Poznan Declaration: World vs. Bank

The Poznan Declaration is a statement issued on December 9, 2008, by a coalition of international organizations opposing the World Bank Group's involvement in the international climate change convention regime under the UNFCCC. The signatories argue that the World Bank is an inappropriate leader for climate action due to its continued financing of fossil fuels, contribution to deforestation, and lack of democratic governance.

• The World Bank Group is characterized as a major climate polluter that has increased its support for fossil fuels despite public concerns. Between 1997 and 2007, the Bank financed 26 gigatons of carbon dioxide emissions, and in the year preceding the declaration, lending for coal, oil, and gas rose by 94% to over $3 billion, with coal lending specifically increasing by 256%. This includes a $450 million loan approved in April 2008 for a 4,000 megawatt coal project in India.
• The World Bank and its private sector arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), are accused of driving deforestation through the promotion of industrial logging, agrofuels, soy and oil palm plantations, cattle ranching, and shrimp farming in mangrove forests. The document cites a 2007 Inspection Panel report criticizing the Bank's actions in the Democratic Republic of Congo and notes that the IFC invested US $732 million in livestock production projects over six years.
• The World Bank's climate initiatives are described as severely flawed. The Climate Investment Funds (CIFs) are criticized for promoting coal as clean energy and operating as loans rather than binding obligations from industrialized nations. The Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) is accused of using dubious carbon offsetting schemes and failing to ensure the participation of Indigenous Peoples. Additionally, in 2007, less than 10% of the Bank's carbon finance went to renewable energy sources like solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, and mini hydropower, with 80% of emissions reduction credits funding energy efficiency, primarily a single HFC-23 project in China.
• The document asserts that the World Bank is an undemocratic institution because its decision-making process is based on a "one dollar-one vote" system that marginalizes Southern countries, and the President of the Bank is chosen by the United States.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (2008). Poznan Declaration: World vs. Bank. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/world-bank.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. Poznan Declaration: World vs. Bank. 2008. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/world-bank.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=Poznan Declaration: World vs. Bank |date=9 December 2008 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/world-bank.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{friendsoftheearthinternational2008poznan, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{Poznan Declaration: World vs. Bank}}, publisher = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2008}, month = dec, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/world-bank.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }