Climate Change Safeguard Model Proposal

Dear Mr. Bougara and Mr. Diop, 

We hope this email finds you well. We are writing to you with regards to the ongoing Safeguards Review process, specifically on climate change. We have been following this process and are happy that the World Bank has identified climate change as an emerging issue to be addressed in the new safeguards of the institution.

Unlike many institutions, the World Bank has not yet formally integrated climate issues into its operational policies. Most notably, the current Safeguard Policy framework does not adequately address the challenges a changing climate presents to client governments, donor governments, affected communities, local ecosystems and the global commons. At present, the Bank lags behind other financial institutions that have gone further to integrate climate-related issues into their environmental and social policies.

President Jim Kim has publically stated that the safeguard review will not entail any dilution of existing policies and that strong action on climate change is essential for the World Bank Group implementing the goals of its corporate strategy in ending extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity. Mainstreaming climate change risk assessments into all Bank lending is a clear existing deficiency that needs to be addressed, with the safeguards review presenting an important opportunity, and first step with which to do so. We welcome the proposal from management to address climate change in ESS3 on pollution abatement, but think this is unlikely to go far enough, and that it will be difficult to address the adaptation and climate resilience issues through the proposed ESS3. We are further troubled by management proposal for deferred appraisal and the lack of attention to the need to move safeguards upstream—where climate issues in particular can be most effectively addressed.

Around 100 NGOs from over 60 countries around the world, including our organization, have worked on a climate submission for the safeguards review process purposes. We hereby submit the proposal for the model safeguard policy on climate to you. We respectfully request that you raise your voice for the adoption of strong climate language in the new safeguards. Dr. Kim not long ago said that “the world needs a bold global approach to help avoid the climate catastrophe it faces today. The World Bank Group is ready to work with others to meet this challenge.” We suggest that Directors and Management commit to this goal and get climate change incorporated across all Bank safeguard policies and that a stand-alone climate policy is the best way to clearly focus WBG support for countries in the short term.

We thank you in advance for your support on the matter. We look forward to engaging in the upcoming consultations on the safeguards that the Bank will organize. For any additional information please do not hesitate to get in touch with Nezir Sinani at nsinani@bicusa.org, who on behalf of the signatories is coordinating this work. We look forward to hearing from you.

Link to the Model Safeguard submission (and attached): http://www.bicusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Climate-Change-Safeguard-Model-Policy-for-the-World-Bank.pdf  

Very best,

Kenneth Nana Amoateng

Chief Executive Officer
Abibimman Foundation