The Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) each year bring together central bankers, ministers of finance and development, private sector executives, and academics to discuss issues of global concern, including the world economic outlook, poverty eradication, economic development, and aid effectiveness. Also featured are seminars, regional briefings, press conferences, and many other events focused on the global economy, international development, and the world's financial system. This year's Spring Meetings events will take place in Washington, DC, April 21-23, 2017.
On this page, we will feature relevant climate change-related events to happen during the 2017 Spring Meetings.
Banner and Thumbnail Photo Credits to Simone D. McCourtie / World Bank
Cities Are Where the Future Is Being Built
Friday, April 21st, 9:00 am - 10:30 am EST @ Preston Auditorium, World Bank
The global productivity slowdown and stagnating progress in poverty reduction – alongside risks from climate change and rapid aging in parts of the world – are making the path toward poverty reduction and shared prosperity less deterministic. Countries need new sources of growth to anchor development in a changing global landscape.
Cities and sub-national economic regions can offer just such a potent solution. Why? As rising uncertainties make it impossible to predict the specific sectoral opportunities for development, investments chosen need to be generic, supporting many specific activities. Metropolitan regions provide just such generic capital – virtually whatever niches prove to be viable, they will take place in cities and urban regions, and their success will require that they work efficiently, creating jobs as well as delivering infrastructure and services. In fact, metropolitan regions will provide both the lived environment and the work environment for most people globally by 2030.
Join thought leaders, national and city policymakers, and civil society leaders in a live discussion to highlight the role of cities and metropolitan regions in being vanguards for inclusive and sustainable economic growth – they are where the future is being built.
Speakers:
- Paul Romer, Chief Economist, World Bank (@paulmromer @WB_Research)
- Christiana Figueres, former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (@CFigueres @UNFCCC)
- Edward Glaeser, Professor of Economics, Harvard University (via videoconference)
- Mostafa Madbouly, Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Government of Egypt
- Yondela Silimela, Executive Director: Development Planning at City of Johannesburg (@SilimelaYondela @CityofJoburgZA)
- Moderator: Femi Oke, international journalist (@FemiOke)
Main hashtag: #Cities4Dev
- Other hashtags: #Cities4Climate #ItsPossible #EndPoverty #GlobalGoals #SDG11
- Main handles: @WBG_Cities @WorldBankLive @Connect4Climate
Livestream in English:
Unlocking Financing for Climate Action
Friday, April 21st, 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm EST @ Preston Auditorium, World Bank
Join World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim in a panel discussion on mobilizing the finance and investment needed to ensure the world meets the goals of the Paris Agreement. This high-level event brings together well-known voices on climate change with leaders from government, philanthropy and the private sector to focus on new ideas for financing global climate action.
Speakers:
- Jim Yong Kim, President, World Bank (@JimYongKim)
- Al Gore, former Vice President of the United States, Chairman, The Climate Reality Project (@algore, @ClimateReality)
- Christiana Figueres, former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (@CFigueres @UNFCCC)
- Jeffrey Skoll, Founder and Chairman, Skoll Foundation, Participant Media, Capricorn Investment Group, and Skoll Global Threats Fund (@jeffskoll)
- Magdalena Andersson, Finance Minister, Sweden
- Erik Solheim, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme (@ErikSolheim, @UNEP)
- Moderator: Ghida Fakhry, International Broadcast Journalist (@ghida_fakhry)
Civil Society Forum
Thursday, April 20th, 9:00 am - 10:30 am EST: Asia’s Energy Choices Will Determine Success of Paris Agreement: Pathways to Achieving Eventual Net ‐ Zero Emissions @ I Building (I2-220), World Bank Group
An interactive session for members of parliament from fast-developing economies, environment, energy and finance experts to discuss accelerating clean energy deployment and how partnerships between all stakeholders can tackle both deteriorating ambient air quality and bring energy policy in conformity with the Paris Agreement.
Panellists:
- Ethan Zindler, Head of Americas, Bloomberg New Energy Finance
- Srinivas Krishnaswamy, CEO, Vasudha Foundation
- Hon. Mr. Satya Yudha, Member of Parliament, Indonesia
- Hon. Naveed Qamar, Member of Parliament, Pakistan
- Lauri Myllyvirta, Senior Global Campaigner, Greenpeace International
- Glynda Bathan‐Baterina, Deputy-Director, Clean Air Asia
- Moderator: Shazia Z. Rafi, President & Convenor of AQA
Thursday, April 20th, 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm EST: From Promise to Progress: Decentralized Renewables and the End of Energy Poverty @ I Building (Room I2-250), World Bank Group
Specific policy actions will move energy access from a promise to a reality, closing the implementation gap. This session will present evidence on policies and standards directly correlated with decentralized renewable energy market growth; call on stakeholders to promote defined actions and present examples of these actions on fulfilling the global promise to delivery universal energy access.
Panellists:
- Allison Archambault, President, EarthSpark
- Lily Odarno, Associate, World Resources Institute, Energy Program & Governance Center
- Sudeshna Ghosh Banerjee, Lead Energy Specialist, Energy and Extractives Global Practice- World Bank Group
- Glen Burnett, Director- US Operations, Practical Action
- Moderator: Christine Eibs Singer, Director, Global Advocacy, Power for All
Other Events
Please click on the image to download the Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund schedule.
