World Bank [to 20 June 2015]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]

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Pacific Islands Prepare for a More Disaster Resilient Future
WASHINGTON, June 19, 2015 – The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved US$32.29 million in International Development Association (IDA) grants and credits to support the Pacific Resilience Program – a series of projects to strengthen Pacific Island countries’ resilience to natural disasters. The Pacific Resilience Program will initially provide assistance to Samoa, Tonga, Marshall Islands and Vanuatu, as well as the Secretariat of the Pacific Community and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. This assistance will strengthen early warning and preparedness; retrofit key public assets to meet international resilience standards; create a framework for smarter investment in resilience activities; and improve financial resilience by enabling access to an immediate injection of cash for post-disaster recovery…
Date: June 19, 2015 Type: Press Release

Asian Countries Are among Top Achievers on Sustainable Energy Progress
Manila – June 18, 2015 – Asian countries are making a vital contribution to achieving global sustainable energy goals, a new World Bank report finds. But while the region performs strongly on ensuring electricity access for people and using more modern renewable energy, there is room for further improvement on energy efficiency and access to clean, smoke-free cooking. The report is the second in a series that tracks the world’s progress toward the three goals of the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) initiative—universal energy access, doubling the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency and doubling the share of renewable energy by 2030. While the first edition from 2013 measured progress between 1990 and 2010, this edition focuses on the 2010-2012 period. Asia accounted for about 60 percent of the global progress on energy access and clean energy objectives during 2010-2012—according to the report titled “Progress Toward Sustainable Energy: Global Tracking Framework 2…
Date: June 18, 2015 Type: Press Release

Statement by World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim on the Release of Pope Francis’ Encyclical
WASHINGTON, June 18, 2015—The World Bank Group today issued the following statement from World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim on Pope Francis’ Encyclical: “Today’s release of Pope Francis’ first encyclical should serve as a stark reminder to all of us of the intrinsic link between climate change and poverty. We know the scientific, business and economic case for action to combat climate change and I welcome the Pope’s emphasis on our moral obligation to act. The impacts of climate change, including the increased frequency of extreme weather events, are most devastating for the unacceptably high number of people today living in extreme poverty. Over the past 30 years, disasters took the lives of more than 2.5 million people and resulted in almost US$4 trillion in damages. As the effects of climate change worsen, we know that escaping poverty will become even more difficult. Climate change also poses a direct risk to the hard-earned development gains over past decades…
Date: June 18, 2015 Type: Press Release

World Bank Approves US$500 Million to Support Fiscally Sustainable and Inclusive Economic Growth
Washington DC, June 18, 2015 ─ The World Bank Group approved the Development Policy Credit (DPC) worth US$ 500 million to boost economic growth through fostering private and financial sector development, and mobilizing revenue while expanding fiscal space to meet social needs. The Fiscally Sustainable and Inclusive Growth (FSIG-II) single-tranche policy credit is the second of a programmatic series of credits. The first credit addressed critical institutional and regulatory changes needed to jumpstart the reforms; whereas the second credit brings depth and sustainability to most actions of the first credit, while addressing new reforms on inclusion and governance. Under this program, the revenue mobilization actions address well-known structural weaknesses in Pakistan’s tax system, thereby creating fiscal space for priority social and development expenditures without raising tax rates, and lowering the government’s domestic borrowing needs…
Date: June 18, 2015 Type: Press Release

Aging in Europe and Central Asia – A Gray Tsunami or a Golden Era?
New World Bank report looks at both the challenges and opportunities of an aging population
VIENNA, June 17, 2015 – Societies are aging across Europe and Central Asia, but individuals are not – a demographic trend driven primarily by declining fertility rates rather than increased longevity, says the new World Bank report, Golden Aging: Prospects for Healthy, Active and Prosperous Aging in Europe and Central Asia. Launched today in Vienna at the Ministry of Finance, the report finds that the social and economic consequences of aging societies are complex and diverse – but not necessarily negative. The report identifies significant opportunities in a range of policy areas which, if fully seized, can help societies foster more active, healthy, and productive aging. In demographic terms, Europe and Central Asia is the oldest region in the world. In Central and Eastern Europe, the average age of the population is 10 years higher than the rest of the world…
Date: June 17, 2015 Type: Press Release

Multilateral Development Banks Provided $28 billion in Climate Finance in 2014
WASHINGTON, June 16, 2015—The world’s six large multilateral development banks (MDBs) delivered over US$28 billion in financing last year to help developing countries and emerging economies mitigate and adapt to the challenges of climate change. The latest figures bring total collective commitments of the past four years to more than US$100 billion. In 2014, the six banks together provided over US$23 billion dedicated to mitigation efforts and US$5 billion for adaptation work, according to the fourth joint report on MDB climate finance. The report reveals the important part the MDBs play in delivering development finance in a world shaped by climate change. It was prepared by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the World Bank Group (WBG)…
Date: June 16, 2015 Type: Press Release