CCI to World Bank: Put integral human development at the core of the Bank’s mission

Posted by Steve Valk on July 26, 2023 in Media

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CCI to World Bank: Put integral human development at the core Bank’s mission

JULY 25, 2023 — With the World Bank gathering feedback at regional meetings this month about the evolution of its vision and mission, Citizens’ Climate International submitted a briefing note today calling on the Bank to support climate-safe integral human development.

“Integral human development implicitly requires that we remove threats and degradations like climate change and related impacts and health threats,” said CCI Executive Director Joe Robertson. “It must be the guiding principle behind everything the Bank does.”

The briefing note requests that the Bank:

Invest to support the health of all human beings and all of nature.
Recognize human rights, and don’t punish the vulnerable.
Support multilateral cooperative arrangements to accelerate integral human development.
Include stakeholders in design, delivery, and tracking of development finance.

CCI volunteers in 31 countries have sent letters to the World Bank executive directors representing their countries or regions, asking them to support the Bridgetown Initiative to reform global financial institutions, human rights and gender equality, civic participation and direct climate income.

At the World Bank’s regional consultations this month, CCI stakeholders are asking the Bank to provide more funding to build climate-resilient infrastructure and to join the growing movement asking the United Nations to develop a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.

“Heat records are falling, jet streams are fragmenting, climate-related costs are rapidly piling up, and food systems are at risk. The future wellbeing and security of all people and nations will require a full, fair phaseout of coal, oil and gas,” said Robertson. “There can be no more excuses; we must leave polluting business models behind.”

CCI’s briefing note to the World Bank also recommends that non-market approaches be used as the critical drivers of climate ambition. These non-market approaches “should become multifaceted, multilateral cooperative agreements on food, energy, finance, and trade.”

Among those approaches, CCI strongly supports climate income policies that set effective, steadily rising carbon prices, with revenues returned to households and communities. CCI also supports the IMF’s proposal for an international floor price on carbon pollution.

“By setting priorities that align with integral human development, international financial institutions like the World Bank and IMF can be the catalysts for a just, equitable and livable world,” said Robertson.

CONTACT: Steve Valk, steve@citizensclimate.org; 404-769-7461.