Carbon taxes can be win-win for Bangladesh. They can help show the world that Bangladesh is serious about climate mitigation, boosting the country's influence in international negotiations and helping it to access financing and technology promised during the COP-21. They can play a role in...

This study delivers evidence of the main causes of premature deaths from air pollution in Almaty and Nur-Sultan, two major cities in Kazakhstan, and offers guidance on cost-effective solutions to prevent them while making the cities better prepared for a low-carbon future. The report provides...

In the Kyrgyz Republic, access to reliable and affordable heating is critical given the cold and long winters in its mountainous regions. With central heating solutions such as district heating limited to the capital city Bishkek and other urban areas, over 80 percent of households resort to...

The Indonesia Economic Prospects (IEP) is a bi-annual World Bank report that assesses recent macroeconomic developments, outlook and risks, as well as specific development challenges for the Indonesian economy. In doing so, the IEP aims to inform the public policy debate and is geared towards a...

Chongqing is at a crossroads where its GDP per capita will reach a level at which cities typically decouple economic growth from energy and resource use, as well as associated carbon emissions and pollution. However, decoupling does not happen automatically. It requires cities to adopt green...

Thailand needs to avoid the high-carbon growth path of many developed countries and, instead, take a low-carbon growth path. A green low-carbon growth path is in Thailand's own interest as it can simultaneously tackle local environmental degradation, global climate change, and energy security...

Climate action is critical for development in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The region contains countries among the most affected by climate change but least prepared to address it. This report introduces key findings of the World Bank Country Climate and Development Reports (CCDRs)...

Air pollution is a major cause of death and disease. 'Ambient air pollution' refers to contamination of outdoor air; 'household air pollution' refers to contamination of indoor air. Ambient (or outdoor) air pollution is the world's leading environmental risk to health and the cause of morbidity...

According to the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study, air pollution from fine particulate matter caused 6.4 million premature deaths and 93 billion days lived with illness in 2019. Over the past decade, the toll of ambient air pollution has continued to rise. Air pollution's significant health,...

Outdoor air pollution accounts for an estimated 4.2 million deaths worldwide, the majority of which are caused by exposure to fine particulate matter (or PM2.5) air pollution. Most of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Reducing PM2.5 air pollution is thus crucial for...