When Shell decided to quit its Arctic oil exploration it cited 'insufficient quantities' of oil and gas, writes Louise Rouse. But that was not the whole story: what tipped the balance was a combination of investor discontent, reputational damage and public opposition on an unprecedented scale.
Shell's retreat from the Arctic - what tipped the scales? Louise Rouse Greenpeace Energydesk | 30th September 2014 Comment Energy Fossil Fuels Oil Corporations Finance Society USA Climate Change …
Can the cut-throat, speculative world of the stock market be used to hold businesses to account for environmental damage and human rights abuses? Chris Milton investigates for the Ecologist
Sustainable stock exchanges: a new choice for investors Chris Milton | 28th December 2010 News Stock Market Politics And Economics Finance Investors marketplace.jpg A Social Stock Exchange could …
Oil giant BP is the UK's single biggest EU lobbyist, spending over £2 million reaching out to European policy makers in 2014, new figures show. But citing hard times, the company has dropped its controversial sponsorship of the London's Tate Galleries - and more such branding deals may bite the dust.
BP doubles EU lobby spend, drops Tate sponsorship Kyla Mandel The Ecologist | 14th March 2016 News Corporations Arts Finance Fossil Fuels Oil Pollution oil-coated dophin-cut.jpg Oil giant BP is …
A new report by accountancy giant EY says the UK's Conservative government has sentenced renewable energy sector to 'death by a thousand cuts', writes Emma Howard, and left investors puzzled at inexplicable policy changes.
… are entering a really weird phase' The report cites the early end of subsidies for onshore … for the first time in a year. The report cites the launch of Barack Obama's Clean Power …
World Bank projects have left a worldwide trail of evictions, displacements, rapes, murders, forest destruction, greenhouse-gas-belching fossil fuel projects, and destruction of farmland and water sources, writes Pete Dolack. But even as internal reports admit the Bank's wrongdoing, it is asserting its immunity from legal action as terrorised communities seek redress in the courts.
… human rights abuses." The lawsuit filing cites "U.S. government sources" to allege that …
Ecuador is the latest country to tear up 'free trade' agreements that have so far cost the country $21 billion in damages awarded to foreign companies by 'corporate courts', and yielded next to nothing in return, writes Nick Dearden. So the outgoing President Correa did the only sensible thing: in one of his final executive acts this month, he scrapped 16 toxic trade and investment treaties.
Ecuador rips up 16 toxic trade treaties Nick Dearden Global Justice Now | 31st May 2017 News Trade Corporations EU US UK Finance Pollution Oil Ecuador ecuador-oily-hand-cut.jpg Ecuador is the latest …
A second legal challenge to the UK's proposed Hinkley C nuclear power plant in Somerset was launched this morning by ten renewable and municipal power suppliers in Germany and Austria, citing grave distortions to European energy markets.
Green energy suppliers launch Hinkley C nuclear challenge The Ecologist | 15th July 2015 News Nuclear Energy Renewables Law Finance UK EU cameron-hinkley-cut.jpg A second legal challenge to the UK's …
Hinkley C's subsidy package may have won European Commission approval - but now it faces a National Audit Office 'value for money' investigation, following a demand from a powerful Parliamentary committee.
NAO investigates Hinkley C nuclear subsidies Terry Macalister The Guardian | 17th October 2014 News Nuclear Energy UK Politics Economics Finance hinkley-c-edf-cut.jpg Hinkley C's subsidy package may …
There are two rules about the end costs of nuclear power, writes Ian Fairlie. It's far more than you ever knew. And whatever sum of money was ever set aside, it's nowhere near enough. Germany understands this. That's why it refused to let E.ON spin off its nuclear liabilities into a hands-off company. But the UK, it seems, has lost the ability to learn from its nuclear mistakes.
When the party's over ... the financial spectre at the end of nuclear power Dr Ian Fairlie | 1st October 2015 News Energy Nuclear Waste Radiation Finance sellafield-cut.jpg There are two rules about …
What kind of companies is the European Central Bank supporting by buying €46 billion of their bonds under its QE programme? Research by Corporate Europe Observatory reveals a strong preference for oil, gas, tar sands, dirty power generation, armaments, aviation, airports, car makers, motorways, luxury goods and gambling. Our sustainable be future be damned!
ECB's 'quantitative easing' funds fossil fuels, arms, cars and climate change Corporate Europe Observatory | 14th December 2016 News Finance EU Corporations Fossil Fuels Energy Aviation Transport …
A Japanese court has found the government and Tepco culpable for the Fukushima nuclear disaster for failing to act on clear warnings of the dangers of seismic shocks, writes Shaun Burnie. The ruling is sending a shockwave through Japan's 'nuclear village' and may end all prospects of any mass restart of reactors.
Fukushima court ruling holds 'reckless' Tepco and government liable Shaun Burnie Asia Times | 20th March 2017 News Nuclear Japan Law Politics Finance Corporations Regulation Energy 2ist March 2017 …
Just as EDF was due to make its 'final investment decision' on Hinkley C, writes Oliver Tickell, another delay. In spite of incredibly generous subsidies, the company is unable to finance it. Its last hope is to persuade the French state to take a 10% stake in the doomed project.
Unable to raise Hinkley C nuclear cash, EDF turns to French government Oliver Tickell | 26th January 2016 News Nuclear Energy Finance Corporations UK France China hinkley-point-nuclear-pow-cut.jpg …
The respected Russian campaign group Sakhalin Environment Watch is being forced to choose between registering as a 'foreign agent' label and closing down, writes Oliver Tickell. Environmental campaigning, it seems, is now a 'political activity'.
… Sakhalin Province." As evidence the report cites: a link to a WWF Russia statement on the …
A Senate vote yesterday to deny President Obama 'fast track' authority in negotiating TPP and TTIP looks like the beginning of the end for these trade deals and their secret corporate courts, writes Nick Dearden. Now it's up to Europeans to make sure the EU Parliament votes against TTIP in a crucial vote next month.
US Senators just knocked a wheel off TPP and TTIP. Now let's finish the job! Nick Dearden | 13th May 2015 Comment Trade Finance EU USA Politics stop-tpp-cut.jpg A Senate vote yesterday to deny …
Pledges by investors to divest from fossil fuels have soared to $2.6 trillion - 50 times more than a year ago. 'Now is the time to divest', says Leonardo di Caprio, one of the latest to join the movement, which even includes Newcastle, Australia, home to the world's biggest coal port.
Divestment pledges rise 50-fold to $2.6 trillion The Ecologist | 22nd September 2015 News Fossil Fuels Coal Oil Finance Climate Change Energy newcastle-aus-coal-port-cut.jpg Pledges by investors to …
Who has the longest nose of them all? Worthy winners of France's fiercely contested 'Prix Pinocchio' 2014 were selected last night, recognising corporate greed, hypocrisy and malfeasance, based on a record vote since the awards began.
Long noses: Shell, GDF Suez, Samsung sweep Pinocchio Awards Oliver Tickell | 19th November 2014 News Corporations France Energy Oil Coal Fracking Gas Finance pinocchio-cut.jpg Who has the longest …
The organizers of tomorrow's International Monsanto Tribunal describe it as a 'moral trial', while the company dismisses it as a 'mock trial' and 'stunt'. The truth, writes Pete Dolack, is that it's about much more than this one company. On trial is the entire neoliberal system of 'free market' finance and monopoly capitalism.
Monsanto on trial? Or 21st century capitalism? Pete Dolack | 13th October 2016 Comment Corporations Finance Law GMOs Food Farming crop-dusting-cut.jpg The organizers of tomorrow's International …
OceanaGold is demanding $300 million in compensation from impoverished El Salvador after a mining permit was refused to safeguard a clean drinking water source that millions of people depend on, writes Pete Dolack. The sum does not even represent losses - but profits the company claims it would have made.
… general moratorium, the Salvadoran government cites not only environmental and health …
The nuclear industry and its supporters have contrived a variety of narratives to justify and explain away nuclear catastrophes, writes John Downer. None of them actually hold water, yet they serve their purpose - to command political and media heights, and reassure public sentiment on 'safety'. But if it's so safe, why the low limits on nuclear liabilities?
Fukushima and the institutional invisibility of nuclear disaster John Downer | 20th December 2014 News Energy Politics Finance Science Nuclear Japan fuku-blacksmoke-cut.jpg The nuclear industry and …