Economics & Development

Clean hydrogen is a nascent technology that could play an essential role to achieve net-zero emissions. However, less than 10 percent of announced clean hydrogen projects worldwide have reached final investment decision, as equity and debt investors often consider these projects to be too risky. This report provides a better understanding of the risk mitigation strategies to unlock and mobilise private capital for clean hydrogen in emerging markets. It highlights how de-risking instruments can address key barriers faced by investors in clean hydrogen projects and suggests ways to allocate risks among actors. The report also proposes actions to enhance international co-ordination for scaling clean hydrogen financing for development. Furthermore, it draws lessons from case studies showcasing how lighthouse clean hydrogen projects and available economic, de-risking and financing instruments are being implemented in a wide array of countries.

خوض البلدان متوسطة الدخل – التي يعيش فيها اليوم 6 مليارات نسمة – سباقا ومنذ تسعينيات القرن الماضي، نجح العديد منها في تحقيق أداء جيد بما يكفي لإلفالت من مستويات الدخل المنخفض والقضاء على الفقر المدقع مما أدى إلى تكوين ُّ تصور عام بأن العقود الثالثة الماضية كانت عظيمة بالنسبة للتنمية، غير أن توقعاتها كانت شديدة االنخفاض – وهو أثر راجع إلى فترة كان يعيش فيها أكثر من ثلثي سكان العالم على أقل من دوالر للفرد في اليوم. واليوم، تم تصنيف 108 بلدان على أنها متوسطة الدخل، ويطمح العديد من هذه البلدان إلى الوصول إلى وضعية البلدان مرتفعة الدخل في غضون العقدين أو الثالثة عقود القادمة، لكن عند تقييم وضعية هذه البلدان في مقابل هذا الهدف، نجد سجل أدائها غير مشجع إلنجاز ذلك. ومنذ تسعينيات القرن الماضي، لم يصل إلى وضعية البلدان ً أقل من 250 مليون نسمة – وهو ما يعادل عدد ً متوسط الدخل. ويبلغ عدد سكانها معا مرتفعة الدخل سوى 34 بلدا سكان باكستان. ومنذ عام ،1970 لم يرتفع المعدل الوسيط لنصيب الفرد من الدخل في البلدان متوسطة الدخل قط عن %10 من المعدل في الواليات المتحدة

Water is essential to building a livable planet and is central to the achievement of all the Sustainable Development Goals. This critical resource is under unprecedented threat. Water crises are becoming more severe, and increasing costs are being imposed on governments, people, and businesses as a result of droughts and floods, failing water systems, and a degrading water ecosystem that threatens our health and biodiversity. Governments and the private sector face critical choices and need to act wisely and collaboratively to develop and implement responses that are appropriate to the magnitude of the challenge. Without collaboration, we will fail to address the complex challenges that lie ahead. No business can afford to ignore water-related risks. Working with the 2030 Water Resources Group (WRG), companies can reduce their direct operational and supply chain risks, and market risks. WRG partnerships enable business leaders to work with government decision-makers to shape water strategies and address bottlenecks in policies and regulations. Currently, close to 350 companies are engaged in WRG’s transformative initiatives to mitigate these risks while creating a water-secure world in which people can thrive. WRG has three focus areas: Water for Food (supporting climate-smart irrigation and food production); Water for Planet (scaling wastewater treatment and reuse); and Water for Cities (creating water-secure city-regional systems). In FY24 it had active, impact-focused initiatives in Bangladesh, Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Rwanda, and South Africa. WRG works closely with the World Bank, leveraging public sector finance and private sector innovations. For example, preparations for the first public-private partnership (PPP) for a municipal wastewater treatment plant in Bangladesh were completed in FY24, while in Uttar Pradesh in India, the private sector is working alongside the public sector in an initiative aimed at increasing water-use efficiency through a streamlined, digital delivery model for micro irrigation.

Zambia’s economy is emerging from a debt crisis and has successfully negotiated a debt restructuring with creditors and an International Monetary Fund (IMF) program. This report highlights that, with reforms, significant profitable investment opportunities are available for businesses, which will contribute to better jobs and higher incomes for Zambia’s population. To keep the analysis focused and manageable, the report delves into four specific sectors: mining, solar power, agribusiness, and tourism. Implementing key actions in these sectors can attract up to 21 billion dollars in cumulative new investment between 2025 and 2030, or close to 50 percent above current trends. Up to roughly 80,000 additional formal jobs can be created directly - equivalent to more than 10 percent of formal jobs in 2022. In an upside scenario, as many as 220,000 additional jobs can also be created indirectly in the rest of the economy (with greater uncertainty in the estimates, especially for the indirect impact of mining investments on employment).

This document provides guidance to assess and frame institutional arrangements for geo-spatial data governance for cities. It outlines the importance of data led decision making and planning for shaping resilient cities, while laying out a four-pillar framework for data governance, including institutional arrangements, people, data and systems, the IPDS. Using this foundational framework, the document underscores the importance of institutional arrangements to mainstream municipal data governance. It offers step by step guidance on two aspects: to examine the gaps and opportunities for data governance in existing organizational and regulatory frameworks; and, to fill organizational, regulatory gaps, and synergize siloed processes.

The Open Government Partnership (OGP) is a multilateral initiative launched in 2011 to promote open government. The initiative is based on principles that promote transparency and openness to new forms of consultation, accountability, and collaboration with civil society. The OGP is based on the idea that open government is more accessible, responsive and accountable to citizens, and that improving the relationship between citizens and their government has long-term benefits for society as a whole. Governments are partnering with civil society (CS) to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption, and improve their governance, including through the use of new technologies. This unique model of citizen engagement aims to ensure that CSOs play a role in shaping and citizen oversight of government action. IAA and EC are among the four criteria for membership in the Open Government Partnership (OGP). Cameroon is interested in becoming a member of the OGP but does not yet meet the required criteria. This diagnostic is intended to support the reforms undertaken by the government to improve its OGP eligibility. The IAA and CE report analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of open government in these two areas.

This report provides an overview of the findings from the initial scoping phase of the World Bank project “Baltics “Catching Up Regions” Initiative (CuRI)”, funded by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) and in cooperation with the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion (DG EMPL). The project aims to strengthen capacities of regional and local authorities in border regions of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to identify, enable and accelerate sustainable development and social investment opportunities under currently available European Cohesion policy funding. The concrete outcomes of the initiative should be an effective project pipeline and a strengthened capacity of the regional and local authorities to implement a range of development projects. The project takes on a bottom-up approach, building on the strong history and lessons learned from World Bank and Commission collaboration on the Catching-up Regions initiatives (CURI) in Poland and Slovakia, with local/regional authorities playing a pivotal role in selecting specific areas of work in close collaboration with the EC, national authorities and the World Bank.

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 emphasizes gender equity and women’s empowerment as key drivers of economic growth and social development, with technical and vocational education and training (TVET) playing a critical role in expanding access to skills and employment opportunities. While significant progress has been made, including increased female labor force participation and supportive policy reforms, persistent societal, institutional, and personal barriers continue to limit women’s participation in TVET. These challenges include stereotypes, lack of role models, institutional constraints, and concerns about workplace conditions. This report reviews achievements, identifies gaps, and highlights the need for a coordinated approach involving policy reform, awareness building, gender-sensitive institutions, and alignment of training programs with labor market needs. Key recommendations focus on strengthening stakeholder collaboration, improving access and incentives, supporting school-to-work transitions, and leveraging data for decision-making. By addressing these challenges and promoting inclusive strategies, Saudi Arabia can further unlock women’s potential, contributing to sustainable development and economic diversification.

لا يزال التخفيف من آثار تغير المناخ بالغ الأهمية كما كان دائمًا، مع استمرار زيادة انبعاثات الغازات المسببة للانحباس الحراري العالمي. تواصل درجات الحرارة ارتفاعها بلا هوادة، وكان عام 2023 هو العام الأكثر سخونة على الإطلاق. وبينما يستمر الالتزام السياسي في البناء، هناك حاجة إلى المزيد من العمل للحد من الانبعاثات. يعد تسعير الكربون جزءًا أساسيًا من مزيج السياسات اللازم لتحقيق أهداف اتفاقية باريس ودعم النمو المنخفض الانبعاثات. يركز هذا التقرير على التسعير المباشر لانبعاثات الغازات المسببة للانحباس الحراري من خلال ضرائب الكربون وأنظمة تداول الانبعاثات وآليات ائتمان الكربون. يعمل تسعير الكربون المباشر على دفع العمل المناخي من خلال توفير حافز للحد من الانبعاثات. ويوضح كيف تتناسب هذه التدابير مع نظام سياسة التسعير، ويسلط الضوء على أهمية فهم إشارة السعر التي توفرها سياسات تسعير الكربون غير المباشرة. يغطي تقرير هذا العام تسعير الكربون المباشر، مع التركيز على التطورات بين أبريل 2023 وأبريل 2024. يستكشف الفصل الثاني من التقرير اتجاهات ضرائب الكربون وأنظمة تداول الانبعاثات في جميع أنحاء العالم. يحلل الفصل الثالث أسواق وآليات ائتمان الكربون، ويلخص الفصل الرابع أهم النتائج المستفادة من هذا التقرير.