April 2023

GPS IN ACTION

Nepal Workshop to Yield Advancements in Forest Analytics

On February 13, 2023, a high-level roundtable event titled Nepal’s Transition to Green, Resilient and Inclusive Development (GRID) for Sustainable Recovery, Growth and Jobs was held to advance data and analytics in the forest landscape sector. The event was a collaboration between the Ministry of Forests and Environment (MOFE), the National Statistics Office (NSO) and the World Bank. The goals were twofold: (i) the creation of subnational biophysical forest extent and condition statistics to support planning at the national, provincial, and municipal levels; and (ii) the collection and analyses of nationally representative data related to forest-based livelihoods. During the workshop, government and non-government stakeholders learned about the analytical work and brainstormed potential policy use cases.

In their closing remarks, Dr. Hem Raj Regmi (Joint Secretary, NSO) and Mr. Shiva Wagle (Joint Secretary, MOFE) noted that the creation of these biophysical and socioeconomic statistics, with the accompanying analytics, was an important first step for mobilizing existing policies and programs. It is also a building block for future analytical work for the sustainable development and use of Nepal’s forest resources. The workshop, under the auspices of the World Bank’s Global Program on Sustainability, convened representatives from across the government, including the MOFE, FRTC, NSO, the National Natural Resources and Fiscal Commission, the Survey Department, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, the Department of Environment, Shivapuri National Park Office, the Institute of Forestry, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office of Kathmandu, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), among others.

Following the workshop, on February 15 to 16, 2023, the World Bank task team accompanied NSO officials on a field visit to Balephi and Temal Rural Municipalities to supervise implementation of the Fourth Nepal Living Standards Survey (NLSS-IV) forest module. The forest module is collecting information on the role of forests in the livelihoods of Nepali households.

Study Visit for Ghana and Ethiopia to Statistics Netherlands

Fifteen participants from Ghana and Ethiopia visited Statistics Netherlands (CBS) - a leader in the field of Natural Capital Accounting (NCA) - from 16 to 19 January 2023, to learn more about environmental and ecosystem accounting practices (SEEA). This visit was organized as part of the NCA programs in Ghana and Ethiopia, which are supported by the Global Sustainability Program (GPS) and administered by the World Bank. Participants from the two countries learned more about how to compile data and accounts to analyze the contribution and value of natural capital as an input for economic planning and decision-making processes. Along with participants from the national statistical institutes, the delegations included representatives of government ministries, planning and development departments, and environment and forestry protection agencies.

Workshop Plans Next Phase in Kenya Forestry Initiative

Findings from a study on the status of forest landscape restoration strategies and targets set by the Government of Kenya were presented to a cross section of GoK representatives, sector organizations, NGOs and development partners in a February 8, 2023, workshop. The study was commissioned by the World Bank in partnership with Indufor Ltd, an international forest consultancy firm. The workshop’s aim was to build consensus on priority actions for achieving targets specified in the country’s land and forest management policies. There was a particular focus on Kenya’s ambitious 15 billion tree campaign, with an emphasis on the need for an inclusive approach to achieving this target.

The new Sovereign ESG Data Portal

The Sovereign ESG Portal has become an influential resource for the financial sector and is used by asset managers, investment banks, rating agencies, debt management offices, and ESG data providers to inform their approach to ESG investing in the sovereign debt asset class. A recent ESG investor survey by the Emerging Markets Investors Alliance highlights that the portal is the most used data source for sovereign ESG data, while Barclays Research lists the portal as close behind ESG score providers (from Barclays Research 2022 ESG Investor Survey). Moreover, even for many of the bespoke Sovereign ESG products produced by the industry, the portal often provides the majority of the underlying data. Read more

GPS Seminar Series

UPCOMING: The Quest for Green GDP

A joint session by GPS and Africa Natural Capital Accounting Community of Practice

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the most commonly used measure of a nation’s performance and growth. While the scope of GDP is to measure the monetary value of the goods and services produced in a given year, it is often used as proxy for things that it is not well suited for, such as long-term growth or the well-being of a country. In many cases, economic growth is appening at the expense of nature, and therefore at the expense of future prosperity.

The concept of ‘Green GDP’ was coined in the late 1980s with aspiration to modify GDP to better reflect the impacts of economic activities on the environment. The “Green GDP” is derived from Net Domestic Product (NDP), - which is obtained by subtracting the depreciation of produced assets such as machines and buildings from GDP - by deducting the cost of depletion of natural resources and degradation of ecosystems.

This webinar will familiarize the audience with headline indicators that can be derived with natural capital accounts, as well the World Bank’s approach to adjusting the standard macroeconomic indicators from the System of National Accounts to reflect how the country is managing its natural and human capital. Furthermore, the linkage between the two, and possibilities to complement one with estimates or data from the other, will be explained.

April 20, 2023 | 13:00 - 14:30 UTC | Register here

PAST SEMINAR:

Forum for the Exchange of Knowledge on the Valuation of Ecosystem Services

The cases of Mexico, Uganda and Zambia

This South-South knowledge exchange forum presented the advances and experiences of Mexico, Uganda and Zambia in the valuation of ecosystem services (VES) within the framework of the Global Program on Sustainability (GPS) of the World Bank. Each country presented results from a case study, followed by discussion of their perspectives on VES for strengthening environmental, climate and development policies in the Global South.

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Watch past Seminars here

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The GPS Seminar Series presents regular virtual events on the latest knowledge on how policy makers and the financial sector can integrate environmental sustainability considerations into decision making. Topics over the past few months have included Strengthening the Capacity for Measuring and Valuing Natural Capital in Ghana, Renewable Energy: Unaccounted Wealth of Nations, and Improving Natural Capital Management in Lao PDR.

NATURAL CAPITAL POLICY FORUM

The Natural Capital Policy Forum is the signature annual event of the Global Program on Sustainability (GPS). Co-organized with the United Nations Statistics Division, the Forum aims to connect users—primarily the investment community and policy makers—with both data and analytics, and data providers, to share knowledge and experiences on incorporating natural capital accounting and approaches in decision making.

Held over two days in November 2022, the sixth edition of the Policy Forum focused on financing for nature, with discussions on the role of natural capital and ecosystem services data and analytics in investment and policy decisions.

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LATEST KNOWLEDGE

Supporting Serbia’s Transition to Greener and More Resilient Growth: Policy and Institutional Reform

A recent World Bank report, Supporting Serbia’s Transition to Greener and More Resilient Growth, suggests that the country needs action in three areas: (1) get prices to reflect the cost of pollution and wasteful use of resources; (2) undertake sectoral reforms to support green transition priorities, and (3) strengthen national institutions to support the green reform agenda.

Report:

Blog: Three ways Serbia can create greener and more resilient growth

NEWS AND BLOGS

BLOG: Plastic taxes: a guide to new legislation in Europe Grzegorz Peszko February 15, 2023

By: Grzegorz Peszko February 15, 202

European countries are paving the way for comprehensive plastic packaging taxes, re-shaping the trade and market conditions for exporting firms from developing countries

Cover Photo: aerial view of mangroves in The Gambia (Curioso.Photography / shutterstock)

This newsletter is published by the GPS Communications Team

We welcome your submissions of news, events, and publications at gps@worldbank.org