A New Environment Strategy for the World Bank Group
It is almost 10 years since the World Bank introduced its first Environment Strategy. Since then, the demand from public and private stakeholders from developing countries to find ways to grow and develop more sustainably has increased significantly.
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In response to these demands, a new World Bank Group Environment Strategy is being drafted jointly with the International Finance Corporation and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency as active partners with the Bank. The World Bank Group has taken a two-track approach to develop the Strategy including an extensive consultation process with global stakeholders, and preparation of a series of analytical papers to inform the Strategy.
What do countries want to see in the new World Bank Group Environment Strategy? Based on the vigorous discussions at 66 consultation meetings in 126 countries between October 2009 and July 2010, the messages are clear.
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All stakeholders agreed that development is the priority. What they want from the Bank is support and guidance for a “new development paradigm” that better balances growth with environmental and social sustainability. Developing country stakeholders emphasized that economic growth does not necessarily guarantee quality of life or ensure that the needs of the poor and marginalized are always met. A new growth path needs to integrate externalities such as health impacts, biodiversity loss and climate change. Stakeholders called on the World Bank Group to be a pace-setter in this, sending signals to the public and private sectors.
Click here to view archive of videos on the Consultation.
MAIN MESSAGES FROM OUR STAKEHOLDERS
Senegal Consultation
The World Bank needs to communicate more about what it does on the Environment and on the links between environment and development outcomes. In doing so, it should use less technical language that a much wider audience can understand.
The loss of biodiversity and ecologic services due to current economic growth / development approaches is being reported to be very high. There is need to review whether these kinds of projects are adding to India’s economic growth through destroying its natural capital. These are also not being factored into the economy currently.
Indigenous Peoples and forest dwellers must be provided with adequate livelihood alternatives when forests are converted for commercial agriculture use.
Greater attention is needed for climate change issues as they are important to these island nations. The PPCR is a first step towards this, and needs to be expanded.
Development and Sustainability don’t have to be a zero sum game. We need to address how to create incentives for developers as well as creating a cultural shift that will take us to the next phase.
The World Bank needs to communicate more about what it does on the Environment and on the links between environment and development outcomes. In doing so, it should use less technical language that a much wider audience can understand.
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