Addressing Climate Challenges in Key Sectors

Together with the public sector arms of the World Bank Group, IFC focuses its efforts on key systems that together generate more than 90% of global greenhouse-gas emissions, and that also face significant adaptation challenges: energy; agriculture, food, water, and land; cities; transport; and manufacturing. 

Agribusiness

IFC is at the forefront of a global transition to climate-smart farming practices that are essential to food systems and the livelihoods of millions. Hundreds of millions of smallholder farmers around the world remain highly vulnerable to a changing climate. Engaging with these smallholder farmers is crucial to ensure the stability of global food systems.

Cities

IFC has forged strategic partnerships with cities around the world, bringing in the private sector to address pressing urban and climate needs, helping municipal authorities build climate-resilient, sustainable cities. Our partnership platforms spanning water, waste, transport, and sustainable cooling  targeting bankable climate solutions.

Energy

IFC is accelerating a just and inclusive transition in the energy sector supporting expanded access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable electricity. IFC supports the expansion of proven clean energy solutions like onshore wind and solar energy, finances energy efficiency, conservation, and carbon reduction and works to create private sector opportunities in the energy sector.

Greening the Financial System

IFC build’s financial institutions’ capacity for climate investment and managing climate risk, setting global standards for labeled bonds, creating pipelines of investable projects, sharing investment risks with public and multilateral institutions and creating investment mechanisms for institutional investors.

Manufacturing

More than 80% of IFC’s manufacturing investments were targeted at decarbonization in the last fiscal year. IFC is helping to reinvent industrial processes, helping companies in hard-to-abate sectors decarbonize their operations through energy efficiency, renewable and alternative energy, and new technologies.

Transport

IFC supports transportation infrastructure projects in emerging markets through investment and advisory services, including public-private partnerships (PPPs). We focus on projects that reduce transportation costs, relieve bottlenecks, facilitate international trade, and create jobs. IFC also provides financing to support climate-friendly transport systems, encouraging a modal shift from high-carbon to low-carbon options.