Implications of the World Bank's environmental and social framework for biodiversity

Abstract

The World Bank is the single largest source of development finance, with widereaching influence. The Bank's safeguards aim to minimize the negative impacts of the projects it funds. These policies have recently been updated in a new Environmental and Social Framework. For conservation, the key changes include a mechanism for the use of biodiversity offsets and borrowers' own frameworks to manage impacts. Concerns have been raised that these changes may weaken protections as there is substantial flexibility about when offsets or borrowers' frameworks can be used, and uncertainty around the efficacy of offsets. The project-by-project nature of these mechanisms and the lack of clear criteria may also hinder future efforts to hold the Bank to account. Concerns about these changes were raised by conservation organizations during the consultation process, but the framework's formulation does not fully reflect recommendations made. Although elements of the new policy have the potential to benefit conservation, the flexibility presents a risk to biodiversity. It is vital for conservation organizations to engage effectively to ensure that any negative impacts arising do not go unchallenged.

Conservation threats from roadkill in the global road network

“…Our approach could be directly integrated into existing assessment frameworks, adding a relatively unstudied dimension. For example, the World Bank is the largest source of financing for development and has recently updated its Environmental and Social framework (ESA) to minimize the negative impacts of the projects it finances (Morley et al, 2021). Frameworks such as the ESA could incorporate our approach as an additional module to identify vulnerable areas and species and guide strategies to minimize long‐term impacts of proposed road projects.…”

“…Our approach could be directly integrated into existing assessment frameworks, adding a relatively unstudied dimension. For example, the World Bank is the largest source of financing for development and has recently updated its Environmental and Social framework (ESA) to minimize the negative impacts of the projects it finances (Morley et al, 2021).…”

A comparative analysis of the environmental and social policies of the AIIB and World Bank

“…The World Bank first introduced safeguard policies in the mid‐1990s after a series of campaigns led by civil society organizations (Jokubauskaite, 2019). 6 In October 2018, the bank completed one of its most extensive internal reforms, replacing the previous safeguard policies with a new ESF composed of 10 ESSs 7 (Jokubauskaite, 2019; Morley et al, 2021). The document delimits the standards that guarantee that borrowers follow good social and environmental practices during and after the project's implementation and comply with national and international obligations regarding this issue (World Bank, 2016).…”