by Gary Lee, Southeast Asia Program Director for International Rivers, Sarinee Achavanuntakul, Head of Research for Fair Finance Thailand, and Eugene Simonov, Co-founder, Coordinator and Conservation Science Expert for Rivers without Boundaries. This article originally appeared in Mongabay This month’s World Heritage meeting represents a critical opportunity for the UNESCO World Heritage Committee (WHC) to protect…
Read MoreSTATEMENT | Fortescue Metals Group’s Plan to Develop Grand Inga Hydro Scheme Won’t Deliver Green Energy for DRC
International Rivers expresses its profound concerns over the announcement that Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) has entered into an agreement with the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to develop the Grand Inga project for hydrogen production. As noted by concerned observers in DRC, the FMG deal bypasses key procedural requirements to ensure that…
Read MoreAsian Development Bank: It’s Time to Stop Financing Large-scale Hydropower and other False Climate Solutions
Yesterday, International Rivers’ Southeast Asia Program Director Gary Lee joined partners at the NGO Forum on ADB press conference. The science and historical evidence is clear–if we want to tackle the climate and biodiversity crisis, increase resiliency and food security, and protect the rights of people, the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) energy policy must prohibit…
Read MorePress Release | Organizations warn OECD of Bolsonaro’s backsliding on human rights and environmental safeguards
NGOs criticize Brazil’s candidacy to join the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development while far-right administration dismantles socio-environmental policies Brasília, Brazil – Over sixty civil society organizations delivered a letter to OECD Secretary General-elect Mathias Cormann this Wednesday, raising concerns about Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro’s backsliding on human rights and environmental issues just as the…
Read MoreSTATEMENT | Climate Bonds Initiative’s new hydropower standard is a false climate solution
Last week, the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) announced their approval of a new bond certification scheme for hydropower.1 This represents an unfortunate setback for the climate and for meaningful efforts to address the climate crisis. As our written submissions into the process pointed out,2 the CBI hydropower standard will generate no tangible climate benefit and…
Read MoreDamming Rivers Is Terrible for Human Rights, Ecosystems, and Food Security
By: Deborah Moore, International Rivers Board Member Darryl Knudsen, Executive Director Michael Simon, former Senior Director of Strategy This article was originally featured on Truthout There’s some good news amid the grim global pandemic: At long last, the world’s largest dam removal is finally happening. The landmark agreement, which was finalized in November 2020 between farmers, tribes and…
Read MoreJoint Statement | Klamath River Dam Removal Back on Track
By: Darryl Knudsen, Executive Director & Bruce Shoemaker, Klamath project Liason The struggle of the diverse and broad coalition of tribes and others who value the fundamental importance of a healthy and free-flowing Klamath cleared a daunting and important hurdle today with the announcement by PacifiCorp, the States of California and Oregon, the tribes and…
Read MoreKlamath River Dam Removal Update: An Urgent Need for Action!
By: Bruce Shoemaker, Klamath Project Liaison The proposed removal of four aging dams on the Klamath River in far-northern California and southern Oregon is at a crucial juncture. Following sustained campaigning by tribal and environmental groups, what is likely the largest proposed dam removal project to date world-wide, one that has huge implications for the…
Read MoreDear China, it’s time to talk: Despite saying it takes multilateral cooperation seriously, China has not yet responded to civil society concerns in Latin America
By: Cooperacción, Fundación Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (FARN), International Rivers, China-Latin America Sustainable Investments Initiative At the end of April, 263 civil society groups from around the world sent a letter to the heads of various Chinese institutions about financial aid to help coronavirus-affected projects connected to the Belt and Road Initiative, China’s global infrastructure program. They…
Read MorePRESS RELEASE | South Africa and DRC plan to press ahead with Inga 3 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The Democratic Republic of Congo has just concluded a week-long conference on the beleaguered Grand Inga Dam Project, restating the commitment from South Africa to purchase 5000MW of electricity from the proposed project. Meanwhile, back home the SA Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy is reported to be pressing ahead with their…
Read MorePRESS RELEASE | Eight Organizations alert the OECD on serious weaknesses in Brazil’s Responsible Business Conduct policies (Policy Brief)
In a brief published today, FIDH and seven brasilian and international NGOs alert on the serious governance gaps that need to be urgently addressed.
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