Divest from destructive Rampal coal businesses, groups urge global investors

Mangrove forest in the Sundarbans. Photo: Mohammad Rakibul Hasan

Press release 7th of April 2017

During the current visit of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh to India, investors in the potential financiers of, and the company behind the planned Rampal coal power plant in Bangladesh are being urged to disinvest from the project by over 70 non-governmental organizations.

Non-governmental organisations from around the world today expressed their concerns in a joint letter to banks and investors with links to the different entities that are aiming to construct the proposed Rampal coal-fired power plant, which presents a major threat to the ecological integrity of the world’s largest mangrove forest, the Sundarbans in Bangladesh, as well as to the health and livelihoods of millions of local people.

The 1320 megawatt Rampal coal plant project has been proposed by the Bangladesh India Friendship Power Company, and if completed, would be co-managed by the National Thermal Power Corporation of India (NTPC) and debt financed by India’s Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank.

“Investors with funds in NTPC or who hold India Ex-Im bonds must wake up to the Rampal threat and withdraw from climate-hazardous coal based energy projects, rather investing in renewable solar power instead,” said Amanda Tas from the NGO, Protect the Forest. “We also hope that this message gets through to the Prime Ministers of Bangladesh and India, who are hoping to expand their cooperative relationship. They must realize that burning coal is not an acceptable option, and that protecting the Sundarbans is not negotiable.”

Read the letter here.

The letter to the investors is supported by the following NGOs:
Abibiman Foundation, Ghana
AMIHAN National Federation of Peasant Women, Philippines
Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD), Asia Pacific
BankTrack, International
Biofuelwatch, UK/USA
Botswana Climate Change Network, Botswana
Friends of the Earth, Bosnia and Herzegovina
CHAUKATH voluntary network of feminists, Nepal
Climate Action Network, International
Climate Litigation Network, Transnational
Conservatree, USA
Cordillera Women’s Education Action Research Center (CWEARC), Philippines
Cultures of Resistance Network Foundation
EcoNexus, UK
Ecoropa, Germany
Feminist League, Kazakhstan
Forum Environment and Development, Germany
Forum for Nature Protection NGO, Nepal
Foundation for GAIA, International
Fragile Planet Earth, South Africa
Friends of the Earth US, USA
Friends of the Siberian Forests, Russia
Friends of the Tamar Valley, UK
Nature and Youth, Sweden
GenderCC – Women for Climate Justice e.V., International
Genethics Foundation, Netherlands
Global Environment Centre, Malaysia
Global Forest Coalition, International
Green IT. Uruguay
Greenpeace Russia
Grupo Para o Desenvolvimento da Mulher e Rapariga, Mozambique
IBON International
ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability – Africa, South Africa
Institute for Planetary Synthesis, Switzerland
Janabhivyakti, India
Japan Tiger and Elephant Fund, Japan
Japan Tropical Forest Action Network (JATAN), Japan
Friends of the Earth, Sweden
Klimataktion Stockholm, Sweden
Korea Federation for Environmental Movements, Korea
Michael Underwood Agroforestry Associates Africa, South Africa
Mom Loves Taiwan Association, Taiwan
National Indigenous Women Forum, Nepal
NCA-Afghanistan, Afghanistan
New Wind Association, Finland
Next Big Thing Movement, Inc, USA
Oil Change International
Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), USA
Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (EMPOWER), Malaysia
Planetary Association for Clean Energy (PACE), Canada
Protect the Forest, Sweden
PUSH Sweden
Quercus- National Association for Nature Conservation, Portugal
Rainbow Eco-Farm and Training Center NPO, South Africa
Re-nourish, USA
Rettet den Regenwald, Germany
Rewild, South Africa
Rutale Development Association, Africa Students for a Just and Stable Future, USA
SustainUS, USA
Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, Sweden
Tanzania Youth Coalition, Tanzania
TFINS, India
Thanal, India
The Endangered Wildlife Trust, South Africa
Timberwatch Coalition, South Africa
WECF Women Engage for a Common Future, International
Wildlife Impact, USA
Women’s Environment & Development Organization (WEDO), International
World Heritage International, Netherlands
YouthNet for Climate Justice, Banglades

Contact
Amanda Tas,
Protect the Forest, Sweden
Email: amanda.tas@skyddaskogen.se
Phone: +46 (0) 73 5860099

Wally Menne,
Timberwatch Coalition, South Africa
Email: plantnet@iafrica.com
Mobile: +27 (0) 82 4442083

7 Apr, 2017
Posted in Defending Rights, Press releases, Forests and Climate Change