10 May 2010: The World Bank held one in a series of consultations with civil society on its new environment strategy. During the 10 May consultation, the growing importance of climate change within the World Bank’s environment agenda and concerns by civil society on the Bank’s funding of fossil fuels were highlighted.
The consultation, which met in Washington DC, US, and was broadcast via webcast, was moderated by Andrew Deutz, Director, International Government Relations, The Nature Conservancy. In a presentation, Michele de Nevers, Senior Manager, World Bank Environment Department, commented on the last environment strategy designed a decade ago, and presented key issues for the new environmental strategy, including: the increasingly prominent role of climate change in World Bank activities; the challenges of urbanization; and the emergence of new market economies. Participants commented on the strategy set out in the concept note, available in seven languages on the World Bank Group’s Environment Website. [World Bank Holds Consultations on Environment Strategy]