Knowledge Sharing and Experience Exchange on the Optimal Utilization and Management of External Financing for Development

Key Contact
Son Duy Nguyen
Start Date
End Date
Funding Amount
$ 48,993
Knowledge-providing Countries
Knowledge-receiving Countries

Summary

In 1995, with technical assistance from the World Bank, Indonesia introduced its Program for Pollution Control Evaluation and Rating (PROPER), the first such environmental rating and disclosure (ERD) initiative in the developing world. With experience from Indonesia, the World Bank helped introduce the concept to other countries, including Ghana, and eventually to the Indian State of Odisha. This made Odisha the first state to begin ranking pollution intensive industries. To promote sustainable economic growth, Odisha’s State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB), the main environmental regulatory arm of the Indian State of Odisha’s Government, initiated its ERD Environmental Compliance Assessment, Monitoring and Rating Program (ECAMRA)[1] in November, 2013.

Challenge

ERD offers an inclusive, cost effective, transparent regulatory approach. ERD encourages efficient resource production and consumption, including water and energy use, low-carbon production, reduce-reuse and recycle, and biodiversity protection. But design and implementation of an ERD program is complex and requires a range of technical, political, and administrative skills. The effectiveness of such a comprehensive approach hinges on having engaged and empowered stakeholders, including the community at large and buy in from the private sector.

Solution

ERD programs in Ghana and Indonesia stand out for their success. Indonesia introduced the first ERD initiative in 1995, the Program for Pollution Control and Rating (PROPER). Indonesia’s PROPER program has a long history, scaling up from 187 industries in 1995 to 2,076 industries in 2015. The Ghanaian EPA’s launched its much smaller AKOBEN[3] program with 61 companies in 2009 and has reached 168 companies. However, while PROPER does not publish rating criteria for the mining sector, AKOBEN is the first ERD program in the world with a detailed environmental rating methodology for mining. The AKOBEN program is therefore an important contributor to international ERD efforts

Lessons Learned

While ERD programs are well documented, publishing reports cannot substitute for building the complex set of knowledge and skills that a knowledge exchange provides through face-to-face discussions.

Beneficiaries / Participants

The beneficiary participants in the exchange are directly involved in the design and implementation of the ECAMRA program in Odisha State, or they are expected to play a key role in providing political support for the program. Odisha participants included the following key government officials:

World Bank Contribution

Guided by the priorities of the 12th Five-Year Plan and the underpinnings of the World Bank 2013-17 Country Partnership Strategy for India, the Government of India is integrating its seven low-income states, including Odisha, in mainstream development of the country. This knowledge exchange is linked to the World Bank project P147522, Orissa State Climate Change Action Plan.

Moving forward

The central Government of India (GoI) is modernizing mining sector policies and regulations. The 2011 GoI Draft Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Bill replaces the defunct 1957 Act and intends to empower the central government and counterpart state agencies with improved oversight on policy, granting of licenses, regulatory monitoring, and benefit-sharing, which are critical to sustaining outcomes and sharing benefits from the mining sector equitably.

Results

New knowledge: The exchange strengthened the operational and technical knowledge of decision makers, senior management, and operational staff at Odisha’s State OSPCB. The Indian delegation learned about the detailed technical design of the ERD programs in Ghana and Indonesia, and they learned about political management for ERD.

Learn More