#environmental_impact

Information, Democracy and Corporate Power
▻http://multinationales.org/Information-Democracy-and-Corporate-Power

Without free and independent information, there can be no democracy. Yet the growing power and #influence of bug business and transnational corporations in the economic and political realms is partly based on the control of information about their influence and impacts. This article was first published as an introduction to our publication Democratic Information in an Age of Corporate Power. It seems obvious that without information, democracy cannot exist. It’s impossible to imagine modern (...)

#Investigations

/ #internal_democracy_within_firms, #social_impact, #environmental_impact, influence, #regulations_and_norms, (...)

#transparency
“►https://multinationales.org/Democratic-Information-in-an-Age-of-Corporate-Power”

Anya Schiffrin: “The link between advocacy and journalism is older than many of us think.”
▻http://multinationales.org/Anya-Schiffrin-The-link-between-advocacy-and-journalism-is-older-th

A number of international tax avoidance scandals have come out over recent years, highlighting the important role played by investigative journalists in denouncing the corrupt practices of governments and corporations. Investigative journalism has been playing this role for decades, as the American journalist and teacher Anya Schiffrin explains. Schiffrin is the author of a collection of investigative articles on different issues across the globe. This interview was first published in our (...)

#Investigations

/ #freedom_of_expression_and_of_the_press, #public_campaign, #social_impact, #environmental_impact, human (...)

#human_rights
“►https://multinationales.org/Democratic-Information-in-an-Age-of-Corporate-Power”
“►https://www.icij.org”
“►https://www.occrp.org/en”
“▻https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._D._Morel”
“▻https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muckraker”
“►http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175886/tomgram%3A_anya_schiffrin,_who_knew_we_were_living_in_the_golden_age_of”
“►http://gijn.org/2016/06/20/a-golden-age-of-global-muckraking”

#France's Blatant Disregard for the Health of its People – How the Government and Lobby Groups have been Pushing Diesel Cars
▻http://multinationales.org/France-s-Blatant-Disregard-for-the-Health-of-its-People-How-the-Gov

The large majority of France’s car fleet runs on diesel, despite its lamentable health effects and the enormous costs involved for society. But who is to blame? Since the eighties, political authorities, industrial figures and transport professionals have persistently backed the diesel engine even though its emissions have always been recognized as extremely harmful – and even carcinogenic. And the evidence continues to mount against it. But the French government recently announced an (...)

#Investigations

/ #Automotive_Industry, France, #PSA_Peugeot_Citroën, #Renault, #Lobbying, #environmental_impact, #influence, #regulations_and_norms, Environmental (...)

#Environmental_Health
“►http://www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/ED81.pdf”
“►http://www.senat.fr/commission/enquete/cout_economique_et_financier_de_la_pollution_de_lair.html#c617158”
“►http://www.airparif.asso.fr/_pdf/fiches-polluants-2014.pdf”
“►http://www.liberation.fr/terre/2013/03/04/corinne-lepage-le-lobby-automobile-a-detricote-la-loi-sur-l-air_886185”
“►http://www.france5.fr/emission/5089153dbb94781404003039/50891541bb94781404003430”

Great Barrier Reef and the Amazon Rainforest Among Outstanding Natural Sites Under Threat from French Multinationals
▻http://multinationales.org/Great-Barrier-Reef-and-the-Amazon-Rainforest-Among-Outstanding-Natu

Half of World Heritage sites are currently threatened by industrial development, and the oil and mining sectors pose a particular threat. So many invaluable sites and #biodiversity sanctuaries face being wiped off the map just because we are unable to do anything about our voracious model of development. Several French transnational corporations are among those involved in projects that could herald the end of these exceptional sites. Some of the sites facing destruction include national (...)

#Investigations

/ A la une, #Extractive_Industries, #Australia, #Brazil, #Canada, #Guatemala, #Guinea, #Indonesia, #Malaysia, #Netherlands, #Peru, #DR_Congo, São Tomé, #ArcelorMittal, #Areva, Bolloré, #EDF, Engie (ex GDF Suez), #Eramet, #Lafarge, #Maurel_et_Prom, #Perenco, #Total, #Socfin, (...)

#São_Tomé #Bolloré #Engie_ex_GDF_Suez_ #Energy #Extractive_Industries #environmental_impact #resource_overexploitation #extractive_industries
“▻https://www.bastamag.net/De-la-Grande-barriere-de-corail-a-l-Amazonie-ces-sites-naturels-d-exceptio”
“►http://www.wwf.fr/vous_informer/actualites/?7841/La-moitie-des-sites-du-Patrimoine-mondial-sont-menaces-par-des-activites-industr”
“►http://whc.unesco.org/fr/peril”
“►http://www.socfin.com/Files/media/News/2016-03-04---Menaces-sur-forets-africaines.pdf”
“►http://www.perenco.com”
“►http://e360.yale.edu/feature/how_nations_are_chipping_away_their_protected_lands/2989”
“►http://www.padddtracker.org”
“►http://marketforces.org.au/banks/map”
“►http://www.societegenerale.com/sites/default/files/documents/Document%20RSE/Finance%20responsable/Principes%20Generaux%20Environnementaux%20et%20Sociaux%20de%20nos%2”
“►https://www.societegenerale.com/sites/default/files/documents/Document%20RSE/Finance%20responsable/Politique%20Transversale%20Biodiversit%C3%A9.pdf”
“►http://blog.greenpeace.fr/bollore-zero-deforestation”
“►http://forets.greenpeace.fr/la-socfin-menace-toujours-les-forets-africaines”

#Extractive_Industries and the Right to #water: The Responsibility of Multinationals
▻http://multinationales.org/Extractive-Industries-and-the-Right-to-Water-The-Responsibility-of

This report is the conclusion of a series of #Investigations and articles on #Extractive_Industries and water published, over a year and a half, by Basta! and the Multinationals Observatory, with the support of France Libertés – Fondation Danielle Mitterrand. The focus of this work was to look at the role and responsibility of multinational corporations, as the main drivers of extractivism. Water is a critical input for #extractive_industries (mining, quarrying, oil and gas extraction). All of (...)

Investigations

/ A la une, Extractive Industries, Extractive Industries, #local_communities, #human_rights, water, #social_impact, #environmental_impact, extractive industries, #regulations_and_norms, #corporate_legal_responsibility, corporate social (...)

#corporate_social_responsibility
“▻https://multinationales.org/IMG/pdf/rapport-eng.pdf”
▻http://multinationales.org/IMG/pdf/rapport-eng.pdf

#shale_gas : how Algerians rallied against the Regime and Foreign Oil Companies
▻http://multinationales.org/Shale-gas-how-Algerians-rallied-against-the-Regime-and-Foreign-Oil-

Protests erupted last year in #Algeria against government-approved shale gas exploration. The drilling sites are particularly contentious as they are located near Saharan towns and oases, and threaten already scarce #water resources. Fifty years after the former colonial power conducted nuclear tests in the Algerian Sahara, the French State, #Total and other multinational companies were accused of interference. Basta! and the Multinationals Observatory explored the issues around this (...)

#Investigations

/ #Extractive_Industries, Algeria, Total, #Extractive_Industries, #Fossil_fuels, #local_communities, water, shale gas, #extractive_industries, environmental (...)

#environmental_impact
« ►http://www.total.com/fr/medias/actualite/communiques/20091222-algerie-consortium-mene-par-total-acquiert-participation-49-pour-cen »
« ►http://blogs.mediapart.fr/blog/jose-bove/280215/le-gouvernement-algerien-doit-interdire-la-fracturation-hydraulique »
« ►http://www.algerie-focus.com/blog/2015/03/in-salah-total-algerie-nous-navons-jamais-eu-de-licence-de-gaz-de-sch »
« ►http://www.elwatan.com/complements/2015/02/27/moratoire-de-gaz-schiste-insalah_2601380.pdf »
« ►http://www.sonatrach.com/declaration_PDG_GazSchiste_FracturationHydroulique.html »
« ►http://www.lepoint.fr/confidentiels/exclusif-gaz-de-schiste-la-france-va-explorer-en-algerie-20-12-2012-1604170_ »
« ►http://www.stopaugazdeschiste07.org/IMG/pdf/cp_algerie_20150301.pdf »
« ►https://www.facebook.com/180455612007566/photos/pcb.794135837306204/794135720639549/?type=1&theater »
« ►http://www.aps.dz/economie/15747-gaz-de-schiste-les-r%C3%A9sultats-du-premier-forage-pilote-%E2%80%98%E2%80 »
« ►http://economie.jeuneafrique.com/entreprises/entreprises/energie/24144-algerie-gaz-de-schisme.html »

Pollution, Drought and Threats: the Disturbing Cocktail of #Colombia's Oil Industry
▻http://multinationales.org/Pollution-Drought-and-Threats-the-Disturbing-Cocktail-of-Colombia-s

Perenco is a low-profile French oil company, owned by one of France’s richest families. Basta! and the Multinationals Observatory investigated its practices in Colombia where #Perenco owns several concessions, alongside other companies. The oil industry has been accused of playing a role in the droughts that have grown more frequent in the Amazon Savannah. It also faces accusations of negligence in regards to the pollution left to contaminate marshes and rivers. In spite of the blockading (...)

#Investigations

/ #Extractive_Industries, Colombia, Perenco, #Extractive_Industries, #Fossil_fuels, #local_communities, #human_rights, #social_impact, #environmental_impact, #extractive_industries, #regulations_and_norms, A la (...)

“▻http://casanarenoticias.com/index.php/component/k2/item/1526-en-caso-del-estero-matemarrano-tribunal-demanda-pacto-de-cump”
“►http://www.elespectador.com/noticias/nacional/autoridades-apuntan-cinco-pecados-posibles-causa-de-seq-articulo-48412”
“►http://www.eltiempo.com/politica/justicia/detrimento-patrimonial-en-zonas-con-poca-agua/16372557”
“►http://www.liberation.fr/monde/2012/02/25/la-colombie-ferme-les-yeux-sur-les-entreprises-alliees-aux-milices_798637”
“►http://www.elespectador.com/noticias/investigacion/petrolera-perenco-y-los-paras-articulo-320929”
“▻http://www.perenco-colombia.com”
“►http://www.bnamericas.com/news/oilandgas/colombian-regulator-suspends-perenco-crude-transport”
“▻https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2CKkaSzQEg%20et%20https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awjKzdKCsnE

In Alberta and Downstream, the Heavy Toll of the Oil Sands Industry on #water and the Environment
▻http://multinationales.org/In-Alberta-and-downstream-the-heavy-toll-of-the-oil-sands-industry-

In Alberta, Canadian and international oil companies, including #Shell and #Total, develop oil sands deposits at a frantic pace. Despite the current oil price slump, they still hope to triple production by 2030. While there is much talk of its greenhouse gas emissions, the oil sands industry also has heavy, lesser-known impacts on water resources and #biodiversity. The consequences of excessive water extraction and pollution are beginning to be felt downstream, perhaps all the way to the (...)

#Investigations

/ A la une, #Extractive_Industries, #Canada, Shell, Total, #Extractive_Industries, #Fossil_fuels, biodiversity, #climate_change, #local_communities, water, #environmental_impact, #social_impact, #extractive_industries, #regulations_and_norms, #Environmental_Health, (...)

#energy

Cleaner Oil Sands? #Shell and Veolia’s Carmon Creek Project
▻http://multinationales.org/Cleaner-Oil-Sands-Shell-and-Veolia-s-Carmon-Creek-Project

Shell and Veolia, an oil and gas major and a #water company, have joined forces to design a new, ’ecological’ oil sands plant at Carmon Creek, on the Peace River in Alberta, #Canada. According to them, this new plant will have almost zero impact on water resources. But many experts are skeptical, and there is little detail about their exact plans. Meanwhile, the starting date for the plant seems to have been postponed until at least 2019. Second part of Edward Struzik’s report on oil sands and (...)

#Investigations

/ #Water_and_Sanitation, #Extractive_Industries, Canada, Shell, #Veolia_environnement, #Fossil_fuels, water, #shale_gas, #environmental_impact, #extractive_industries, #regulations_and_norms, #Environmental_Health, #transparency, (...)

#energy

Naomi Klein: “If you can marry an economic justice agenda with climate action, people will fight for that future”
▻http://multinationales.org/Naomi-Klein-If-you-can-marry-an-economic-justice-agenda-with-climat

Given the massive inequalities generated by capitalism and the ecological urgency of #climate_change, “everything can change”, Naomi Klein claims in a new book. Provided we do not “give in to despair”, because “too many lives are at stake”, and “fight for a more just economic system”. The Canadian anti-globalization activist and essayist is famous for her inspired criticism of capitalism: No Logo denounced the tyranny of global brands, and The Shock Doctrine the brutality of neoliberal (...)

#Investigations

/ #Extractive_Industries, #Energy, #Fossil_fuels, #trade_and_investment_agreements, #public_campaign, climate change, #greenhouse_gas, #social_impact, environmental (...)

#environmental_impact
“►https://vimeo.com/124380476

Opposition mounts towards #shale_gas in Algeria
▻http://multinationales.org/Opposition-mounts-towards-shale

The Algerian Sahara has been in the grip of mobilisations against shale gas operations since 1 January 2015, when some 1500 people took to the streets of In Salah, 35 kilometres from the site where #Total and Algerian state-owned company #Sonatrach are conducting the country’s first shale drilling in the Ahnet Basin. This article was originally published in French mid-January 2015. Despite the Algerian government’s annoucement that it will temporarily suspend fracking plans, protests continue. (...)

#News

/ #Fossil_fuels, Total, Sonatrach, #Extractive_Industries, #Energy, shale gas, #water, #local_communities, #extractive_industries, #environmental_impact, workers’ (...)

#workers'_protest
« ▻http://www.equaltimes.org/opposition-mounts-to-shale-gas-in »
« ►http://www.elwatan.com »
« ▻http://www.eia.gov/countries/country-data.cfm?fips=ag »
« ►http://www.algeria-watch.org/pdf/pdf_fr/gdS-algerie.pdf »
« ►http://www.algeria-watch.org/fr/article/eco/gaz_schiste/craintes_agriculteurs.htm »

The UK : latest front line in the European #shale_gas battles
▻http://multinationales.org/The-UK-latest-front-line-in-the

The #United_Kingdom is full of strong opinions when it comes to shale gas, which requires hydraulic fracturing (or ‘fracking’) – the controversial technique where a mixture of water, sand and chemicals is injected at high pressure into rock followed by depressurisation – to extract it. David Cameron’s conservative coalition government is pushing harder than ever on both a domestic and European level to promote the practice (and the lucrative rewards assumed to go with it). Meanwhile, thousands of (...)

#Investigations

/ #Extractive_Industries, #Energy, United Kingdom, #Total, #GDF_Suez, #Cuadrilla, #Extractive_Industries, #Fossil_fuels, #Lobbying, #local_communities, shale gas, #greenhouse_gas, #social_impact, #environmental_impact, #extractive_industries, #energy, regulations and (...)

#regulations_and_norms #influence
« ►http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21120-how-fracking-caused-earthquakes-in-the-uk.html »
« ►http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jul/28/fracking-office-single-unit-shale-gas-produced »
« ►http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/geoffreylean/100282976/want-to-know-how-fracking-will-affect-you-sorry-thats-a-state-sec »
« ►http://www.ukoog.org.uk/about-ukoog/press-releases/131-new-survey-shows-57-of-britons-support-natural-gas-from-shale »
« ►http://www.leparisien.fr/environnement/exclusif-environnement-72-des-francais-contre-l-exploitation-du-gaz-de-sc »
« ►http://www.renewablesinternational.net/german-government-wants-shale-gas/150/537/79666 »
« ▻http://www.northernenergy.co.uk/mainnews/fracking-supported-by-majority-of-uk »
« ►http://www.nodashforgas.org.uk/campinfo »
« ►http://www.nodashforgas.org.uk/uncategorized/breaking-operation-mums-and-grandmas-omg-occupy-proposed-drilling-s »
« ►http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/aug/18/fracking-protesters-occupy-blackpool-office-cuadrilla »
« ►http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/europe »
« ►http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/david-cameron-promises-fracking-tax-boost-for-councils-willing-to-app »
« ►http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/01/13/fracking-councils_n_4587143.html »
« ►http://www.carbonbrief.org/blog/2013/04/decc-energy-statistics,-march-2013 »
« ▻http://www.ipsos-mori.com/researchpublications/researcharchive/3284/British-public-split-on-nuclear-power.aspx »
« ▻http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/aug/25/labour-regulation-uk-fracking-industry »
« ▻http://corporate.exxonmobil.com/en/company/news-and-updates/speeches/shale-gas-american-success-story »
« ►https://www.chathamhouse.org/media/comment/view/187991 »
« ►http://www.bbc.com/news/business-26735000 »
« ►http://www.theguardian.com/environment/earth-insight/2014/jun/06/shale-oil-boom-over-energy-revolution-blackouts »
« ▻http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jan/31/uk-shale-gas-fracking-cuadrilla »
« ►http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/geoffreylean/100222841/drilling-set-back-regulator-caught-out-as-fracking-opponents-draw »
« ►https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency »
« ►http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/may/06/fracking-trespass-law-changes-opposed-by-74-of-britons »
« ►http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/sep/04/ban-fracking-from-national-parks-say-majority-of-uk-public »
« ►http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-25695813 »
« ▻http://www.wwf.gr/crisis-watch/issues/21-issue-21-december-2013/shale-gas-lobby-wins-war-against-strict-environmental-rules/28-shale-gas-lobby-wins-war-against-strict-environmental-rules »
« ►http://yougov.co.uk/news/2013/08/05/support-fracking-not-my-backyard »
« ►https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economics-of-shale-gas »
« ►http://www.bgs.ac.uk/research/energy/shaleGas/home.html »
« ►https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/potential-greenhouse-gas-emissions-associated-with-shale-gas-production-and-use »
« ►http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/fracking-regs-tarnished-new-report_05062014 »
« ►http://www.foeeurope.org/fracking-brussels-240714 »

#Areva's Jaitapur Nuclear Project: Another Catastrophe in the Offing?
▻http://multinationales.org/Areva-s-Jaitapur-Nuclear-Project

The Indian Government is planning to build the world’s largest nuclear power plant in Jaitapur, in the Western state of Maharasthra. The plant is to be based on Areva’s EPR technology. The site is a biodiversity hotspot and is also known to have high seismic activity. According to critics, the project is an untested, expensive and dangerous gamble with health and land, which is being vehemently opposed. Areva and the Indian government are currently negotiating to finalise their agreement. (...)

#Investigations

/ #zoom, #Energy, #India, Areva, #Nuclear_Energy, Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL), #public_campaign, #local_communities, #social_impact, #environmental_impact, nuclear (...)

#Nuclear_Power_Corporation_of_India_NPCIL_ #nuclear_energy
“►http://www.ritimo.org”
“►http://archive.tehelka.com/story_main49.asp?filename=Ne120311COVERSTORY.asp”
“►http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/one-killed-as-jaitapur-protest-turns-violent/article1706916.ece”
“►https://www.flickr.com/photos/joeathialy”

Mount Polley mine spill : an accident waiting to happen ?
▻http://multinationales.org/Mount-Polley-mine-spill-an

A enormous tailings pond containing waste from a nearby gold and copper mine collapsed last month in British Columbia (B.C.), releasing billions of litres of wastewater and toxic sludge into nearby lakes and streams. A local state of emergency was called following the incident, and a temporary ban put on using #water from the area. But was this just an unfortunate accident, or the inevitable result of #Canada's increasingly lax and mining-friendly environmental regulation? The spill, which (...)

#News

/ #Extractive_Industries, Canada, #Imperial_Metals, #Extractive_Industries, #local_communities, water, #environmental_impact, #influence, #regulations_and_norms, Environmental (...)

#Environmental_Health
« ►http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/mount-polley-mine-tailings-pond-breach-followed-years-of-government-warnings-1.2 »
« ►http://www.miningwatch.ca/blog/catastrophic-tailings-spill-mount-polley-mine »
« ►http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/bc-interior-health-partially-rescinds-water-restrictions-tsx-iii-193778 »
« ►https://news.vice.com/article/the-mount-polley-mine-disaster-has-produced-a-mysterious-waxy-blue-substa »
« ►http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/council-canadians/2014/09/mount-polley-imperial-metals-and-government-focus-on-coveri »
« ►https://www.facebook.com/UBCIC/posts/821691411194771?fref=nf »
« ►http://business.financialpost.com/2014/08/05/imperial-metals-shares-tailings-spill/?__federated=1 »
« ►http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Imperial+Metals+insurance+likely+enough+collapse+cleanup/10105163/story.html »
« ►http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/jul/09/canada-stephen-harper-revolt-scientists »
« ►http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/david-suzuki/canada-mining-industry_b_5718889.html »
« ►http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/aug/13/mount-polley-mine-spill-british-columbia-canada »
« ►http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Major+Imperial+Metals+shareholder+held+private+fundraiser+Clark+election/10102715/story.html »
« ►http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/mount-polley-mine-spill-minister-reveals-plans-for-2-reviews-1.2739488 »
« ►http://www.greenparty.bc.ca/mt_polley »
« ▻http://nationtalk.ca/story/sierra-club-bc-comments-on-mount-polley-disaster »

#Perenco in the Democratic Republic of Congo : when oil makes the poor poorer
▻http://multinationales.org/Perenco-in-the-Democratic-Republic

Perenco’s operations in Bas-Congo are an example of how oil extraction can destroy the environment and the livelihoods of #local_communities, without giving them almost anything in return. In Muanda, the “poorest oil city in the world,” exploitation of petroleum by the Anglo-French company Perenco has brought no real development benefits. A report by the French NGO CCFD-Terre Solidaire paints a damning picture of the situation: unwelcome news at a time when the Democratic Republic of Congo is (...)

#Investigations

/ #Extractive_Industries, #DR_Congo, Perenco, #Total, #Extractive_Industries, #biodiversity, local communities, #corruption, #human_rights, #tax_system, #social_impact, #environmental_impact, #extractive_industries, #commodities, #regulations_and_norms, #poverty, (...)

#corporate_social_responsibility #parent_company #transparency
« ►http://ccfd-terresolidaire.org/infos/rse/petrole-a-muanda-la »
« ►http://www.profundo.nl »
« ►http://www.perenco.com/fr/actualites/single/reussite-de-la-fracturation-sur-el-franig-en-tunisie.html »
« ►http://ccfd-terresolidaire.org/mob/agir/campagnes/investissements-hors »
« ►http://www.asso-sherpa.org/drame-au-bangladesh-le-gouvernement-se-defausse-sur-lue-plutot-que-dass »
« ▻http://oecdwatch.org/cases/Case_307 »
« ▻http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/regions/africa/central-africa/dr-congo/188-black-gold-in-the-congo-threat-to-stability-or-development-opportun »
« ►http://nawaat.org/portail/2013/10/29/enquete-sur-le-gaz-de-schiste-en-tunisie-des-profondeurs-du-sous-sol-tunisie »
« ▻http://www.scribd.com/doc/179884156/Mensonges-Gaz-de-Schiste-OTE-2013 »
« ▻http://platformlondon.org/carbonweb/documents/drc/A_Lake_of_Oil_Congo_DRC_Tullow_PLATFORM_May_2010.pdf »

Ilana Solomon: “In terms of climate and #Energy policy, TTIP takes us exactly in the wrong direction”
▻http://multinationales.org/Ilana-Solomon-In-terms-of-climate

There’s been a lot of talk recently about the risks of the transatlantic #Trade_and_Investment partnership (TTIP) project for #Europe and its regulations. But the consequences on the other side of the Atlantic could be just as dramatic, particularly in the boost it could give to further large-scale shale oil and gas developments. Interview with Ilana Solomon, director of the Sierra Club’s “responsible trade” programme. How did the Sierra Club, one of the most long-standing environmental (...)

#Investigations

/ #Lobbying, #Fossil_fuels, Trade and Investment, Europe, #United_States, #energy, #trade_and_investment_agreements, #public_campaign, #shale_gas, #greenhouse_gas, #environmental_impact, energy, #climate_change, #regulations_and_norms, #influence, european (...)

#european_union
“▻http://www.bastamag.net/Transatlantic-trade-a-bust-for”

« If #Société_générale was genuine about its own social and environmental principles, there’s no way they would remain involved in the Alpha Coal project »
▻http://multinationales.org/If-Societe-Generale-was-genuine

Alpha Coal: it is the name of a megaproject in Queensland, #Australia. Alpha Coal would involve extracting millions of tonnes of coal, transporting them by rail over hundreds of kilometers and then exporting them to Asia through a new giant terminal at Abbot Point - in the middle of the Great Barrier Marine Park. Société Générale, one of France’s largest banks, is among the last backers of this project within the international financial community. Julien Vincent and Tony Brown, as representatives (...)

#Investigations

/ #Extractive_Industries, #Fossil_fuels, Société générale, Australia, #Finance_and_Banking, #Extractive_Industries, #biodiversity, #local_communities, #greenhouse_gas, #social_impact, #environmental_impact, #extractive_industries, #climate_change, socially responsible (...)

#socially_responsible_investment #commodities
“►http://www.marketforces.org.au”
“►http://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/business/2014/04/26/the-end-coal/1398434400”
“►http://www.ieefa.org/press-release-the-beginning-of-the-end-of-imported-coal-in-india-report-expos”

French banks blithely financing the fracking industry
▻http://multinationales.org/French-banks-blithely-financing

All, or nearly all, claim that they are sensitive to environmental concerns. This does not, however, stop French banks, most prominently Société Générale and BNP Paribas, from bankrolling natural gas fracking, an industry which has adverse effects on water resources, local communities, and the global climate. This is the conclusion of a study commissioned by Friends of the Earth Europe. The study details the source of investments and loans financing the oil and gas companies most active in (...)

#Investigations

/ #Energy, #Extractive_Industries, #Finance_and_Banking, #Poland, #France, #United_States, #Total, #Chevron, #Shell, #Talisman_Energy, #Marathon_Oil, #PGNiG, #PKN_Orlen, #Corporate_Social_Responsibility_and_Ethical_Investment, #Extractive_Industries, #Fossil_fuels, #shale_gas, (...)

#climate_change #environmental_impact #energy #socially_responsible_investment
“►https://www.flickr.com/photos/wcn247/7797057054/in/photostream

Behind the promises of ‘responsible’ chocolate: a bleak future for cocoa farmers and an unsustainable #food industry
▻http://multinationales.org/Behind-the-promises-of-responsible

Deforestation, #child_labour, underpaid farmers: in the countries where it’s grown, cocoa isn’t really synonymous with social well-being. Whilst chocolate giants such as #Mars, Mondelez or Nestle have never been doing so well, the cocoa industry is failing both socially and environmentally. The food multinationals are trying to react by announcing a shift towards ‘responsible’ cocoa, with a number of #fair_trade certifiers offering them customised labels. But for #Mars and others, these moves are (...)

#Investigations

/ #Food_and_Agriculture, #Greenwashing, Nestlé, #Mondelez_international, Mars, Mars, Food & Agribusiness, #Ghana, #Ivory_Coast, #agriculture, food, #supply_chain, fair trade, child labour, #certification, #commodities, #social_impact, environmental (...)

#Nestlé #Food_&_Agribusiness #environmental_impact
“►https://www.flickr.com/photos/carsten_tb/8113983681/in/photostream

Amazonian dams: #EDF and GDF Suez are “studying” indigenous lands with the support of the army
▻http://multinationales.org/Amazonian-dams-EDF-and-GDF-Suez

After Belo Monte, the Tapajós river, one of the Amazon’s main tributaries, and its basin are the latest target for builders of #Large_Dams. The Brazilian government would like to build at least four new dams in this pristine area, of unique #biodiversity. It has enlisted help from a group of companies, including French companies EDF and GDF Suez, to carry out #environmental_impact studies. These companies have been granted the support of the army, to help them sniff out any rebellion from the (...)

#Investigations

/ #Energy, #Brazil, EDF, #GDF-Suez, Large Dams, #State_as_shareholder, biodiversity, #local_communities, #social_impact, environmental impact, #energy, workers’ (...)

#workers'_protest
“►http://lab.org.uk/public-consultation-more-of-a-pr-exercise”
“►http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/12/amazon-villagers-incensed-over-energy-plans-20131223103351496119.html”
“►http://www.grupodeestudostapajos.com.br”
“►http://youtu.be/9liW4bQP03w

The CEO of #Unilever receives a mega bonus for his contribution to “sustainable development”
▻http://multinationales.org/The-CEO-of-Unilever-receives-a

Known in France for his intransigence towards the Fralib workers, the Unilever CEO Paul Polman is also viewed by some as a visionary leader and a champion of sustainable development and responsible capitalism. This apparent contradiction reflects a rather narrow conception of #sustainability and corporate social responsibility. This article was originally published in French. Translation: Mathilde Balland. Who ever said that sustainable development was incompatible with profit? The boss of (...)

#News

/ #Greenwashing, Unilever, Food & Agribusiness, #executives, #tax_system, #tax_evasion, #financialisation, #social_impact, #environmental_impact, #marketing, sustainability, (...)

#Food_&_Agribusiness #salary
“►http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2013/04/29/why-unilever-patagonia-puma-lead-pack-say-sustainability-leaders”
“►http://france.attac.org/se-mobiliser/les-requins”
“►http://www.lesrequins.org/actions-du-15-mars/article/journee-du-15-mars”
“►http://www.flickr.com/photos/moneyblognewz/5408773200

Toxic pollution: chemical giants free from all liability?
▻http://multinationales.org/Toxic-pollution-chemical-giants

‘Manufacturers must answer for the poisoning caused by PCBs!’ demands the Coalition against #Bayer Dangers, a German organisation that has fought against the abuse of the German chemical multinational corporation for 35 years. This article was originally published in French. Translation: Jocelyn Timperley. PCBs – polychlorinated biphenyls – are industrial products used from the 1930s up to the 1980s in transformers, seals, paints and flooring. They are highly chlorinated organic compounds, and (...)

#News

/ #Germany, #Monsanto, Bayer, #Chemicals, #environmental_impact, #regulations_and_norms, #Environmental_Health, #occupational_health_and_safety, #corporate_social_responsibility, corporate legal (...)

#corporate_legal_responsibility
“▻http://www.cbgnetwork.de/4.html”
“►http://www.bayer.com/en/asm_2014_countermotions_en.pdfx”

Where do our flowers come from ?
▻http://multinationales.org/Where-do-our-flowers-come-from

Hundreds of millions of roses are imported into Europe specially for Valentine’s Day. They come from #Kenya, Ethiopia, and Latin America, usually from gigantic farms. Despite the effort put forth by some companies, working conditions in those farms are often appalling. Intensive irrigation strains #water resources. In #France, where clear labeling does not exist, it is impossible for the consumer to know the difference between a rose grown in sustainable conditions and one that is not. This (...)

#Investigations

/ Kenya, France, #supply_chain, #work_conditions, water, #consumers, #environmental_impact, (...)

#certification
« ►http://lebasic.com »
« ►http://www.terra-economica.info/a3260.html »
« ►http://cdhal.org »
« ►http://www.women-ww.org »
« ►http://www.pandaflowers.co.ke/index.php »

Vive la Françafrique ! Who Benefits from #Niger's Uranium ?
▻http://multinationales.org/Vive-la-Francafrique-Who-Benefits

France needs Niger’s uranium, while Niger needs French assistance. But the relationship is and always has been unequal. This article was originally published by Think Africa Press. All rights reserved. Reposted with permission. Last December, as negotiations dragged on between the Nigerien government and the French state-owned mining company #Areva over royalties, the latter suddenly stopped production. At the time, Niger had been demanding a better deal for its uranium for over a year and (...)

#Investigations

/ Niger, #France, Areva, #Extractive_Industries, #Nuclear_Energy, #Extractive_Industries, #extractive_industries, #influence, environmental (...)

#environmental_impact
« ▻http://thinkafricapress.com/niger/vive-la-francafrique-nuclear-colonialism-uranium-areva »
« ▻http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ZVlzpwjhGqgC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Politics+of+francophone »
« ▻http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02589000120104035?journalCode=cjca20%23.UvTbCHd_t8c »
« ▻http://mitpress.mit.edu/books/being-nuclear »
« ▻http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=M1ADcyrp9mEC&pg=PA171&lpg=PA171&dq=France+and+the+New+Imper »
« ▻http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/ROHO/projects/debt/oilcrisis.html »
« ▻http://thinkafricapress.com/ivory-coast/felix-houphouet-boigny-ivory-coasts-father-independence »

Large-scale coal mining backed by French bank #Société_générale threatens the Great Barrier Reef
▻http://www.multinationales.org/Large-scale-coal-mining-backed-by

Northeastern #Australia's enormous coal deposits attract interest from all directions. Nine huge mining projects are underway in Queensland – along with train tracks and freight terminals, CO2 emissions by the millions, and a vital threat to the coastline’s unique world heritage site: the Great Barrier Reef. A French bank, Société Générale is in charge of advising investors for the most advanced of these mining project, Alpha Coal. This article was originally published in French. Translation : Guy (...)

#News

/ Australia, Société générale, #Energy, #Extractive_Industries, #Extractive_Industries, #Finance_and_Banking, #environmental_impact, #corporate_social_responsibility, #greenhouse_gas, #biodiversity, #climate_change, extractive (...)

#extractive_industries
►http://www.prix-pinocchio.org
▻http://rse.societegenerale.com/accueil/environnement-achats/politique-environnementale/bilan-de-la-strategie-carbone-2008-2012
►http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/Global/australia/images/2012/Climate/Galillee_Report.pdf