest protection deal at risk from Indonesian industry

11/23/2010 Greenpeace

A massive UNREDD grant from Norway to Indonesia has come under criticism from Greenpeace for the heavy influence of the palm oil, pulp, and paper industries which they say led to language that will actually drive deforestation rather than reduce it.

read the press release

 Landmark US$1billion forest protection deal at risk from Indonesian industry, Greenpeace, November 23, 2010 (BIC website)

read more

 Emissions cuts won't harm growth: Indonesian government, the Jakarta Post, November 12, 2010 (BIC website)

 Govt yet to name regions to host REDD pilot projects, by Theresia Sufa, the Jakarta Post, November 10, 2010 (BIC website)

5. IFI Updates

Africa's future lies in a green energy grid

12/14/2010 Inter Press Service

Stephen Leahy of the Inter Press Service reports that experts are recommending "decentralized, green economic development" to meet both energy access needs and international climate obligations.

read more

 Africa's future lies in a green energy grid, by Stephen Leahy, Inter Press Service, December 14, 2010 (IPS website)

Highlights from PC3 and PC7 of the FCPF

12/10/2010 Bank Information Center

BIC provides an overview of the major decisions taken at the 3rd meeting of the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility Participants Assembly and the 7th meeting of the Participants Committee, including country Readiness Proposals and the resolution on multiple delivery partners.

read more

Highlights from FCPF PA3 and PC7 (PDF, 325KB)

$165M plan for renewable energy

12/10/2010 The Moscow Times

The World Bank announced a multimillion-dollar effort to promote renewable energy in Russia through the Russian Renewable Energy Program, supported by the International Finance Corporation, the Global Environment Facility and the Russian Energy Agency.

read more

 $165M plan for renewable energy, by Roland Oliphant, The Moscow Times, December 10, 2010 (Moscow Times website)

Laos: World Bank-backed dam powers ahead, despite social cost

12/7/2010 Inter Press Service

As the World Bank returns to the big dam business with the inauguration of Laos’ largest hydropower project, many are concerned that the Bank-financed dams "will serve as a template for a big dam culture led by private sector investors with little interest in the environmental and social impact of these projects."

read more

 LAOS: World Bank-backed dam powers ahead, despite social cost, by Marwaan Macan-Markar, Inter Press Service, December 7, 2010 (IPS website)

Inspection Panel receives complaint over proposed water project in Lebanon

11/23/2010 Various CSOs

On November 4, 2010 the World Bank’s Inspection Panel received a complaint from a Lebanese citizen representing himself and approximately 50 Beirut inhabitants who say that a World Bank water project will have negative impacts environmentally and economically. Management at the Bank has until December 10, 2010 to respond to the complaint.

 Read more (BIC website)

IFC "Doing Business" report causes controversy within World Bank

11/15/2010 Foreign Policy

Following the publication of IFC's 2011 "Doing Business" report, several Executive Directors have publically criticized the methodology and data used in the report, which ranks countries based on how business friendly they are.

read more

 Battle within the Bank, by David Bosco, the Multilateralist, November 12, 2010 (Foreign Policy website)

The United States Launches REDD+ Strategy

11/15/2010 U.S. Government

The U.S. Government announces the release of the United States' strategy to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and increase carbon sequestration by forests in developing countries.

 Read more (BIC website)

6. Announcements