WASHINGTON, 19 Oct. - (ANA) - The World Bank isn’t changing its approach to climate finance because of pressure from the Trump administration, Anna Bjerde, the bank’s managing director of operations, said. 

 

Global progress on reducing the number of people who lack access to electricity has stalled, with the number in sub-Saharan Africa stuck at 600 million for two decades. 

 

Bjerde said at the World Economy Summit that she is confident of hitting a goal to connect at least 300 million people in the next five years. 

 

About half of the power for those people will come from small-scale solar, she said. The rest will come from a mix of sources, including natural gas. 

 

But the bank is still committed to increasing its share of total financing going to projects with climate benefits, even though that’s out of favor with its largest shareholder, she said: “I don’t feel like we are in any way discouraged from doing smart development.”   - (ANA) - 

 

AB/ANA/19 October 2025 - - -