Environmental Sustainability: An Evaluation of World Bank Group Support

Environmental Sustainability: An Evaluation of World Bank Group Support

• July 2008

Environment matters for development

• Environmental problems are enormous and increasing
• Climate change
• Air and water pollution
• Soil erosion and desertification
• Water scarcity
• Loss of biodiversity
• Developing countries
• are severely affected:
• Growth
• Poverty
• Both public
• and private
• action are needed

WBG timeline: Increased attention since 1990

• 1970

• 1980

• 1990

• 2000

• WB project focus:

• "do no harm"

• World Development Report

• (for Rio summit) (1992)

• MIGA: Enhanced project-
• level focus from 1998

• WB: Increasingly proactive role from 1992

• * 4-fold agenda: Safeguards, Stewardship,

• Mainstreaming, Global sustainability

• IFC: Deepening

• attention to project-
• level impacts from 1991

• WBG: 2001 Environmental Strategy

• IFC: Equator Principles
• WB: 2003 World Development Report

Key messages

• The World Bank Group has made progress since 1990 as an advocate for the environment
• But treatment of environmental issues in many WBG country programs remains weak due to major external and internal constraints
• The WBG needs to increase its engagement and effectiveness in environmental issues through
• Greater attention in Bank Group and country strategies
• More effective cross-sectoral approaches
• Better measurement of activities and results
• Closer collaboration within the WBG and with partners