Synopses & Reviews
Written by well-informed thinkers in leading NGOs, this book seeks to add to the pressure on the World Bank to shift policy in favor of sustainable energy. Explaining the historical development of the bank's energy policies, the book outlines promising initiatives within the bank and explains why these are having little impact on mainstream energy lending. The bank's energy policies have actually led to an increase in fossil fuel power plants in the ten lowest income countries. While not engaging in an ideological attack on privatization, the authors are concerned with how the Bank has allowed regulatory processes to be hi-jacked by vested interests.
Synopsis
This book, with its evidence and case studies from a wide variety of countries in both the Third World and the transitional economies of Eastern Europe, examines the World Bank's new energy policies. Written by well informed analysts in leading NGOs concerned with energy questions, this book seeks to add to the pressure on the Bank to shift its capital lending and policy advice in favour of sustainable energy, including serious investment in energy efficiency, renewable energy sources and energy provision for the rural poor.
The Bank has traditionally been the leading multilateral financier of energy provision. Since 1992, it has begun to implement a reform programme based on privatization of the energy sector. This book explains the historical development of the Bank's energy policies. It outlines promising initiatives within the Bank for sustainable energy and explains why these are having little impact on mainstream energy lending. It describes how and why the Bank's energy polices have actually led to an increase in fossil fuel power plants in the top-ten low income countries, while continuing to marginalize renewable energy. While not wishing to launch an ideological attack on privatization, the authors are concerned with how the Bank has allowed regulatory processes to be highjacked by vested interests.
Another problem is institutional barriers within the Bank itself. While a minority of staff are genuinely concerned to implement its excellent rhetoric about sustainable development, too many retain their market-fixated approach and do not support investments oriented to renewable energy sources, energy provision in rural areas or even energy efficient technologies.
This book constitutes a powerful, policy-oriented critique of the Bank which often gives an impression of talking too much and changing its behaviour too little.
About the Author
Ian Tellam is Senior Consultant in International Energy Policy with the Centre for Energy Conservation and Environmental Technology in Delft, the Netherlands.
Table of Contents
PART I: THE BURNING ISSUES 1. Fuelling Change
2. The World Bank and Energy
PART II: WORLD BANK ENERGY POLICY IN PRACTICE: COUNTRY STUDIES
3. Cameroon
4. Kenya
5. Zimbabwe
6. China
7. India
8. Indonesia
9. Philippines
10. Bulgaria
11. Hungary
12. Lithuania
13. Ukraine
14. Brazil
15. Colombia
16. Mexico
17. Uruguay
PART III: ENERGY POLICY FOR THE FUTURE: WHICH WAY FORWARD?
18. Which Way Forward?
ANNEX: The Regional Banks and Energy