Economics & Development

The World Bank is committed to supporting countries in efforts to advance inclusion that benefits all, including sexual and gender minorities. In recent years, many countries have made advances in this area through the adoption of laws and policies that promote inclusion and protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC). Around the globe, however, sexual and gender minorities continue to face daunting challenges to inclusion, and these challenges are grounded in stigma, discrimination, and, too often, violence. This report, a significant expansion on the first EQOSOGI report that assessed 16 countries, explores areas such as education, employment, and access to services, with the aim of informing legislative reform and supporting research that leads to positive development outcomes. The findings underscore the importance of inclusive policies and laws for a country’s economic development, highlight the correlation between SOGIESC inclusion and economic growth, and provide insights into the legal frameworks that govern the lived experience of sexual and gender minorities. The report acknowledges that, despite progress, no country has fully achieved equality under the law for sexual and gender minorities. But the report also shines a light on good practices among the sample countries, which we do with the intent of advancing to the broader goal of inclusive and sustainable economic development.

This Economic Policy Forum explored the fiscal implications of climate change and the role of fiscal sustainability analysis in managing climate-related risks. Presentations examined the economic and budgetary impacts of climate change, empirical evidence on the fiscal consequences of natural disasters, and methodologies for integrating climate considerations into fiscal sustainability assessments. Country case studies from Argentina and Indonesia highlighted practical approaches to identifying, assessing, and mitigating fiscal risks associated with climate change. The forum concluded with a discussion on lessons learned, policy responses, and strategies for strengthening fiscal resilience in the face of growing climate-related challenges.

The Second Resilience and Green Development DPL for Albania (DPL2), in the amount of US$120 million equivalent, is the second of two in a programmatic series. The program development objective (PDO) is to: (i) strengthen resilience of the government sector and households; (ii) strengthen the energy market framework and scale up renewable energy and energy efficiency; and (iii) protect the environment and reduce the country’s carbon footprint. The operation includes MFD-e and PCE components. Activities under PAs #5, #6 and #8 are MFD-enabling (MFDe). Under PA#5, the project provides for a regulatory framework to support private RE generation by allowing prosumers to sell electricity that they produce to the grid. By strengthening the link between deregulation, transparency, and attempts to attract new private investors, reforms supported under PA#6 are also MFD-e. Under PA#8, DPL2 assists with the creation of the market segment for private waste management of certain waste streams. Support under PA#5, linked to RI#5, is also PCE. RI#5 is a non-monetary PCE-related results indicator (RI) that captures the increase in privately installed capacity of renewable energy.