economic justice
Press releases on economic justice and resisting neoliberalisation
Cancun package merely prevents collapse and leaves kyoto protocol on life support
CANCUN, MEXICO, 11 December 2010 – The agreement adopted at the UN climate talks in Cancun has failed to make progress on the most essential part: steep, binding emissions cuts for developed countries. Friends of the Earth International warns that this agreement provides a platform for abandoning the Kyoto Protocol, replacing it with a weak pledge and review system as a legacy of the Copenhagen Accord, that would lead to a devastating five degree Celsius warming.
World Bank should stay out of carbon markets and climate finance
CANCUN, MEXICO, 8 December 2010 - World Bank President Robert Zoellick is coming to the climate negotiations in Cancun today to announce the establishment of a multi-million dollar fund to promote the creation of carbon markets in developing countries. Friends of the Earth International strongly opposes carbon markets and the perverse role of the World Bank in climate change and carbon trading.
UN ADVISORY GROUP ON CLIMATE FINANCE REPORT FALLS FLAT
NOVEMBER 5, 2010 - A new report on climate change financing options released today by a U.N. Advisory Group unwisely emphasizes carbon markets and other private finance options, while irresponsibly advocating an increased role for multilateral development banks (MDBs). Despite concluding that public sources of climate finance are available and promising, the report's findings downplay the role that public finance can and must play in helping developing countries deal with climate change.
Market mechanisms are a false solution to biodiversity loss
NAGOYA, JAPAN, 28 October, 2010 – With only one day of negotiations left at the Convention on Biological Diversity’s summit in Nagoya, Japan, Friends of the Earth International urgently calls on governments to reject false solutions to halt biodiversity loss, such as trading biodiversity credits and other market-based mechanisms.
CLIMATE CHANGE: RICH NATIONS BACKTRACKING
TIANJIN, CHINA, Saturday, October 9, 2010 -- With talks under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change set to close here today, members of Friends of the Earth International said they were disappointed by the lack of progress, particularly rich countries’ threats to abandon their existing legal commitments under the Kyoto Protocol.
'Alternative Nobel Prize' Awarded to FoEI Chair Nnimmo Bassey
STOCKHOLM (SWEDEN) / LAGOS (NIGERIA), September 30, 2010 – Friends of the Earth International, the world's largest federation of grassroots environmental organisations, is proud to announce that its chair, Nnimmo Bassey from Nigeria [1], will be a recipient of the 2010 'Right Livelihood Award'. [2]
OUTRAGE AT SHELL-FUNDED UN REPORT ON NIGERIA OIL SPILLS
LAGOS (NIGERIA) / AMSTERDAM (THE NETHERLANDS), August 24, 2010 – Friends of the Earth International is outraged by reports that a major UN investigation into Nigeria oil spills funded by oil giant Shell relies more on figures produced by oil companies and Nigerian state statistics than on community testimony and organizations on the ground who work with communities. [1]
Developed countries attempt to launder aid money through World Bank and call it 'climate funds'
BONN, GERMANY, 4 June 2010 – At the end of the first week of UN climate negotiations, Friends of the Earth International have warned developed countries to radically alter their plans over climate funding to prevent a repeat of the fallout from Copenhagen.
European Transnationals Accused of Rights Violations in Latin America
Madrid, Spain, May 12, 2010 – On the eve of the May 18 Europe-Latin America and Caribbean Summit, Friends of the Earth International and other organizations will present cases of serious rights violations committed by European corporations in Latin America and promote alternatives to the food, climate and financial crisis.
Global Civil Society Calls for Greater U.S. Leadership in Solving the Climate Crisis
125 organizations urge greater emission cuts, and finance for developing countries.
Speechless novel Launched
LONDON (UK) / AMSTERDAM (THE NETHERLANDS) -- August 17, 2009 – A passionate and purely visual world history graphic novel called 'Speechless' will be published on September 4, 2009.
SHELL CLIMATE CRIMES EXPOSED IN NEW REPORT
Amsterdam, Brussels, London, Washington, June 29, 2009 -- Fresh evidence of oil giant Shell’s colossal contribution to global climate change and its continued investment in carbon intensive fossil fuels has been revealed today in a new report.[1]
new research reveals that shell is the world’s most carbon intensive oil company
London, May 19 – Research by four leading environmental organisations released today to coincide with Royal Dutch Shell’s Annual General Meeting, reveals the carbon intensity of the top international oil companies. Shell is now the most carbon intensive oil company in the world based on its total resources.
ShellGuilty Campaign Launched
NEW YORK CITY, USA, April 27, 2009 — Days after a judge confirmed Shell Oil will stand trial here May 26 on charges it was complicit in the murders of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Nigerian activists, environmental and human rights groups announced they have formed a global campaign to hold Shell accountable and demand that it stop gas flaring in Nigeria.
NIGERIA TO STOP COMPANIES FLARING GAS
LAGOS (NIGERIA), BRUSSELS (BELGIUM), January 12, 2009 – While Europe faces gas shortages, Friends of the Earth International is putting the Nigerian government under pressure to ensure that oil companies stop flaring Nigerian gas.
world bank unfit to manage climate funds
POZNAN, POLAND – 142 organizations fighting for climate justice are issuing today (Tuesday 9 December) at the UN climate talks a joint statement rejecting any role for the World Bank in controlling climate change finance.
World Bank Climate Funds Under Fire
WASHINGTON, D.C. October 10, 2008 -- Two days before the World Bank's annual meetings, a coalition of watchdog and non-profit groups exposed World Bank lending for dirty projects and urged individual nations to refrain from supporting the World Bank’s new "Climate Investment Funds."
G8 LEADERS URGED TO DUMP THE WORLD BANK'S CLIMATE INVESTMENT FUNDS
HOKKAIDO (JAPAN), July 4, 2008 - G8 leaders meeting in Hokkaido July 7-9 to tackle issues such as rising oil prices and global warming are being urged to dump the World Bank’s highly controversial ‘climate investment funds’.
Groups Oppose World Bank Climate Funds
BONN (GERMANY), June 5, 2008 – More than 121 groups released today a statement opposing the World Bank’s proposed ‘Climate Investment Funds’ to address climate change and its impacts. [1]
Banks Financing Agrofuels
Many major European banks are funding the rapid expansion of agrofuel production in Latin America, leading to large scale deforestation, increasing human right abuses and threatening food sovereignty, according to a new report released today.
European crimes face Latin American trial
Environmental and human rights violations committed by European companies in Latin America are being examined at a people's tribunal in Lima, Peru this week (13-16 May).
CORPORATIONS THREATEN BIOTECH TALKS
A last minute attempt by six biotech giants to undermine international negotiations on biotech crops was condemned today by environmental group Friends of the Earth International as a proposal to ‘privatise international law’.
Green schemes for biofuel crops set to fail
Attempts to use certification schemes to reduce the widespread environmental and social problems caused by growing crops for fuels and animal feeds are bound to fail, states a new report released today by Friends of the Earth groups.
2008 Photo Competition Launch
Friends of the Earth International announces the launch today of its annual photo competition, which will gather photos from around the world on the theme of “Inspiration, Hope and Possibilities for a Better World.”
Davos Elites Must Listen
Friends of the Earth International will urge world leaders on 26 January to listen to citizens from around the globe taking part in the 2008 'Day of Action' of the World Social Forum [1] to protest against the flawed corporate-driven globalisation model embodied by the World Economic Forum (WEF).
palm oil advert misleading
Friends of the Earth International has welcomed a ruling today by the UK advertising watchdog that describing palm oil as “sustainably produced” is false advertising.
World Bank Hands off Forests
Environmental groups at the United Nations climate talks in Bali today urged governments to reject a new World Bank initiative promoting the inclusion of forests in carbon markets. The World Bank initiative, known as the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) is set to be launched on Tuesday 11th December in Bali as part of the discussions on ‘Reducing Emissions through Deforestation in Developing countries’ (REDD).
Keep unfair trade out of climate talks
7 December, 2007 - Informal trade talks scheduled to take place in Bali this weekend could seriously threaten the opportunity for a just and sustainable way forward on tackling climate change, Friends of the Earth International warned on the eve of the talks (Friday).
chevrons nigeria pipeline under investigation
3 JULY 2007 – An official inspection will begin on July 15 on the West-African Gas Pipeline, a project led by US oil giant Chevron with support from the World Bank.
Shell's advert misleading
July 5th - The Dutch Advertising Authority has instructed oil giant Shell to stop misleading the public, after Friends of the Earth Netherlands filed a complaint against a “greenwash” advertisement that claimed that Shell uses its waste carbon dioxide to grow flowers.
world's biggest palm oil trader shamed
3 July 2007 - Wilmar, the world’s biggest trader in palm oil, is illegally logging rainforests, setting forests on fire and violating the rights of local communities in Indonesia, according to a new report published today by Friends of the Earth Netherlands.
banks finance mud volcano
21 June 2007 - Major international banks such as Credit Suisse, Barclays, Fortis Group, Merrill Lynch & Co. and Natixis are injecting hundreds of millions of Euros into a set of companies responsible for a catastrophic mud volcano in Indonesia, Friends of the Earth International/Europe has revealed in two new reports launched today.
shell's misleading ad
May 8, 2007 - Complaints are being filed today, May 8, in three European countries against a shameless advert that makes exaggerated and misleading green claims about oil giant Shell's operations.
Shell fails to stop nigeria flaring, again
May 2, 2007 – On the day prior to oil giant Shell's quarterly earnings report (May 3), Friends of the Earth International called on the Anglo-Dutch company to immediately respect a court order to stop gas flaring in Nigeria by 30th April. Gas flaring is a destructive practice which costs the African country about US$2.5 billion annually, while more than 66% of its population is estimated to live on less than US $1 a day.
Indonesian mine pollution ruling
24 April 2007 -- Friends of the Earth International, the world's largest grassroots environmental network, is extremely disappointed by today's verdict on a mining pollution case in North Sulawesi (Indonesia) which shamefully ignored compelling evidence.
world bank still fuelling climate change
April 13, 2007 -- On the eve of the World Bank’s annual Spring Meetings (Apr. 14-15) Friends of the Earth International challenged the bank's 184 government shareholders to halt all funding for projects contributing to climate change.
Jailed Irish Oil Campaigner Wins Environmental "Nobel Prize"
April 22, 2007 -- William Corduff from the Rossport farming community in Ireland is one of six winners of the prestigious Goldman Prize [1], which will be awarded to him and other grassroots environmentalists today, Earth Day, in recognition of his resistance together with his community against an illegal pipeline of oil giant Shell.
pull the plug on water privatisation
May 15, 2007 - Over 134 groups from 48 countries today called on donor governments to abandon support for a highly controversial agency of the World Bank focused on privatisation called the 'Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility' (PPIAF).
Court orders shut down shell oil depot
March 7th 2007 -– Friends of the Earth International welcomed today’s ruling of the Philippines Supreme Court, which ordered the Manila City government to shut down the Pandacan oil depot.
Shell: clean up your mess
January 31st 2007 - - A new report, launched the day before oil giant Shell announces its 2006 annual profits (1 February 2007) calls on Shell to use the profits to begin cleaning up damage it has caused to communities and the environment. The report offers proposals and figures for where and how Shell should repair some of the damage it has caused in nine communities around the world.
World Trade, Davos, and the WSF
January 24, 2007 - Instead of rushing into reviving world trade talks when they meet at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on 24 - 28 January, world leaders should listen to the voices from the seventh World Social Forum in Nairobi, warned Friends of the Earth International today.
