Above: Subsidies from the World Bank Group (FY2008–FY2011) and major regional development banks (FY2008–FY2010) to clean, fossil fuel, and other energy projects.

subsidy

/ˈsʌbsədi/, noun (pl. subsidies):

According to the World Trade Organization, a subsidy is a transfer of funds or a potential transfer of funds from a government or public body through a grant, loan, equity infusion, or loan guarantee; a government fiscal incentive such as a tax credit; a government-provided good or service other than general infrastructure; or a government payment to a funding mechanism or private body to carry out one or more of the functions illustrated above.

For decades, wealthy countries have been using international aid and other foreign assistance—through grants, loans, equity and loan guarantees—to subsidize the expansion of the international fossil fuel industry.

The Shift the Subsidies database is an interactive tool to visually track and analyze the flow of energy subsidies from international, regional and bilateral public financial institutions around the world.

The database currently tracks subsidies from the World Bank Group from fiscal year 2008 to fiscal year 2011 and major regional development banks from fiscal year 2008 to fiscal year 2010. In the future, we will also add bilateral aid from major governments.