Climate & Environment

Watch a panel discussion on how governments can harness education for climate impact, presented during the launch of the “Choosing Our Future: Education for Climate Action” report.

Watch a discussion about our new report 'Recipe for a Livable Planet' to learn how agriculture can help address climate change and make food production more resilient.

On May 13th, the World Bank launched its 2024 Land Conference. Join us to explore how better land management can help meet climate goals and other sustainability targets.

Join us to discuss how we can mobilize finance for climate action, attract more investment for sustainable mobility, and harness the full development potential of transport.

Join us as we discuss key issues and barriers that hinder private sector participation in sustainable infrastructure and how Development Finance Institutions can help overcome them.

What supportive policy frameworks and financial innovations are available to help deploy the technology more broadly? Live from COP28.

How to accelerate climate action and finance in contexts affected by fragility, conflict and violence (FCV)? The event will showcase experiences from activities in Chad, Mozambique and Yemen.

Watch a fireside chat with World Bank Group President Ajay Banga and International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on their respective institutional goals going into COP28 in Dubai.

Come find out how the Bank’s flagship diagnostic – the Country Climate and Development Reports – connects climate and development priorities in over 40 countries. Join us live from COP28 in Dubai at the World Bank Group pavilion #LivablePlanet.

The Europe and Central Asia region is plagued by an inefficient, aging, unaffordable, polluting heating sector that is not compatible with a livable planet. This heating sector stands in the way of these countries achieving their net-zero emissions targets by mid-century and improving the quality of life for their citizens.

This World Bank-IMF event will explore innovative ways countries can deliver significant impacts that improve people’s quality of life, through policies that accelerate low-carbon and resilient growth to better draw in the private sector and attract more climate finance. 

World Bank President Ajay Banga addressed the press during the World Bank and International Monetary Fund 2023 Annual Meetings. He offered opening remarks and then took questions from international media covering the Meetings. World Bank Chief Economist Indermit Gill also participated.

What are South Asia’s economic prospects and what type of challenges lie ahead? How can the region accelerate growth while creating greener firms and jobs?

With two million premature deaths annually, South Asia faces the world’s heaviest health toll from air pollution.

The 2023 Atlas of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a visual resource showcasing progress and setbacks in achieving the SDGs through interactive storytelling and data visualization. It provides decision-makers, the development community, academics, journalists, and the public with data insights for each of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and introduces concepts about how some SDGs are measured. At the midpoint of the 2030 Agenda, the insights of the Atlas reinforce the importance of strengthening global partnerships to tackle the formidable development challenges that lie ahead, and supplement efforts by partners.

New analysis from the World Bank examines the two-way relationship between cities and climate change, concluding that cities also hold the key to solving the climate crisis. With data from more than 10,000 cities, the report offers insight into how to help cities become greener, more resilient, and more inclusive – in other words, on how to help their cities thrive – in a changing climate. This session engaged prominent government officials including mayors and ministers as well as civil society to discuss the findings and recommendations from the report.

The World Bank’s new framework “Scaling Up to Phase Down” maps out a 6-step virtuous cycle to help these countries overcome critical barriers that are paralyzing their energy transition and catalyze investments.

Behavioral science offers new insights and non-traditional tools to help policymakers improve upon the design and implementation of policy interventions.

Global efforts to decarbonize economies are likely to create demand for 3 million tons of minerals and metals – many of which are found in Africa. Thus, the continent has an opportunity to harness natural resource wealth to accelerate energy access and a green transition, drive economic transformation and jobs, and generate more fiscal revenues. Speakers focused on this opportunity and the related challenges facing policy makers.

Investing in human capital creates healthy and well-educated populations – education being the greatest predicator of climate-friendly behavior.

World Bank officials, David Malpass, Anshula Kant and Jorge Familiar, hosted a panel to discuss the evolving role of private capital investment in providing sustainable finance for countries to meet development goals. This is in light of the world's current challenges that go beyond the normal scope of economic development. COVID-19, the war in Ukraine, and other factors have left countries with high levels of debt, while climate concerns are mounting. To recoup development progress back to 2020 levels and adapt to climate change, trillions of dollars are needed.

Join a prestigious panel of speakers to explore central questions around what it will take to address some of the most critical issues of our time including climate change, food insecurity, pandemics, and increasing fragility and poverty reduction. 

President David Malpass takes questions from international media representatives covering the 2023 Spring Meetings.

Historically, water storage systems have enabled humans to thrive in a range of climatic conditions. But as the climate changes, many water storage systems are becoming—or in some regions have already become—no longer fit for purpose. This event serves as an urgent appeal to practitioners at every level, both public and private, and across sectors, to come together to champion integrated water storage solutions—natural, built, and hybrid—to meet a range of human, economic, and environmental needs for the twenty-first century.

From the floor of Palais des congrès de Montréal at COP15, where global leaders convene to discuss the biodiversity imperative.

New analysis from the World Bank based on 10,000 cities across the globe provides a compass for policymakers at both the national and local levels on policy options for making cities greener, more resilient, and more inclusive in a changing climate. This session will engage prominent government officials including mayors and ministers as well as civil society to discuss the findings and recommendations from the report.

The panel will discuss investment opportunities in biodiversity finance and innovative business models to promote the protection of biodiversity and ecosystem services.

COP27 brings together SIDS representatives, the donor community, and the private sector. This High-Level Panel will bring together SIDS representatives from the Eastern Caribbean, Maldives and Palau providing an opportunity to discuss collective responsibility for ensuring the health and sustainability of the world’s oceans, and their vital role in future NDCs.

This panel will launch the World Bank Group’s new Hydrogen for Development Partnership (H4D), an initiative to boost the deployment of low-carbon hydrogen in developing countries. 

How to adopt an integrated approach to tackling gender equality and climate change? This event will present evidence and examples showing that supporting women’s empowerment and gender equality pays dividends, including for reaching climate goals. 

Join IFC and World Bank for the launch of the APEX Green Cities Program, an innovative new approach that harnesses the insights from advanced green practices around the world to show what these practices mean for your city, based on your local context. This launch event will include an overview of the APEX (Advanced Practices for Environmental Excellence) initiative and testimonials from our partner cities Ekurhuleni, South Africa and Alexandria, Egypt. 

Developing countries have the opportunity to simultaneously reduce emissions from agriculture, while supporting adaptation priorities. This event will discuss key initiatives and operations, in a synthesized way, for delivering climate mitigation action to sub-sectors such as livestock and rice and will showcase relevant Bank projects, while engaging the voices of client countries around key mitigation themes.

How can governments translate their climate goals and commitments into viable, bankable projects? What are the challenges and opportunities that both governments and the private sector face? 

In this time of strained resources and overlapping crises, how can countries get the financing they need to tackle climate change? The event Investing in People and Planet explored this question in three conversations -- on the potential of carbon markets to mobilize finance; what it will take to bring private sector finance into low-carbon transitions; and the financing needed to achieve net zero.

Achieving universal energy access and a just energy transition in Sub-Saharan Africa are closely intertwined. This session comprises representatives from the World Bank, African governments and development partners to discuss how public and private sector can work together to fast-track energy access in the region leveraging both on- and off-grid renewable energy.

Education systems around the world face significant climate risks. At the same time, education is a hugely powerful but significantly under-utilized instrument to promote climate action. Three young activists, from Nigeria, Pakistan, and Peru, will deliver condensed TED-style talks, sharing their personal experience of how climate change is affecting education and how education can and must be a key part of the solution. 

IFC and IRENA will host an Energy Access event which aims to bring together Ministers from across the region and the heads of international organizations to share experiences and discuss the Energy Access agenda and propose a way forward to reach SG7 by 2030 through clean energy solutions.

Increasing commodity prices and greater climate volatility are putting additional strains on food supply chains and increasing pressure on food producers to optimize their practices. IFC’s new $6 billion financing facility, the Global Food Security Platform, will provide financing to support immediate needs and build more climate- and shock-resilient food systems for the future. Our panelists will discuss private sector solutions to strengthen food security and innovations for climate-friendly production.

Challenges and opportunities for low- and middle-income countries to reduce digital sector emissions and harness technologies for adaptation and mitigation.

An inspiring AND practical conversation about climate finance with Lord Nicholas Stern, IG Patel Professor, London School of Economics, and Mr. Axel van Trotsenburg, Managing Director of Operations, World Bank. Together, they will break down the big numbers into more manageable pieces, identify sources of finance and prototypes to be scaled, and examine the critical role of concessionality in incentivizing the scale needed. This is a must-see for those who are serious about scaling climate finance. 

The goal of the panel is to get insights from leading decision-makers regarding policy, financing, and real sector innovations.  

The G7 Presidency and the World Bank developed a publicly accessible dashboard to share information on acute food security and responses.

Be among the first to learn the big insights emerging from the WBG’s new transformative diagnostic, the Country Climate and Development Reports. Join some of the architects of this new report as they synthesize the key findings from around 25 countries and reveal their most interesting recommendations about how countries can reduce emissions while growing their economies. Learn also from developing countries about their experience with CCDRs and how they plan to use them. This is a must-see for those who care about climate and development.

This event will focus on the progress made to date on IFC’s mobilization platforms, including MCPP One Planet, SEED, and REGIO, as well as the next generation under development. 

How to scale up climate financing? Including how governments and their development partners can establish a pipeline of bankable projects that can attract private sector investments.

The objective of this panel discussion is to explore the blue economy—how it is defined, what it encompasses, and what/where is driving the demand. 

Join us as we kick off the World Bank Group’s engagements at COP27 with President David Malpass. The event will look at key priorities for reducing emissions, including supporting the just transition and boosting action on methane, innovative financing that can deliver resources at scale, and how countries can address their climate and development needs together.

This interactive, high-level panel will share successful climate finance investment instruments in Africa’s private sector banks, while highlighting the important role regulators play in greening the financial sector. 

This panel will discuss the importance of accelerating investment in distributed energy solutions and how innovative risk mitigation solutions can unlock barriers to investment. Insights will be provided by project developers, investors, and governments, who will highlight how political risk solutions could help mitigate some of the key risks while improving the viability of projects and accelerating scale.

Human capital is essential for meeting the objectives of addressing climate change and fostering development. Without focused investments in people, climate change will accelerate global poverty, exacerbate inequities, and will itself continue unabated. Climate-smart human capital can alleviate the worst impacts of climate change on people and can also empower people to drive the green transition. Join us to discuss how putting human capital at the heart of climate policies can deliver good outcomes for both people and for the planet. 

Methane’s short term potency poses a serious climate challenge and methane emissions are on the rise. In this high-level event the World Bank Group, other MDBs and private investors showcased current efforts and plans to expand their focus on methane emissions over the next few years.

World Bank Group President Malpass introduces SCALE, the new partnership to catalyze transformative climate action.

In this time of strained resources and overlapping crises, how can countries get the financing they need to tackle climate change? The event Investing in People and Planet explored this question in three conversations -- on the potential of carbon markets to mobilize finance; what it will take to bring private sector finance into low-carbon transitions; and the financing needed to achieve net zero.

This year’s theme is “Unlocking the Power of Inclusion for Equitable Growth”. Get ready for a two-day experience including pitch competition, case challenge, keynotes and plenaries, music, art and more!

This event lays out the complexities of tackling climate and development objectives together amid a geopolitical landscape characterized by conflict, rising prices, and intensifying climate impacts. 

This event will explore how a whole-of-economy approach can support a green recovery from COVID-19, create an enabling environment for ambitious climate action, and deliver on the outcomes of the Glasgow Compact from COP26. 

The COVID-19 pandemic caused unprecedented disruptions to global trade and has sparked questions about the future of global value chains. New World Bank research, however, suggests that not only did value chains prove more resilient than earlier feared, but they also helped participating countries rebound more quickly from the crisis. Please join us on March 4 for an engaging discussion about the factors reshaping global value chains, and their implications for trade and development.

The 2022 edition showcased the latest thinking and disruptive solutions that are opening new doors across the industry—from innovative public transport approaches to vehicle electrification, micromobility, smarter logistics, and more. 

Leveraging climate finance at the scale and speed needed to address the climate crisis is a key global commitment. Within this, cities and urban systems will be critical for achieving a global green and inclusive transition. The event will present the City Climate Finance Gap Fund, a multilateral partnership involving the World Bank, the European Investment Bank, and other partners.

This event highlights the various roles that cities can play in addressing climate change: as regulators, project sponsors, fundraisers of capital, overseers of multi-connected systems, and as partners with the private sector, leveraging their relationship for green standards, innovation, technical expertise, and green finance.

The World Bank recognizes the innate value of racial equity in global efforts to eradicate poverty and create opportunities that boost prosperity for all. By enabling all persons to realize their full potential regardless of race, racial equity enhances benefits for society as a whole and aids the attainment of long-term development objectives and the reduction of poverty.

We cannot win the fight against climate change without taking on the rapidly growing emissions from the transport sector. But even though many of the necessary tools and technologies already exist, market uptake and financing remain low. Building on the ongoing Transport Decarbonization Investment series, this event will bring together a wide range of leaders who will explore concrete solutions for boosting innovation and investment toward low-carbon transport.

This virtual conversation, part of a series between World Bank senior management and global leaders in addressing climate change, will showcase how the World Bank is helping policymakers assess climate change risks and evaluate the effectiveness of a mix of policies and investments aimed at mitigating this pressing global Climate challenge.

The session will examine lessons learned from piloting CSA investment plans and how these plans can be scaled up through effective policies, context-specific technologies, and innovative financing for successful agricultural systems transformation.

Join us for the global launch of the Financing Locally Led Climate Action Program (FLLoCA), the first national model of devolved climate finance, which supports partnerships between government and citizens to identify and invest in solutions to address climate change.

Joins us to discuss how nature loss is an economic and development issue, and how it is linked to climate change, as well as pathways to undertake both nature and climate-smart development in the future, including through expanding our economic toolkit beyond GDP to account for the wealth provided by nature.

Joins us to discuss how nature loss is an economic and development issue, and how it is linked to climate change, as well as pathways to undertake both nature and climate-smart development in the future, including through expanding our economic toolkit beyond GDP to account for the wealth provided by nature.

A day after COP26’s dedicated day for finance, WBG is hosting this fireside chat with Banque de France (BdF), the secretariat of NGFS, to explore these issues further and discuss how the financial sector can contribute to countries’, particularly EMDEs’, climate and development goals.

As developing countries create their own path, ESMAP, with its donor partners and partner organizations, is supporting them in thinking through their energy transition and energy access roadmaps.

Join us as we examine how innovative macro-fiscal and governance-related interventions can enable a green recovery and facilitate a ‘whole-of-economy’ approach to long-term climate action.

Join a chat with Axel van Trotsenburg, World Bank Managing Director of Operations, and global climate leaders on how integrating climate and development can boost a country's resilience strategy.

Join a conversation with World Bank Group President David Malpass and Standard Chartered CEO Bill Winters.

This event will provide an update on the macroeconomic situation in African countries and investigate the central question that many are currently facing: How to keep ensuring a growth and jobs focus in the context of climate change adaptation in Africa? 

How can countries decarbonize energy systems and get off coal, ensuring a just transition out of high polluting industries? Join us on a journey of effective climate action around the globe to find out.

South Asia is at the epicenter of ambient air pollution—pollution people are exposed to outside their households. According to the latest World Air Quality Report, 2020, of the top 40 most polluted cities in the world, 37 are in South Asia. Air pollution in the region is a health hazard and represents the third-highest risk for premature death, as compared to the ninth highest cause in Western Europe. Overall, it contributes to around 11 percent of all deaths, and approximately 40 million disability-adjusted life years in South Asia. Air pollution, however, is not a localized phenomenon. It is transported across borders, and its effects spread to places far away from the source. This requires a country-wide, inter-state, and a regional response. Join our sixth #OneSouthAsia Conversation, which will focus on the ways regional cooperation can help achieve a shared vision of healthier and cleaner air in South Asia. This builds on our previous Spring Meetings event on Air Quality Management in South Asia in ...

What are the responsibilities of developed and developing countries in regulating the global trade of used cars, trucks, and buses? How can we ensure these vehicles meet acceptable environmental and safety standards? These are some of the key questions that the World Bank, the government of the Netherlands, and the United Nations, and other key development partners will be taking on as they mark the launch the new Transport Decarbonization Investment series. 

The mountain ranges of the Himalayas, the Hindu Kush, and the Karakoram span 2,400 kilometers across six nations and contain 60,000 km² of ice – storing more water than anywhere besides the Arctic and Antarctic. Climate change and air pollution are speeding up the melting of the Himalayan glaciers, jeopardizing the lives and livelihoods of 750 million people who rely on the water from these glaciers and snows. Melting glaciers and loss of seasonal snow pose significant risks not just to the people who live at their foot but to the stability of water resources in the South Asia region more broadly. The impacts will only get worse unless greater efforts are made to curb black carbon deposits from factories, fires, and vehicles that are accelerating melting. Our expert panel will discuss challenges and solutions to address glacier melt, improve water and energy security, and air quality, and thus create a better future for millions of South Asians. Opening Remarks: Hartwig Schafer, Vice President, ...

South Asia is the third largest contributor to global plastic waste. It generates 334 million metric tons of solid waste every year. Nearly 70-80% of this waste ends up in the ocean 12% is plastic. On current trends, if no action is taken, the amount of mismanaged waste (including plastic) across South Asia is projected to double to 661 million tons by 2050, adversely affecting the region’s ocean ecosystems, livelihoods, human health, and sustainable development more broadly. COVID-19 has further exacerbated plastic pollution, with increased demand for single-use plastic and pressure on solid waste management systems. With no single solution to this, South Asia needs a collective response to plastic pollution which is both national and transboundary in nature. The region’s two transboundary river systems—the Indus River System, which connects Afghanistan, India and Pakistan and the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna River System, which connecting Bhutan, Nepal, India and Bangladesh—are among the top five most polluting rivers in the world. The rivers act like ...

Maritime transport has come under increased pressure to lower, and ultimately eliminate, its contributions to climate change. To inform shipping’s energy transition and support the sector’s climate action, the World Bank has developed two technical reports on “The Potential of Zero-Carbon Bunker Fuels in Developing Countries” and “The Role of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) in the Transition Toward Low-and Zero-Carbon Shipping.” Accompanied by a “Summary for Policymakers and Industry”, these reports will be launched in a virtual high-level event during Singapore Maritime Week 2021. This 90 minutes’ launch event will discuss the key findings of the reports from a development perspective. It will also highlight current country ambitions and industry initiatives aimed at building up a zero-carbon bunker fuel supply chain based on green ammonia and green hydrogen.  After opening remarks by Nigel Topping, High-Level Climate Action Champion COP26, the authors will present the key conclusions of the research. This presentation will be followed by two panels featuring speakers like ...

Record-breaking wildfires, droughts, floods and hurricanes have taken lives, damaged homes, hospitals and businesses. Meanwhile, COVID-19 took a heavy health and economic toll and pushed millions into extreme poverty. How can we change course?

How is the pandemic changing our ambitions around a greener future? What does real progress look like on tackling climate change? These are some of the questions we'll be asking Marc Sadler, Practice Manager of the Climate Funds Management unit at the World Bank.  Join us for the live conversation on February 18th. Be sure to sign up for an email reminder! The Resilient Recovery Series includes in-depth interviews with the Bank’s leading experts focused on health, social, and economic responses, as well as policies, institutions, and investments that will be critical to resilient, inclusive, and sustainable recovery. Check out the previous episodes!         View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by World Bank (@worldbank)

As countries respond to the immediate health concerns of the COVID-19 pandemic, they will also need to focus on stimulus packages to stem its severe economic impact. As they do so, they have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to set a foundation for a more sustainable and prosperous future. Ahead of the 5 year anniversary of the Paris Agreement, the World Bank is hosting a virtual event to  highlight why greening the response to the pandemic is critical and how we will support clients to do so. The event will include the launch of a new multi-donor trust fund to support countries accelerate efforts towards a low-carbon, climate-resilient recovery.

Marine plastics has become a global development challenge as the growing amount of mismanaged plastic waste pollutes oceans, coastlines, rivers, and other inland waterways while affecting the livelihoods of coastal communities. The sudden increase in single-use plastics during the COVID-19 pandemic has created an additional stress on countries working to tackle the challenge. The East Asia and Pacific (EAP) region is a key player in the marine plastics crisis with a groundswell of public support for urgent action against plastic pollution to protect communities, ecosystems, and economies. Join government officials, private sector leaders, and civil society representatives from across the region to discuss effective ways to accelerate policies, investments, and innovations to address marine plastics in East Asia. Register to receive updates on the virtual event.  

The event addressed how a sustainable recovery can restore ecosystems, reverse biodiversity loss, create better food systems and jobs. “We are a country that has no choice but to go sustainable and all our policies are taking into consideration sustainability,” said Mozambique’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Celso Correia.

The COVID-19 pandemic is reshaping the world’s financial system and having a huge impact on companies and employment. As many countries begin to look to recovery,  investment in climate-friendly strategies carries the potential to boost growth and create new jobs. How can we place sustainability at the heart of investment and business strategies and support a low-carbon future? It’s a business plan that’s not only positive for the environment, but also good for people and profitability.  Peer Stein, Senior Advisor for Climate Finance at the International Finance Corporation joins World Bank Live to discuss the role of investors, businesses and financial institutions in building a new, more sustainable economic model.  The Resilient Recovery Series includes in-depth interviews with the Bank’s leading experts focused on health, social, and economic responses, as well as policies, institutions, and investments that will be critical to resilient, inclusive, and sustainable recovery. Check out the previous episodes!

Part of ‘Kickstarting a Sustainable Recovery’, the Climate Group’s Sustainable Recovery Series, in partnership with Innovate4Climate.  Monumental efforts are underway to help governments respond to the crisis triggered by COVID-19. As countries look ahead on how to build back better, carbon pricing policies are in the spotlight. The Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition, in partnership with the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action, is convening thought leaders for a dialogue exploring how the public and private sector can realize the full potential of carbon pricing as part of a sustainable recovery process.  Agenda Introductory remarks: Mari Elka Pangestu, Managing Director of Development, Policy and Partnerships, World Bank High level comments: Tao Zhang, Deputy Managing Director, IMF José Ángel Gurría Treviño, Secretary General, OECD   Juan Carlos Jobet, Minister of Energy, Chile Leadership Panel 1Moderated by Bernice Van Bronkhorst, Global Director, Climate Change, World Bank How can we achieve a sustainable recovery process in the face of climate ...

Scientist and author of the most comprehensive global assessment on biodiversity, Sir Robert Watson, kicked off the event illustrating what science was telling us – one million species are at the risk of extinction, and 90% of the land is significantly altered threatening the lives and livelihoods of millions of people. ``Protecting biodiversity is more than an environmental issue. It is a development and economic issue but also a moral issue,’’ he said to a full house. Two lightening speakers showcased innovative approaches to reversing the trend on biodiversity. Helen Crowley, head of sustainable sourcing innovation at fashion group Kering said: ``Fashion might be late to the issue of sustainability but we are here now.’’ Kering is one of the 32 fashion companies to join the fashion pact with the G7. Emiliano Ezcura, the VP of National Parks in Argentina, asked, ``If you're a finance minister, how can you not care about nature?’’. He spoke of innovative approaches involving creating rural corridors with ...

Adapt Now: A Global Call for Leadership on Climate Resilience, the flagship report of the Global Commission on Adaptation launches globally on September 10, 2019. Join us for the launch event in Washington, DC, and find out how adaptation is a cornerstone of better development that can help improve lives, reduce poverty, protect the environment, and enhance resilience around the world.

Healthy oceans are vital to the prosperity of Pacific communities and the global ecosystem, yet are facing an unprecedented crisis with issues of over-fishing, marine pollution and coastal erosion exacerbated by climate change. This inaugural Future Pasifika panel will bring together some of the most passionate voices in our Pacific community – thought leaders, activists, businesspeople and youth leaders – to tackle this critical issue. Cohosted by the University of the South Pacific (USP), the World Bank and its sister organization the International Finance Corporation, Future Pasifika is filmed in front of a live audience at the USP Laucala Bay Campus in Suva, Fiji, and livestreamed across the university’s Pacific campuses.

Innovate4Climate is the preeminent global event on climate finance, climate investment and climate markets. It is a platform that brings together business, finance, policy and technology leaders to accelerate action on financing climate-smart development. In 2019, I4C will focus on green finance, clean cooling, battery storage, climate-smart urban design, Asian climate markets and much more.    To view the full program and list of panelists, please click here.

‘Reduce, reuse, recycle, refuse – and rethink’ how you’re using plastic   Naturalist Sir David Attenborough laid out in dramatic, visual terms the challenges facing our ocean, then joining World Bank CEO Kristalina Georgieva for a fireside chat.  “We wouldn’t dream of managing a bank in the way we manage our oceans. Dangerously eroding our capital and losing a far higher, guaranteed return of interest,” said the iconic broadcaster. Sir David encouraged policymakers to agree on targets that will stabilize the loss of nature, including in our oceans. “This is one of the crucial places in the world where these sorts of decisions can be made,” he told the packed room. The event focused on the need to address marine pollution and Ms. Georgieva urged the audience to ‘reduce, reuse, recycle, refuse – and rethink” how they are using plastics. Lightning speakers followed the fireside chat. Plastic Bank founder David Katz shared how his company is seeking to make plastic waste ...

Eight hundred million South Asians– or half the region’s population—are at risk to see their standards of living and incomes decline as rising temperatures and more erratic rainfalls will cut down crop yields, make water more scare, and push more people away from their homes to seek safer places. This worst-case scenario and relevant adaptation strategies to climate change underpin the upcoming report South Asia’s Hotspots, whose main findings were presented yesterday at a panel on building climate change resilience in South Asia at the World Bank Spring Meetings. Its main author, World Bank Lead Economist Muthukumara Mani detailed how specific geographic areas across South Asia or “hotspots” which –until now—were relatively immune to climate change threats could be badly affected by 2050. To build resilience, the report recommends that South Asian countries better prioritize their financial resources where they’re most needed and target the most vulnerable individuals and families.  Following the presentation, government, civil society, ...

Risk management is fundamental for Latin America and the Caribbean. Incidents of natural disasters have tripled since 1970 and with climate change, their intensity and the frequency are going to increase. But natural disasters are not the only risk these countries face. Economic shocks and abrupt swings in commodity prices can also have a devastating effect in the population, especially on the most vulnerable. In Thursday’s conversation on Protecting Latin America and the Caribbean’s Future Against Risks, Jorge Familiar, World Bank Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean was joined by a panel of leading financial experts and policymakers including Jane Fraser, CEO of Citigroup Latin America; Paraguay Minister of Finance Lea Giménez; Chief Executive of the State Development Bank of Brazil BNDES, Dyogo Henrique de Oliveira; President of Mexico’s National Banking and Securities Commission CNBV, Bernardo Gonzalez; and the Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, Timothy Antoine. During the discussion, panelists agreed that the ...

This is a Facebook Live interview. Watch the replay!   As part of our Spring Meetings 2018 Interview Series, we will be live with Andy Pharoah, Vice President for Corporate Affairs and Strategic Initiatives, Mars, Inc., who will talk about how Mars has set a high bar among global food processing and distribution brands for environmental sustainability and for setting ambitious social targets across its supply chain.   

Watch the replay! Talking about global development can be fun – and informative!  Join us on Facebook Tuesday, April 17, for a one-hour live show exploring the power of technology to solve problems, some of the reasons behind the gender divide, and why 2050 isn’t that far away when you’re talking about climate change.   Our World Bank Live show will be filled with creative and inspiring content including the educational, data-oriented Geek Out with Tariq. Guests Speakers:Shomik Mehndiratta, Practice Manager, Transport and Digital Development Rita Ramalho, Senior Manager, Development Economics Marianne Fay, Chief Economist, Sustainable Development Network Featuring:Tariq Khokhar, Senior Data Scientist Hosted by:Pabsy Pabalan Mariano, Digital Engagement Officer Andy Shuai Liu, Online Communications Officer

Pollution is one of the biggest development challenges facing us today. In 2015, more than 9 million premature deaths were caused by pollution, according to the Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health. Learn more from the Commissioners of the Lancet’s new report and join an engaging conversation on what is being done to address the health effects of pollution, including by the World Bank. Visit Our Partners:  

Established in 2013, the Youth Summit is an annual event that serves as a platform for conversation and action to make the World Bank Group more relevant to the global youth and to better involve young people in the work of the World Bank Group. The Youth Summit Organizing Committee is comprised of young World Bank Group employees and is supported by World Bank Group senior management. The first Youth Summit was held in October 2013 and emphasized youth leadership, revitalizing a new chapter of World Bank Group involvement and engagement with a dynamic generation of young leaders, activists, development professionals, and others interested in global youth-related issues. The 2014 Youth Summit focused on Governance, leveraging the experiences and expertise of participants to offer workshops highlighting the work of youth globally to increase transparency, accountability and collaboration in the context of participatory government. In its third edition, the 2015 Youth Summit made a global call to crowd-source solutions for climate change, held right before ...

What will it take for the small island states of the Caribbean to become more resilient and sustainable following the recent hurricanes? Join us live on October 13 at 5:00 pm, as we discuss this and other topics with Timothy Antoine, Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank.

On Friday, October 13th, 12:00 pm, find out why partnerships are crucial to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Tune in for the live interview with Jeremy Oppenheim, Program Director, Business and Sustainable Development Commission, and Steve Waygood, Chief Responsible Investment Officer of Aviva Investors, during the World Bank/IMF 2017 Annual Meetings and leave your questions in the comments below.

Join World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim in a panel discussion on mobilizing the trillions of dollars in private and public investment needed to ensure the world meets the goals of the Paris Agreement. This high-level event brings together climate change leaders, government ministers, philanthropists, and private sector executives to focus on what’s already happening, how far we have to go and what a climate-resilient, low-carbon future could look like. 

At a time when other regions are looking inward, this event will highlight the way in which Latin America, and particularly Argentina and Pacific Alliance countries, are taking steps to better integrate with the rest of the world, to boost growth and tackle their development challenges. The Pacific Alliance is a regional integration initiative comprised by Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, some of the most dynamic economies in LAC. It seeks to be a new generation agreement, with a strong outward-looking focus and a platform for common approaches to issues such as poverty reduction, competitiveness, protecting the environment and cultural promotion.

To deliver on the Paris Agreement on climate change reached in December 2015, the world needs action and investment on an unprecedented scale.  Getting there requires innovation – in technology, policy, entrepreneurship and financing. Breakthroughs are happening on all these fronts, driven by the private sector, international organizations, civil society and forward-looking governments. The World Bank Group and Responding to Climate Change Limited (RTCC) are proud to host ‘Innovating to Meet the Climate Challenge,’ a half-day event looking at emerging innovations and the new opportunities they bring.

Why are so many governments, communities and businesses turning their attention to forests? From meeting climate goals and coping with extreme weather, to boosting livelihoods and greening supply chains, forests are becoming an essential part of the development solution. Join us for a spirited discussion about exciting initiatives benefiting forests and the people who depend on them. Related Links: Why investing in forests is money—and time—well spent For forests, a change in attitude in favor of indigenous communities Protecting Forests in Mexico Reaps Rewards World Bank: Forests Forests Slow Climate Change and Increase Resilience Five forest figures for the International Day of Forests Empower Forest Communities Brazil: Its Forest Capital and a Promising Future in the Production of Food, Fiber, and Energy

The world must move quickly to fulfill the promise of the climate change agreement reached in Paris four months ago and accelerate low-carbon growth, World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim said on the opening day of the Spring Meetings. More than 190 countries came together last December to pledge to do their part to halt global warming. The result was an unprecedented agreement to keep warming below 2 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial times, with the goal of limiting warming to 1.5° C. With the formal signing of the Paris Agreement just a week away, it’s time to seize the moment and make the financial argument for a shift to renewables, Kim said. “This is an absolutely critical issue. We have to move now, because the real losers will be every single one of our children and grandchildren,” said Kim. He spoke at a livestreamed event, Turning the Paris Agreement into Action, with Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change Catherine ...

Climate change is an acute threat to poverty reduction. This new World Bank Group Report "Shock Waves: Managing the Impacts of Climate Change on Poverty" finds that without rapid, inclusive and climate-smart development, there could be more than 100 million additional people in poverty by 2030.  At the same time, immediate emission reduction efforts and pro-poor climate mitigation policies are needed to prevent even worse long-term impacts. This event will present the results of this report and discuss its implications heading towards the international climate conference in Paris.

"Today to 2030" brings together a cross section of global leaders and influencers to look at the partnerships, financing, creativity and citizen action needed to end extreme poverty, boost shared prosperity and address climate change. This event comes at a critical time for our people and the planet, falling less than two weeks after the UN Global Goals are ratified and shortly before the COP climate negotiations in Paris. It will be a key moment to build momentum and energize the global community to take the actions needed over the next 15 years to meet these ambitious goals.

Droughts, floods and rising temperatures are cutting crop yields, threatening food supply and pushing people deeper into poverty. With climate change affecting food production, how will we feed 9 billion people by 2050? The World Bank Group is continuing the conversation on the “Future of Food” to explore ways in which the food system can become climate-smart. What climate-smart practices can farmers adopt to boost productivity and resilience while reducing emissions? What roles can chefs, food processors and researchers in gastronomy play in tackling climate change? How can we prioritize investments in climate-smart agriculture? Hear from celebrated Peruvian chef Gaston Acurio, Jim Yong Kim, and others on the different ways we can work together to shape a climate-smart food system that can feed the world.

Secas, inundações e temperaturas em elevação estão reduzindo as safras, ameaçando o fornecimento de alimentos e levando as pessoas para a pobreza. Ante uma mudança do clima que afeta a produção de comida, como alimentaremos 9 bilhões de pessoas até 2050? O Grupo Banco Mundial realiza o diálogo “Futuro dos Alimentos”, para analisar formas de tornar o sistema alimentar resistente às mudanças climáticas. Que práticas os agricultores podem adotar para aumentar a produtividade e a resiliência, reduzindo ao mesmo tempo as emissões de carbono? Que papel os chefs, processadores de alimentos e pesquisadores de gastronomia desempenham no enfrentamento das mudanças climáticas?  Como podemos priorizar investimentos em agricultura inteligente? Veja o famoso chef peruano Gaston Acurio, o presidente do Banco Mundial, Jim Yong Kim, e outros convidados falando sobre diferentes formas de trabalhar em conjunto para formar um sistema que ao mesmo tempo seja resistente ao clima e ...

Evidence-based policies that promote secure access to land (including for women), and strengthening poor farmers’ ability to tackle climate change and improve productivity are urgently needed. Yet, in many cases, translating far-reaching legal changes into country strategies and progress on the ground has been a challenge. Panelists will discuss ways to better integrate land and climate-smart agriculture into countries’ development strategies and explore how these can help to build capacity to mainstream these issues in national policy dialogue, projects and private sector strategies.

2015 is a landmark year that will define the global development agenda for the next 15 years. Join us for a high-energy mix of advocacy voices and musical performances in support of ambitious global action to end poverty and protect our planet. Featured voices include: Jim Yong Kim, President World Bank Group Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General, United Nations Michael Elliott, CEO, The ONE Campaign Justin Forsyth, CEO, Save the Children UK Julie Gichuru, Journalist and Anchor, Citizen TV (Emcee) And many other special guests to be announced

Thousands of gas flares at oil production sites around the globe wastefully burn billions of cubic meters of natural gas annually, causing millions of tons of CO2 to be emitted to the atmosphere. Flaring of gas contributes to climate change and impacts the environment through emission of CO2, black carbon, and other pollutants. It also wastes a valuable energy resource that could be used to advance the sustainable development of producing countries. The World Bank, along with numerous governments, industry, and development partners, is launching a global Initiative aimed at accelerating the elimination of routine flaring at oil production sites around the world.

If you had a 10% chance of having a fatal car accident, you'd take necessary precautions. If your finances had a 10% chance of suffering a severe loss, you'd reevaluate your assets. So if we know the world is warming and there's a 10% chance this might eventually lead to a catastrophe beyond anything we could imagine, why aren't we doing more about climate change right now? We insure our lives against an uncertain future—why not our planet? In "Climate Shock", Gernot Wagner and Martin Weitzman explore in lively, clear terms the likely repercussions of a hotter planet, drawing on and expanding from work previously unavailable to general audiences.

Climate change and development are tightly interconnected. In this event, Keywan Riahi, who was involved in creating the development-energy-environment scenarios used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, talks with World Bank Chief Economist for Climate Change Marianne Fay and colleagues about the ways development and greenhouse gas emissions interact and how different development patterns can lead to different environmental outcomes.  Riahi's work has explored ways of eradicating poverty without increasing greenhouse gas emissions, showing that poverty eradication and universal energy access is compatible with the internationally agreed upon target of keeping global warming under 2°C.

What will it take to double the current share of renewables in the global energy mix? Ed Crooks, Energy Editor of the Financial Times, will moderate a discussion on what governments, business and development partners need to do to shift the needle on renewables while balancing environmental and equity issues. Topics will include: How do we scale up renewables faster? What contribution should hydro make and can it be done right?  How is the private sector catalyzing investment in renewables?

Join a discussion on channeling revenues from extractive industries—oil, gas and mining—to end poverty through diversified growth and development. If managed well, revenue from resources such as oil and gas in Tanzania and Mozambique, iron ore in Guinea, copper in Mongolia, gas and gold in Latin America, oil, gas, bauxite and gold in Central Asia, can contribute to sustainable development. When poorly handled they can present long-term challenges for governments, communities and the environment. How can governments capture and channel natural resource revenues into smart investments? How can they unlock this wealth to make it work for the poor? What can we learn from past experience?