The World Bank’s work in the extractives sector focuses on:

1. Holistic sector reforms that maximize the benefits of the oil, gas and mining sectors, in a way that contributes to sustainable and inclusive development and helps governments attract, manage and realize the development potential of the extractives sector. This involves minimizing any negative impacts on people and the environment from extraction.
2. Accelerating the energy transition and climate action by reducing the emissions of the oil, gas and mining sectors. Current work includes:

• The Climate-Smart Mining initiative : helping resource-rich developing countries to manage the increasing demand for minerals and metals needed for a low-carbon future, by implementing sustainable, “climate-smart” mining practices. The climate-smart mining approach minimizes social, environmental and climate footprints by integrating renewable energy into mining operations, preventing deforestation, repurposing mine sites and recycling of minerals. 
• The Supporting Energy Transition in Coal Regions initiative: supporting countries to transition away from coal, by helping governments to close coal mines and ensuring a “Just Transition for All” that protects and respects people and the environment. The World Bank helps national and subnational governments to develop roadmaps to help coal regions implement effective policies and strengthen institutional capacities. Ongoing assistance to coal regions can take many forms, spanning a variety of challenges and solutions associated with regional transformation.

Dedicated Multi-Donor Trust Funds support the World Bank’s engagement in developing countries:

• The Extractives Global Programmatic Support (EGPS) Multi-Donor Trust Fund supports resource-dependent developing countries in the governance of their oil, gas, and mineral resources so they are used sustainably and transparently to reduce poverty and boost sustainable economic growth. Its programs range from transparency and governance, to legal and regulatory reform, local economic diversification, strengthening institutions, and social and environmental sustainability.
• The Global Gas Flaring Reduction Partnership (GGFR) Multi-Donor Trust Fund, composed of governments, oil companies, and multilateral organizations, works to end routine gas flaring at oil production sites across the world. The Partnership helps identify solutions to the many technical and regulatory barriers to flaring reduction by developing country-specific flaring reduction programs, conducting research, sharing best practices, raising awareness, increasing the global commitments to end routine flaring, and advancing flare measurements and reporting.

Last Updated: Apr 26,2021

• Afghanistan: The Bank is working closely with the government to ensure the sustainable development of the country’s natural resources. The current project facilitates a sustainable supply of gas through targeted investments in gas infrastructure and enhanced gas sector governance, doubling the deliverability of commercial quality natural gas that can be used for energy access. The Bank also helps manage ancient and treasured cultural assets around the Mes Aynak site.
• Burkina Faso: The World Bank has provided technical assistance to the mining sector, directly benefiting over 19,000 people, including over 4,000 women. The technical assistance program supported an improved regulatory and policy framework.
• Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): With World Bank support, women working across the mining sector in DRC organized themselves to establish a national network to advance gender equity. The World Bank held two "Women in Mining Conferences" in 2015 and 2017 and conducted an in-depth survey in 2016/17 across five major mining provinces, which then resulted in elections for a new national Women in Mining network. The World Bank also delivered pilots on women’s working conditions and child labor. The latter pilot program succeeded in getting 1,200 children out of child labor and into school and training.
• Guinea: The Bank is helping build systems and capacity to manage the country’s mining sector, including the development of major growth corridors around bauxite and iron ore mines.
• Iraq:  Iraq's Council of Ministers has formally adopted The Natural Gas Market Framework (NGMF), marking the first phase of an internationally benchmarked and transparent framework to allow private sector investors to capture, process, transport and commercialize natural gas. The reforms have the potential to bring $21 billion of private sector investment into Iraq and provide power to Iraqis who lack basic access to energy.
• Mozambique: The Bank is supporting the government by strengthening the capacity and governance systems of key institutions to manage the mining and hydrocarbon sectors.
• Nigeria: The Bank is helping the country substantially enhance the mining sector’s contribution to the economy, while strengthening key government institutions and fostering domestic investment in the sector. The World Bank’s Global Gas Flaring Reduction Partnership is also supporting the government in its efforts to end the polluting and wasteful practice of routinely flaring gas during oil production, in line with its Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement, and as a means to provide Nigerian citizens more access to energy.
• Rwanda: the government of Rwanda created a new mining law and clear framework for the country’s mining sector. The new mining law was informed by the African Mining Legislation Atlas (AMLA), which was compiled and created by the World Bank, as part of the Extractives Global Programmatic Support (EGPS) Multi-Donor Trust Fund.
• Senegal: following three major oil and gas discoveries, the Bank is helping to build the capacity of the government and providing support and technical advice to negotiate oil and LNG contracts to boost investments and foster sustainable gas sector development. This should lay the foundations for the sector’s contribution to the economy.
• Togo: The Bank is helping streamline the institutional framework of key government agencies involved in the extractives sector to strengthen efficiency and accountability for effective management of the sector. The Bank is also helping artisanal and small-scale mine operators develop skills while raising awareness of sustainable mining practices in communities affected by mining operations.
• "Zero Routine Flaring by 2030" Initiative: as of March 2021, 79 governments and oil companies, accounting for just under 60% of global gas flaring, have committed to (a) not routinely flare associated gas in new oil field developments and (b) to end existing (legacy) flaring as soon as possible and no later than 2030.
• As part of the "Supporting Energy Transition in Coal Regions" initiative, the World Bank, in partnership with the European Commission, is assisting Poland to ensure a ‘Just Transition’ in the country’s primary coal regions of Dolnośląskie (Lower Silesia), Śląskie (Silesia) and Wielkopolskie (Greater Poland). The project will focus on enhancing the capacity of coal regions to plan for a Just Transition through job creation, repurposing of former mining lands and stakeholder engagement.
• The World Bank is also facilitating a knowledge exchange between the coal regions of Poland and Ukraine, helping both countries prepare for an energy transformation in the coming years. Representatives from Ukraine’s public and private sectors will visit Polish coal regions and share challenges and experiences.
• Through EGPS, the World Bank is a major supporter of Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) implementation in developing countries. More than a standard, implementation of EITI creates dialogue between industry, government and civil society and is linked to broader policy reforms. EGPS has supported over 50 countries, of which more than 80% achieved meaningful or satisfactory progress, meaning that most EITI requirements have been implemented and the broader objectives of EITI requirements have been fulfilled. These countries’ successes are critical milestones in the journey towards a transparent, accountable sector globally.
• EGPS also supports the Extractives-Led Local Economic Diversification (ELLED) program, which promotes local economic diversification and the development of competitive local industries in mineral and hydrocarbons rich economies. ELLED supports cutting-edge research and the systematization and sharing of existing knowledge to address extractives-related policy challenges, including climate smart investment, strategic spatial planning, forward looking value chains, and the development of network economies.
• EGPS recently created a new emergency response for vulnerable artisanal and small-scale mining communities impacted by COVID-19, providing short-term and medium-term assistance to a range of international, regional, national and local organizations engaged in the sector.

Last Updated: Apr 26,2021

To achieve sustainability goals and improved governance in extractive industries, the World Bank has developed partnerships with a wide range of organizations in the sector. This helps align efforts, while also leveraging resources and expertise to end poverty and boost shared prosperity.

• Donors to the Extractives Global Programmatic Support Multi-Donor Trust Fund: Australia, Belgium, Canada, the EU, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
• Governments in the Global Gas Flaring Reduction Partnership include Algeria; Azerbaijan; Cameroon; Republic of Congo; Gabon; Indonesia; Iraq; Kazakhstan; Khanty-Mansiysk (Russian Federation); Kuwait; Mexico; Nigeria; Norway; Qatar; and Uzbekistan. Companies include BP; Chevron; Eni; Equinor; ExxonMobil; Pemex; Shell; SNH (Cameroon); SOCAR; Sonatrach; and Total. Multilateral organizations include the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD); the European Union; and the World Bank.

Other partners include:

• International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM)
• International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA)
• Methane Guiding Principles
• Natural Resource Governance Institute
• Oil and Gas Climate Initiative
• Publish What You Pay (PWYP)
• The Africa Union Commission (AUC)
• The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI)
• The Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF) 
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

Last Updated: Apr 26,2021