Follow the Money / Reports

Ten Perspectives on How Financial Institutions Can Protect the Environment

Financial institutions from countries such as China, Brazil, India and Thailand are playing an increasingly active role in financing infrastructure and mining projects around the world. With new loan approvals of $36 billion, China Exim Bank for example became the world’s largest export credit agency in 2007. Although they invest in environmentally sensitive sectors, many emerging financiers do not yet apply internationally accepted standards in their projects.

This new report discusses the experience with environmental standards and how it can be useful for new financiers.

November 2007 - February 2008

Compiled by International Rivers

Contents:

World Bank

中国已经成为非洲基础建设项目的主要投资者。中国进出口银行，这个国家的官方信
贷机构，已经批准了65 亿向非洲的贷款，其中大部分都是基础设施投资。中国进出口银
行的贷款往往是中国与非洲国家更大合作项目的一部分，包括商业贸易、武器出口、学生
交换，以及维和人员的派出等。

As part of its going-out strategy, China is rapidly expanding its economic cooperation with Africa. China Exim Bank plays an important role in this cooperation. The policy bank is financing more than 250 projects in Africa, primarily in the infrastructure sector.

A Critique of the World Bank’s Progress Report on Infrastructure

Introduction

In July 2003, the World Bank launched an Infrastructure Action Plan in order to massively increase its lending for the infrastructure sectors, and to middle–income countries more generally. In August 2005, the Bank prepared a progress report on the implementation of this plan.¹ The Development Committee will discuss this report at the World Bank’s Annual Meeting on September 25.

Financing Dams in India

In 2003, the Government of India proposed to double the current electricity generation in the country, proposing 162 new Hydroelectric Projects. The government endowed India’s National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) with the largest number of projects. This briefing paper informs about the risks of doing business with NHPC.

Report Counters World Bank’s "High–Risk / High–Reward Strategy",
NGOs Predict Increased Conflict Around Risky World Bank Projects

As World Bank representatives gather in Dubai for the 2003 World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings, Environmental Defense, Friends of the Earth, and International Rivers released a report in response to the World Bank’s new "high–risk/high–reward" strategy in the water, forestry, and extractive industries sectors. The report, Gambling With People’s Lives, analyzes the World Bank’s ability to manage social and environmental risks in high–risk projects and to learn from its past mistakes. The report is available at www.foe.org (or, International Rivers Gambling With People’s Lives).

The International Experience with Power Purchase Agreements of Private Power Projects