World Bank must do more on fossil fuels | Letters

It is extremely encouraging that World Bank president Jim Yong Kim is leading calls for an end to fossil fuel subsidies worldwide (End subsidy on fossil fuels now, 14 April). The World Bank has raised concerns about the impacts of climate change on the world's poorest people for a number of years, but this is the first time that it has directly called for an end to government support for fossil fuels, and recognised that clean energy technology can be effective in supporting people out of poverty. The message this sends to global investors is clear.

It is now time for the World Bank to pull its own financing out of fossil fuels. In 2013, it financed $2.7bn for fossil fuel projects, which included over $1bn for new fossil fuel exploration. By ending its own subsidies to fossil fuels, the World Bank would not just send a message, but generate a shockwave that could make a real transformation towards ending global fossil fuel dependency.
Alison Doig
Senior adviser for climate change and sustainable development, Christian Aid