HSBC’s coal power policy, released at its April 2018 AGM, boldly states it will not finance new coal-fired power plants, with some exceptions. It will still finance projects in Bangladesh, Vietnam and Indonesia, with further limits on the carbon intensity and financial close dates of the projects. The countries HSBC … Read More
Major banks are failing Vietnam by violating Equator Principles commitments in financing coal power projects
2018 The Equator Principles (EPs) are a global set of voluntary standards that financial institutions sign on to – so that in financing large scale projects, they don’t harm people and the environment. Market Forces, working with Vietnamese community organisations and other international NGOs, has found that EP signatory banks … Read More
WIN! Standard Chartered rules out new coal…. everywhere!
25 September 2018 Standard Chartered bank today updated its policy on lending to power generation, ruling out new coal power plants anywhere in the world. It confirmed the bank would no longer directly finance “any new coal-fired power plant projects, including expansions, in any location”. This marks a massive shift … Read More
Bloomberg News: These three coal plants might not get Japan funds under new rules
Market Forces in the media By Chisaki Watanabe, Bloomberg News August 28, 2018 Asia, Africa projects fall short of guidelines: Market Forces Japanese banks have committed to funding less coal generation Three coal-fired power plants under consideration in Vietnam, Botswana and Mongolia supported by Japanese banks probably wouldn’t be eligible … Read More
Ad urging Standard Chartered to stop funding dirty coal published across Asia
23 August 2018 Today, with the help of community donors and partner organisations, Market Forces published a full-page advertisement in the Financial Times Asia, urging Standard Chartered Bank to stop funding new coal-fired power plants. Click here to email Standard Chartered urging them to stop lending money to new coal Copies … Read More
Media release: Japanese Banks under international fire over Vietnamese coal finance
Tuesday 13 March 2018 An international coalition of civil society organisations has written to SMBC, Mizuho and MUFG, warning of the risks associated with financing the 1,200MW Nghi Son 2 coal-fired power plant in Thanh Hoa province, Vietnam. The project is sponsored by Marubeni and the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO). SMBC, … Read More
Media release: Standard Chartered breaches own climate change commitment, funds coal plant in Vietnam
Friday 9 February 2018 The London-based bank Standard Chartered is reportedly in line to co-finance the planned 1,200MW Nghi Son 2 coal-fired power plant in Thanh Hoa province, Vietnam. It is understood that the sponsors of the plant are seeking to finalise key financial agreements by the end of March … Read More
The financial backers of Vietnam’s latest 3 power stations
Reuters is reporting that, with Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc preparing to visit Japan, licences will be awarded on three proposed new coal-fired power stations that would be heavily backed by Japanese funding. The article does not name the plants, but Market Forces is aware that the three mentioned are Namh … Read More
ANZ’s coal policy. Weak, but at least effective!
28 February 2017 In October 2015, ANZ published a new Energy Policy with a carbon emission threshold to “ensure we only support new coal fired power plants that use advanced technologies and higher quality coal to significantly reduce emissions to at least 0.8 tC02/MWh”. Two months later, it was announced that … Read More