hip between air pollution and COVID-19? A lot, although it is not conclusive yet.The global COVID-19 lockdown to contain the spread of the virus has severely restricted economic activity, and reports are emerging from across the globe of blue skies becoming visible, in some cases for the first time in people’s lifetime. These improvements will likely dissipate as lockdowns are lifted, and economic activity resumes. Will the air once again become polluted, or is there a possibility for countries to use economic recovery programs to grow back stronger and cleaner? Discover in our latest analysis!
Author Archives: NL4WorldBank
eC2: Industrial Refrigeration
Deadline: 30-Jul-2020 at 11:59:59 PM (Eastern Time – Washington D.C.)
The objective of this work is to provide an IFC client with recommendations to help them troubleshoot existing problems with refrigeration, improve the energy efficiency of their refrigeration system/equipment and promote the use of natural refrigerants (where possible) in clients cold chain operations and HVAC equipment.
Why we need a Blue Recovery
COVID-19 has brought untold suffering to communities worldwide, compounded by what 
World Bank estimates suggest will be the worst recession since World War II. Such a cataclysmic event requires a bold response, both in the immediate term by providing medical care and the safety nets needed to prevent people from falling into poverty but also in the longer term. As we work with countries to build back their economies and strengthen their communities, it cannot be business as usual and sustainability needs to be fully built into the recovery. But – ranging from the warming effects of climate change to pollution caused by coastal run-off and marine litter, overfishing and coral reef and biodiversity loss.
A lesson on the pandemic – the lesson we didn’t learn about inequality
School after this pandemic will be different. To a large extent this is due to many actors – 
parents, teachers, mass media, the government, and others – who will have changed their views and perceptions about their role in the education process. This shift of mindsets will be critical for the future of the education system.
Parents now have a better understanding of the need to work jointly with schools to foster the education of their children. They now know that they can be, and actually are, a major figure in the education process of their children. And many parents who are now struggling with supporting they children to maintain some of their learning process at home will have a better understanding of just how demanding and challenging the teacher’s job is. Parents have a much greater appreciation for teachers and what they do. And parents now clearly recognize that education is a social experience – a lot of the magic of learning, of the development of ideas and creativity, come from the social interaction with teachers and peers. If someone ever thought that teachers could be replaced by artificial intelligence, it is now clear that is not the case.
Productivity growth threatened by COVID-19 disruptions
Productivity growth, a force that has contributed to lifting millions of people out of poverty in developing countries, will need substantial support from policymakers if it is to withstand the severe challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic shock. More in our latest study.
Diversification and cooperation in a de-carbonizing world: Climate strategies for fossil-fuel dependent countries
Countries’ attempts to tackle climate change will depend on their circumstances and 
capabilities. Among the most challenging, will be how fossil fuel–dependent countries (FFDCs) do so, given their economies are the most dependent on fossil-fuel income and carbon-intensive industries. These countries represent almost one-third of the world’s population. They are themselves responsible for roughly 20 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions but are home to over 80 percent of emissions embodied in known fossil fuel reserves. Many also have foundational systems built on the back of (expected) fossil fuels and related value chains and are, therefore, at risk as the global low-carbon transition gets fully underway.
eC2: Quantifying the social and economic benefits of road safety interventions and guiding fragile cities on road safety interventions
Deadline: 17-Aug-2020 at 11:59:59 PM (Eastern Time – Washington D.C.)
This activity aims to show the benefits and costs of improvements in road safety in specific interventions in especially unsafe locations in Greater Freetown, dis-aggregated by sex, locations, type of mode, age, user-type, at minimum. The activities to be delivered by the firm is divided in the following tasks:
eC2: DigiLab Finance program: knowledge management and one-on-one opportunities
Deadline: 03-Aug-2020 at 11:59:59 PM (Eastern Time – Washington D.C.) 
IFC DigiLab Finance is an accelerator program for digital transformation of financial institution and was launched in March 2018 in Latin America. To date, 11 organizations have participated across 3 cohorts, these institutions are now part of the DigiLab alumni network. As part of one of the DigiLab Alumni benefits, institutions can access to one-on-one advisory projects where IFC will support them on the implementation of their digital transformation roadmaps.
IFC may select up to three vendors for signing a framework agreement to support us to deliver, in Latin America and East and Central Asia, both workstreams: i) IFC DigiLab Finance knowledge management (KM) program and ii) one-on-one (OO) advisory projects for an accurate implementation of the DigiLab programs outputs (digital strategy and roadmaps).
eC2: Advisory services and Analytics on Development of Agricultural Restructuring Plan for 2021-2025 period, with orientations to 2030, adaptable to Climate change impacts
Deadline: 23-Jul-2020 at 11:59:59 PM (Eastern Time – Washington D.C.) 
The assignment will provide analytical and advisory services to inform the World Banks policy dialogues and technical advices to support Vietnam through the MARD to develop its Agricultural Restructuring Plan (ARP) for 2021-2025 that responds well to the climate change (CC) adaptation and mitigation and contributes to the achievement of Vietnam NDC.
What will it take to achieve COVID-19 containment and economic revival?
As countries grapple with the impact of COVID-19, policy makers are seeking effective,
balanced solutions to address both public health and economic recovery challenges. To understand which approaches have been successful and how these might help other countries and regions, policy makers from Colombia, Ghana, South Africa, Vietnam, and Italy’s Veneto region shared with us their stories of response and recovery.
Netherlands for the World Bank 
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