Designed for the Future?

The World Resources Institute (WRI) evaluated a sample of World Bank projects approved from January 2012 to June 2013 to determine if they incorporated sustainable development and governance principles. The analysis found significant gaps in climate risk and emissions assessments, though most projects conducted environmental and social assessments. While many projects targeted vulnerable populations, only half demonstrated specific benefits for them. Additionally, less than half of the projects were strategically aligned with long-term sustainable development plans.

• The majority of the sampled World Bank projects failed to incorporate climate change risk assessments or evaluate greenhouse gas emissions relative to a baseline, with 75% and 88% of projects respectively lacking these elements.
• While 68% of evaluated projects explicitly targeted vulnerable populations, only approximately 50% could demonstrate that these populations would receive specific benefits regarding economic opportunities and essential services.
• Integration of governance and long-term planning was limited, as fewer than 50% of projects were strategically embedded in long-term sustainable development plans, although 58% considered relevant enabling policies and regulations during appraisal.
• Environmental and social risk assessments were the most common design element, appearing in 82% of the projects.

APA

Seong, J. (n.d.). Designed for the Future? World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/research/designed-future

Chicago

Seong, Joonkyung. Designed for the Future? World Resources Institute, n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/designed-future.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Seong |first1=Joonkyung |title=Designed for the Future? |publisher=World Resources Institute |url=https://www.wri.org/research/designed-future |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{seongnddesigned, author = {Seong, Joonkyung}, title = {{Designed for the Future?}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/designed-future}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }