TotalEnergies’ East African pipeline breaches international environmental and human rights standards

A new report assessing the East African Oil Pipeline (EACOP) and associated oil fields against internationally recognized environmental and human rights standards for financial institutions finds numerous violations, putting banks at risk if they sign on to support the project. The assessment, undertaken by the Africa Institute for Energy Governance (AFIEGO), Inclusive Development International (IDI) […]

Top Dutch Asset Manager drops Total over East African pipeline project

Dutch asset management company, ACTIAM, confirmed this week in an interview with The Guardian that it pulled all investments from TotalEnergies and placed the company on an exclusion list over concerns about its controversial East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project. ACTIAM is among the top ten Dutch asset managers and had nearly $4 million […]

Watchdog Slams World Bank Group for Helping Bankroll Philippines Coal Boom

MANILA, Philippines – The World Bank Group’s private lending arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), violated its own environmental and social protection policies  as it helped bankroll a disastrous coal boom in the Philippines, according to an independent investigation made public today. In its report, the IFC’s internal watchdog, the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO), calls […]

Hannover Re becomes 5th re/insurer to opt out of East African Crude Oil Pipeline

Hannover Re is the latest insurer to reject EACOP, joining Swiss Re, Axa, Zurich and SCOR in publicly committing that they will not underwrite the pipeline. Last week, after SCOR committed not to insure EACOP, Hannover Re quickly followed suit, stating, “we refrain from providing reinsurance coverage for EACOP due to noncompliance with our ESG […]

Bowing to public pressure, Rizal becomes first bank in Philippines to exit coal

No Coal

Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) made the announcement after years of pressure from climate activists in the Philippines and  an investigation of the bank’s practices by one of its most prominent shareholders, the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation. “[N]o more coal. I’ll say that slowly: no more coal,” said the bank’s president and CEO, Eugene Acevedo, at […]

Saying no to coal: IFC’s new Green Equity Approach unveiled

No Coal

The World Bank’s private lending arm has unveiled its new approach to greening equity investments in financial institutions.  The International Finance Corporation (IFC) says it will end equity investments in financial institutions that do not have a plan to phase out investments in coal-related activities.  The “30 by 30 Zero Program” aims to help the banking […]