Energy subsidies are proliferating as governments try to shield consumers from rising and volatile energy prices — but these come with significant risks.

Defne Gencer, Elcin Akcura |

If you paid some of the highest electricity tariffs in the world, you would expect some of the most reliable electricity services. Unfortunately, this logic does not hold in West Africa, where…

Mustafa Zakir Hussain |

As the region recovers from the economic downturn, it is important that governments make their recovery 'green'.

Lia Sieghart, Martin Heger |

It is well established in the economic literature that it’s the rich who benefit from the lion’s share of energy subsidies. Yet, it is often the poor and vulnerable who protest loudly against…

Guillermo Beylis, Barbara Cunha |

Some months ago, during a visit to one of the Central American countries, while we were on a call with the head of the electricity dispatch center, we noticed by the tone of his voice, that he was…

Mariano González Serrano, Melisa Gaitan Fanconi |

The Asia-Pacific region, comprised of 58 economies, is geographically expansive and a picture of diversity. The trends for sustainable energy in Asia-Pacific, which mirror the region’s economic…

Sharmila Bellur |

Since the presentation of the World Bank’s first Africa Climate Business Plan at the COP 21 in Paris in 2015 and the Transport Chapter in Marrakech in 2016, a lot of progress has been made on…

Tara Shirvani, Andrew Losos, Shomik Mehndiratta |

(Courtesy of Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre)   [[tweetable]]Natural disasters such as floods and droughts disproportionally affect the poor and vulnerable people[[/tweetable]], causing…

Ede Ijjasz-Vasquez, Brenden Jongman, Pablo Suarez |

Photo: Sarah Farhat/World Bank Group What exactly do we mean by green growth? For us, it’s not just about riding bikes and planting trees. The Korea Green Growth Trust Fund (KGGTF) defines green…

Eun Joo Allison Yi |

Credit: Water & Sanitation Program  Cities over the past century have become the driving force of the global economy. Accounting for over half the world’s population and generating around 80%…

Robert C. Brears |