Greening National Development Financial Institutions: Trends, Lessons Learned, and Ways Forward

National Development Financial Institutions (NDFIs) are crucial for mobilizing the required financing, including from private sources, to reach countries’ climate and environmental (C and E) objectives. Funding needed to achieve countries’ C and E goals is in the trillions of dollars, with many countries also facing significant fiscal and economic constraints. NDFIs are well positioned to overcome the market barriers associated with green investments and catalyze private-sector financing.

The main purpose of ’Greening National Development Financial Institutions: Trends, Lessons Learned, and Ways Forward’ is to examine the current trends and recommend policy actions for ’greening’ NDFIs. This report identifies key steps NDFIs can take to catalyze finance toward countries’ C and E objectives and manage C and E risks. The assessment of NDFIs’ C and E practices is based on a review of key elements of NDFI operations and their institutional setup. The work draws from the results of a survey conducted by the World Bank of greening practices within NDFIs based in countries in a range of regions and income levels, as well as on in-depth case studies of four NDFIs: Fideicomisos Instituidos en Relación con la Agricultura, Korea Development Bank, Türkiye Sinai Kalkinma Bankasi, and Development Bank of Southern Africa.

The World Bank came into formal existence in 1945 following the international ratification of the Bretton Woods agreements. It is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world. The organization’s activities are focused on education, health, agriculture and rural development, environmental protection, establishing and enforcing regulations, infrastructure development, governance and legal institutions development. The World Bank is made up of two unique development institutions owned by its 185 Member Countries. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) focuses on middle income and creditworthy poor countries and the International Development Association (IDA), which focuses on the poorest countries in the world.