What Reform of the World Bank Might Look Like
Provided by: The Climate Reality Project|Published on: August 14, 2025|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Articles/Websites
Subjects: Economics, Civics
Authors: The Climate Reality Project
Location: Earth
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- In this article from The Climate Reality Project, students will learn about the World Bank and other Multilateral Development Banks, understanding the need for reform in order to properly address climate change and its impacts.
- Students will learn a brief history of the World Bank, its tendency to support the use of fossil fuels, and the need for better support for the Global South to properly adapt to climate change.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This article does a great job of explaining Multilateral Development Banks and unfamiliar terms.
- Students will be able to read this short article and discuss it during class, if needed.
Prerequisites
- Students should understand that the burning of fossil fuels contributes to climate change and should understand the impacts of climate change.
- It may benefit students to understand the goal to keep warming under 1.5 degrees and that we have already reached that mark.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Students can make history connections by researching the initial creation of the World Bank and its purpose.
- The section, What Could Reform Look Like for the World Bank references the importance of sustainable development. Teachers can use this section to make connections to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 1, No Poverty, Goal 10, Reduced Inequalities, and Goal 13, Climate Action.
- To make connections to language arts, students can write persuasive letters to the World Bank's President, drawing on evidence from this article and their own research.
- Teachers may want to read this article as a class and pause after each section to discuss some of the major points. This article is short, but it packs a lot of information into each of the sections that students may need time to digest.
This article discusses how the World Bank can influence climate (and other social justice) actions through how it funds different countries and projects. Three calls for action to the World Bank that emphasize the need for climate action and climate justice are included at the end of the article. Learning about the World Bank and how it can be a source of funding for climate solutions is important, and often not discussed; therefore, this resource can provide some hope along with education. The information presented is accurate, and this resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
