The Big Shift Coalition Letter to the World Bank Group on Development Policy Lending Review Process

The Big Shift Coalition calls on the World Bank Group to utilize development policy loans (DPLs) to accelerate the transition to renewable energy and decarbonization, particularly during COVID-19 recovery. The coalition expresses concern that DPLs continue to facilitate fossil fuel investments, citing a review showing that 52 of 121 DPLs from FY 2014-18 targeted oil, gas, or coal mining. They recommend a new operational policy prohibiting the financing of fossil fuel development and the inclusion of coal, oil, and natural gas in 'Excluded Expenditures' legal agreements. Finally, the coalition requests public consultation and transparency regarding the World Bank's ongoing review of its policy lending instrument.

• The Big Shift Coalition recommends that the World Bank use COVID-19 recovery to prioritize renewable energy access for the poor and vulnerable, specifically for hospitals and clinics, and to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels by supporting more ambitious decarbonization targets.
• Analysis by Urgewald indicates that development policy loans (DPLs) have been used to support fossil fuel sectors; between FY 2014-18, 42 out of 121 DPLs targeted oil and gas, and 10 targeted mining in countries with coal.
• The coalition advocates for a DPL operational policy that prohibits financing any Prior Actions or investment frameworks that promote fossil fuel development, the lock-in of carbon-intensive technologies, or the degradation of natural forests.
• To align financial flows with the Paris Climate Agreement, the coalition suggests that the World Bank's 'Excluded Expenditures' in DPL legal agreements should cover all goods or services intended for coal, oil, natural gas operations, or associated infrastructure.
• The coalition requests that the World Bank adopt a transparent process with public consultation for its review of the policy lending instrument, noting that the current OP/BP 8.60 (Development Policy Lending) does not directly address climate impacts.

APA

rrotadmin (2020). The Big Shift Coalition Letter to the World Bank Group on Development Policy Lending Review Process. Recourse. https://re-course.org/newsupdates/the-big-shift-coalition-letter-to-the-world-bank-group-on-development-policy-lending-review-process/

Chicago

rrotadmin. The Big Shift Coalition Letter to the World Bank Group on Development Policy Lending Review Process. Recourse, 2020. https://re-course.org/newsupdates/the-big-shift-coalition-letter-to-the-world-bank-group-on-development-policy-lending-review-process/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=rrotadmin |title=The Big Shift Coalition Letter to the World Bank Group on Development Policy Lending Review Process |publisher=Recourse |date=27 May 2020 |url=https://re-course.org/newsupdates/the-big-shift-coalition-letter-to-the-world-bank-group-on-development-policy-lending-review-process/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{rrotadmin2020big, author = {rrotadmin}, title = {{The Big Shift Coalition Letter to the World Bank Group on Development Policy Lending Review Process}}, publisher = {Recourse}, year = {2020}, month = may, url = {https://re-course.org/newsupdates/the-big-shift-coalition-letter-to-the-world-bank-group-on-development-policy-lending-review-process/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }