Brazilian environmental NGOs depend heavily on corporate money
▻http://news.mongabay.com/2015/12/brazilian-environmental-ngos-depend-heavily-on-corporate-money
The tragedy that struck Minas Gerais in early November caused by the rupture of two dams controlled by the Samarco mining company brings us to an uncomfortable fact: Vale S.A., one of the owners of Samarco — along with BHP Billington — also funds various environmental NGOs in Brazil.
As the third largest mining company in the world, in 2009 it created Fundo Vale, a nonprofit association that “seeks to connect institutions and initiatives for sustainable development,” according to Fundo Vale’s website.
But this type of association also begs the question: is it a conflict-of-interest for environmental NGOs — which, in principle, fight for the preservation of nature — to receive contributions from mining companies, which by their very nature, can cause negative impacts on the environment?
According to the Fundo Vale Activity Report, between 2009 and 2014 the nonprofit invested more than $30 million in environmental projects by 25 organizations in seven Amazonian states throughout Brazil. Out of this total, 90% was donated by Vale S.A. and 10% by Companhia Portuária da Baía de Sepetiba (CPBS).