World Bank and SEB partner with Scandinavian In...

The World Bank today announced a partnership with SEB and several key
Scandinavian institutional investors to introduce a "World Bank green
bond" to raise funds for projects seeking to mitigate climate change
or help affected people adapt to it.


The bond issue is one example of the kind of innovation the World
Bank is trying to encourage within its "Strategic Framework for
Development and Climate Change," launched earlier this year to help
stimulate and coordinate public- and private-sector activity in this
area.  The offering is the first time both the World Bank and SEB
have offered bonds to raise funds identified to a specific World Bank
program.

"We are very pleased to partner with the World Bank for this green
bond issue," said Annika Falkengren, President and CEO, SEB. "With
this issue we have been able to offer our clients a product through
which they can accomplish three things: take a stand towards fighting
global warming, support the World Bank and its members in their
efforts to fight poverty, and secure a higher return than government
securities by investing in the World Bank's Aaa/AAA-rated bonds."

"Tackling climate change is going to take immense resources that will
only come from a well-orchestrated flow of public and private
finance.  This transaction is an important early effort to show one
way in which this can be done.  We hope it demonstrates that private
citizens can safely and profitably invest their savings today while
also helping provide a better world for their children," said Robert
B. Zoellick, President of the World Bank Group.

The first World Bank green bonds are denominated in Swedish kronor
(SEK) for a total amount of SEK 2.325 billion and have a maturity of
six years. The interest rate payable annually is 0.25 percent above
Swedish government bond rates. SEB is the sole lead manager and will
offer the bonds to investors through its distribution network.  The
bonds responded to demand from a group of Scandinavian investors.
Credit Suisse International is a senior co-manager and Landesbank
Baden-Württemberg is a co-manager for the transaction.

Summary Terms
Issuer: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
Rating: Aaa/AAA
Amount: SEK 2.325 billion
Settlement date: 12/11/2008
Maturity date: 12/11/2014
Issue price: 100,157
Redemption: 100%
Coupon: 3.5%
Denomination: SEK 10,000.00 and integral multiples thereof
Listing: Luxembourg
Clearing system: Euroclear
Sole Lead Manager: SEB

For more information on SEB's commitment to reducing climate change
and on the World Bank Green Bond distributed by SEB, please visit


http://www.sebgroup.com/pow/wcp/sebgroup.asp?website=TAB1&lang=en and


http://treasury.worldbank.org/newsinvestors.

This press release is not an offer for sale of Notes of the
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development ("IBRD"), also
known in the capital markets as "World Bank". Any offering of the
Notes will be made only by means of a prospectus containing detailed
information that will made available through SEB, the sole
underwriter of the notes, and is subject to restrictions under the
laws of several countries. Securities may not be offered or sold
except in compliance with all such laws.


SEB is a North European financial group serving some 400,000
corporate customers and institutions and five million private
individuals. SEB offers universal banking services in Sweden, Germany
and the Baltic countries - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. It also has
local presence in the other Nordic countries, Poland, Ukraine and
Russia and a global presence through its international network in
another ten countries. On 30 September 2008, the Group's total assets
amounted to SEK 2,416bn (~EUR 237bn) while its assets under
management totalled SEK 1,244bn (~EUR 122bn).The Group has about
22,000 employees. Read more about SEB at www.sebgroup.com.

The World Bank is a global development cooperative owned by its
member countries. Its purpose is to help its members achieve
equitable and sustainable economic growth in their economies and to
find solutions to regional and global problems in economic
development and environmental sustainability, all with a view to
reducing poverty and improving standards of living. The International
Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), rated Aaa/AAA
(Moody's/S&P) is owned by 185 countries. It is the oldest and largest
entity in the World Bank Group and provides its members with
financing, risk management products, and other financing services, as
well as specialized expertise and strategic and convening services
requested by its member countries. To fund this activity, IBRD has
been issuing debt securities in the international capital markets for
60 years. The World Bank is one of the most recognized and innovative
borrowers in the international capital markets. More information
about the World Bank and its activities in the capital markets is
available on the web at: www.worldbank.org/debtsecurities.

_____________________________________________
For further information, please contact:

SEB
Christopher Flensborg, Coordinator, Capital Markets, SEB, +46 (0)8
5062 31 38, [e-mail]
Klas Eklund, Senior Economist, Environmental issues, SEB, +46
(0)70 763 80 88, [e-mail]
Elisabeth Lennhede, Press Officer, SEB [phone], +46
(0)70 763 99 16, [e-mail]

The World Bank
Doris Herrera-Pol, Global Head of Capital Markets, [phone],
[e-mail]
Roger Morier, Communications Advisor, Sustainable Development, +1 202
473 5675, [e-mail]


This announcement was originally distributed by Hugin. The issuer is 
solely responsible for the content of this announcement.