The Committee on Development Effectiveness met to consider the Independent Evaluation Group evaluation Making Waves: World Bank Support for the Blue Economy, 2012–23 and the draft management response.

The committee welcomed the evaluation as timely and forward-looking and acknowledged its value in informing the next phase of the World Bank’s support for the blue economy and future discussions on the wider climate change aims, including Corporate Scorecard discussions. Members expressed support for the Independent Evaluation Group’s recommendations aimed at enhancing World Bank support for the blue economy. They also appreciated management’s agreement with the evaluation’s recommendations and commitment to implementing them. They underscored the significance of the blue economy in the context of the World Bank Group Evolution Roadmap and the importance of partnering with other development institutions to address Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Life below Water). Members acknowledged the World Bank’s progress in implementing the blue economy agenda and encouraged management to better cover this agenda in the Bank Group Scorecard and the planned Global Challenge Programs. Members emphasized the cross-cutting aspects of the blue economy, noting its links to food security, climate change, biodiversity, poverty alleviation, and circular economy and its role as a driver of growth. They stressed the importance of addressing the knowledge gaps identified and expressed support for management’s commitment to articulate a more holistic definition of the blue economy, enabling the concept to be used as a policy framing tool.

Members called on management to establish a more comprehensive approach to integrate the blue economy into the Bank Group’s diagnostics and operations through cross-sectoral coordination, including Country Partnership Frameworks, Systematic Country Diagnostics, and Country Climate and Development Reports, while continuing to tailor the approach to country-specific contexts. Some cautioned against using the holistic blue economy approach to restrict countries from accessing water to address essential livelihood needs. Members encouraged management to strengthen cooperation with key partners, such as the United Nations Environment Programme, and partnerships with regional platforms and national initiatives for enhanced effectiveness and impact. They expressed interest in identifying success stories from the World Bank’s support for the blue economy to foster peer learning. The challenges of plastics and marine pollution were recognized, and the World Bank was urged to expand and support the production of plastic substitutes. Members also called for more green jobs, sustainable trade, and women’s empowerment. They urged management to proactively support clients toward achieving sustainable development of coastal and marine areas by leveraging partnerships and enhancing the use of the PROBLUE trust fund as a catalyst for promoting the blue economy agenda across sectors.