black and white pictures of oil, gas and coalproduction
Urgewald in English

Commercial banks still deep into coal

Money and coal

With our new website "Still Banking On Coal" we show: In the last three years the global banking industry provided US$470 billion to our climate's worst enemy. 

Who We Are & What We Do

Urgewald is a non-profit environmental and human rights organization. It is based in Sassenberg, a small town in western Germany, and it also runs an office in Berlin. For 25 years, Urgewald has been fighting against environmental destruction and for the rights of people harmed by corporate profit interests. During these 25 years, Urgewald has evolved from a small group of people to a powerful organization. 

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Press Releases

On our overview page you can find all latest media information on Urgewald's research and campaigns in English.

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U.S. Donations to Urgewald

Urgewald is equivalent to a U.S. public charity. We have completed an Equivalency Determination process with NGOsource. NGOsource certifies EDs for U.S. grantmakers, so the grantmaker can meet their tax compliance requirements and give to our NGO with fewer restrictions. Download our recent certificate.

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The depth of analysis conducted by Heffa Schuecking and her team is superb.

Tom Sanzillo, Director of Finance, IEEFA institute
Huge Campaign Success

Norway to Divest €5 Billion from Coal Giants like Glencore and RWE

On June 12, 2019, the Norwegian Parliament has voted in favor of the government’s proposal to tighten the coal exclusion criteria of Norway’s Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG), Europe’s largest sovereign wealth fund. The decision followed a longstanding campaign by Urgewald an Norwegian partners. According to research by Urgewald and Framtiden i våre hender (FIVH), this affects 8 coal companies that will be divested. The NGOs estimate the volume of the new divestment action to total €5.1 billion. The Pension Fund has now adopted 2 of the 3 coal exclusion criteria Urgewald put forward in 2015.

World Bank Undermines Paris Climate Treaty!

Kind am Wasserbrunnen vor dem Kohlekraftwerk Kusile, Südafrika

The World Bank has repeatedly and fully pointed out that it will adopt the Paris goals and contribute to reducing greenhouse gases. But, the analyses of Urgewald's Senior Adviser Heike Mainhardt shows a different picture: In the last five financial years, World Bank financing for fossil energies has been more than twice as high (12 billion US dollars) as for renewable energies (5 billion US dollars, excluding large hydropower).

How We Expose Climate's Worst Enemies & Change the Finance Industry

We all know the coal industry is the number one driver of climate change, damages peoples’ health and destroys the environment. But do we really know which companies belong to the industry? And more importantly, do banks and investors know? From our portfolio analyses and in-depth discussions with many major banks and insurers, we have reached the conclusion that financial institutions systematically underestimate their holdings in the coal industry. To address this blind spot, we have developed a unique divestment tool: The Global Coal Exit List (GCEL). 

How We Work for Better Multilateral Development Banks

The purpose of international development banks is to eliminate or reduce poverty, while protecting the environment. However, this is precisely where they often fail. What is wrong with them? How can NGOs like Urgewald change the way they are allocating their funds? A look behind the scenes of development finance, disastrous projects and the fight of NGOs for stronger standards.

Kontakt

    Bild Anprechpartner   Dr. Ognyan Seizov

    Dr. Ognyan Seizov
    International Communications Director
    ognyan.seizov [at] urgewald.org
    +49 (0)30 863 2922-61

    Bild Anprechpartner   Denis Schimmelpfennig

    Denis Schimmelpfennig
    Digital Communication Director
    denis [at] urgewald.org
    +49 (0)30 863 29 22-62

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