OVE's Environmental Performance Review applied to the Energy Sector

Date issued
Feb 2011
This review evaluates IDB's performance applying environmental safeguards to the energy sector (infrastructure), as well as IDB's review process of the environmental and social assessment conducted by borrowers. The review found consistency issues in the application of safeguards across different types of projects. In general, results show that private sector environmental assessments score better than their public sector counterparts in terms of quality. The realignment process of the IDB in 2007 implied that the same group of environmental and social specialists will be involved in reviewing and monitoring private and public projects, thus providing opportunities for the transference of environmental expertise to public sector operations. Once projects are approved, the IDB reporting system offers limited information regarding the environmental and social follow-up of the ex-ante analyses. It is recommended that the IDB moves beyond the administrative compliance approach to document the environmental and social effects of IDB-funded projects.