Development Issues

United Nations criticises Indonesia’s response to Forests and Climate Change:

Kailash — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 12:12:49 +0100

In a statement made public on 18 March 2009, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination strongly criticises Indonesia for failing to respect indigenous peoples’ rights in relation to oil palm plantations. Oil palm converts existing forests into plantations, in part for the production of biofuels, a process that has resulted in massive forest loss in Indonesia. The Committee also raised concerns about a draft regulation on Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD).

The Anchorage Declaration

Kailash — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:40:46 +0100

From 20-24 April, 2009, Indigenous representatives from the Arctic, North America, Asia, Pacific, Latin America, Africa, Caribbean and Russia met in Anchorage, Alaska for the Indigenous Peoples’ Global Summit on Climate Change. We thank the Ahtna and the Dena’ina Athabascan Peoples in whose lands we gathered.

We express our solidarity as Indigenous Peoples living in areas that are the most vulnerable to the impacts and root causes of climate change.

Christians hold mining companies to account at their AGMs

Kailash — Mon, 10 May 2010 11:22:09 +0100

London Mining Network member groups — including Christian ethical investment watchdogs, such as the Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility (ECCR) – were well represented at last week’s London AGMs of mining giants Rio Tinto and Anglo-American. At the Rio Tinto AGM on 15 April, they were able to raise a number of concerns, from the health impacts of uranium mining in Namibia to indigenous rights undermined in many Rio Tinto mining projects.

Amazon Indigenous Leaders Bringing Lessons for Coping With Oil Disasters to Native Residents of U.S. Gulf Coast

Kailash — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 09:21:24 +0100

Amazon Indigenous Leaders Bringing Lessons for Coping With Oil Disasters to Native Residents of U.S. Gulf Coast
Monday, June 28, 2010 | Chevron in Ecuador Blog
Four very different people arrived last night in New Orleans on a late flight from Quito, Ecuador. One is a quiet but fierce 71-year-old grandmother with 27 grandchildren. Another is a gentle, soft-spoken man who is a leader of his Indigenous tribe from the Amazon. Another is a serious and sober man who has won worldwide acclaim for his unique work.

Concessions and counter attack mark Anglo American AGM

Kailash — Tue, 31 May 2011 10:23:05 +0100

It wasn’t all prevarication and pro-crastination at last week’s annual general meeting of London’s third biggest miner, Anglo American.

In response to several law suits and increasing trade union and civil society pressure (as well as press coverage) it announced that it would “assist” former miners who were dying of silicosis caused by their operations.

The Newly Revised IFC Performance Standards -Guidance on Implementation by Equator Principles Association members

Kailash — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 10:57:19 +0100

The Newly Revised IFC Perfomance Standards -Guidance on Implementation by Equator Principles Association members from 1 January 2012
http://www.equator-principles.com/index.php/all-ep-association-news/254-...
7 December 2011
The IFC has updated its Sustainability Framework, which includes the newly revised Performance Standards, and the IFC will be applying them from 1 January 2012.

USA & Canada: Activist groups sue over border pipeline

whit — Mon, 17 Nov 2014 14:00:12 +0000

Tribal and environmental groups alleged the State Department should not have approved a temporary pipeline change allowing more Canadian oil to flow into Minnesota.

Tribal and environmental groups have sued the U.S. State Department for approving a temporary plan by a Canadian pipeline company to increase the flow of heavy crude oil from Alberta into Minnesota before a federal environmental study is finished.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in U.S.