Home › Our work › Themes we work on

Social and economic impacts

Projects funded by international financial institutions can often have very negative impacts on individuals and communities, on the climate, on biodiversity and natural habitats.

In our work, we come across numerous examples but have to focus our work on the most damaging ones.

We have also collected some examples for each institution online to illustrate the need for radical changes in the way these institutions prioritise and implement their work.

For instance:

 

 

Search 'Social & economic impacts' projects by

Kolubara lignite mine, Serbia

Linked to a slew of controversies, the Kolubara lignite mine in Serbia will receive loans from European public banks. Corruption allegations, pollution at local level, irregularities in resettlement of local populations and not to forget a climate damaging approach to energy investments should be reason enough to find alternatives to lignite mining.

EBRD
Energy & climate
Social & economic impacts
Mining boom in Mongolia

With huge amounts of unexploited natural resources (gold, copper, coal and more) the Mongolian economy is estimated to grow massively in the years to come. But will it also benefit the people in Mongolia? Or will environmental damages and disruptions of traditional lifestyles prevail?

EBRD
Energy & climate
Social & economic impacts
Other harmful projects
Nabucco gas pipeline

The Nabucco pipeline project is based on the idea to bring Caspian or Middle Eastern gas through Turkey to the EU. Its planned route is 3300 kilometres long with an estimated construction cost of almost EUR 8 billion.

EBRD
EIB
World Bank Group
Energy & climate
Social & economic impacts
Other harmful projects
ArcelorMittal Temirtau, Kazakhstan

In 2007, ArcelorMittal (AM) received a loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to support further improvements of health and safety practices in its mining complex ArcelorMittal Temirtau (AMT).

ArcelorMittal’s success in securing yet another loan by a public finance institution contrasts starkly with the shortcomings of the previous AMT improvement project that was supported by the EBRD and the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

Bankwatch, the Center for Introduction of New Environmentally Safe Technologies in Kazakhstan and the coalition Global Action on ArcelorMittal (GAAM) have called for greater transparency and participation in project planning and implementation and for more scrutiny by the EBRD to ensure the effectiveness of activities financed by its loans.

EBRD
World Bank Group
Social & economic impacts
Other harmful projects
Mining
Kumtor Gold Mine, Kyrgyzstan

The Kumtor open pit gold mine is located in a majestic surrounding in the Kyrgyzstan mountains. It receives continued support by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, despite several accidents in the past and ongoing environmental damages from the mining operations.

EBRD
World Bank Group
Social & economic impacts
Other harmful projects
Mining
ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine

ArcelorMittal's enormous steel mill in southern Ukraine received a loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in 2006 that helped the company increase productivity and expand its market position but didn't do much to address the pollution caused by the mill.

EBRD
Energy & climate
Social & economic impacts
Mining
Steel giant ArcelorMittal

ArcelorMittal is the largest steel company in the world, producing approximately 8 per cent of the world’s steel output. But the cost of its success has largely been paid by the people living and working near the company’s plants, because of the ArcelorMittal's frequent disregard for the environment and fair labour practices.

EBRD
EIB
Energy & climate
Social & economic impacts
Other harmful projects
Gazela Bridge rehabilitation, Belgrade, Serbia

The resettlement of about 170 predominantly Roma families that lived below the Gazela Bridge in Belgrade, Serbia is part of a wider project for the reconstruction of a bridge across the River Sava. Although the project is backed by European public money, donor requirements to follow World Bank Group resettlement standards have for a long time been ignored by Belgrade City Council.

EBRD
EIB
Social & economic impacts
Chelopech cyanide gold project, Bulgaria

The Chelopech cyanide mining project was proposed by the Canadian company Dundee Precious Metals (DPM) and its Bulgarian branch Chelopech Mining. It would have expanded metal extraction in the Chelopech gold and copper mine in Central Bulgaria through the introduction of cyanide leaching.

EBRD
Social & economic impacts
Other harmful projects
Tbilisi Railway Bypass Project, Georgia

In order to improve the efficiency and safety of rail operations within the city of Tbilisi the EBRD together with the EIB is considering a loan of over EUR 290 million for the Tbilisi Railway Bypass Project. The main goal of the project to avoid the transit of hazardous freight (such as oil and oil products) through the middle of the city, but there are several deep concerns that undermine the project goals and cause a serious threat to Tbilisi’s population.

EBRD
EIB
Transport
Social & economic impacts


 

Connect with us online

Facebook   Twitter   YouTube   RSS feed