Foundation News

Pollution plumes from coal and other dirty fossil fuels know no nation-state boundaries. That’s why The Sierra Club Foundation, working with Sierra Club’s International program, is making targeted grants to partner organizations in countries where the threats of coal and fossil fuel development are increasing. With strategic local funding, The Foundation aims to strengthen the international coal movement, catalyze larger investments by emerging international coal funders, and build support for clean energy solutions in the developed and developing worlds.

We are excited to share with you this story from the International Climate Program about recent gains in our international coal fight:

First it was President Obama, standing before the American people at Georgetown University in June, telling us that it was time to act on climate. As one of the pillars of the climate action plan, President Obama pledged to end public financing for coal projects overseas, except in very specific situations. This was later backed up by a declaration by the Treasury Department.

Next, five Nordic countries came out with a similar plan, calling for an end to throwing money away on dangerous coal projects.

Multilateral development banks were the next to announce that they would no longer be investing in coal projects overseas. The World Bank released its new energy strategy, and then the European Investment Bank piggybacked. Just like dominoes, public support for coal has been falling all across the world.

We found out that the UK’s public financing for coal is the next domino to teeter over. At the Warsaw Climate Change Conference (COP 19), UK climate secretary Ed Davey announced that the UK would end international financing for coal projects except in exceptional circumstances.

This is a bad sign for coal but a great sign for our health, our climate, and our planet. Burning coal emits toxic pollution into the air that leads to health problems like asthma and cancer. It also releases toxic mercury that rains down onto rivers and streams and contaminates the fish that we eat. Coal burning is also responsible for nearly one-third of U.S. carbon emissions—the air pollution that is the main contributor to climate disruption.

This is worth celebrating, and it is not the last domino to fall. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, another multilateral development bank, should be the next to change its energy strategy and cut off spending on dangerous coal projects. It has become clear that coal is not a sound or safe investment, and finally we’re putting our money where our mouth is.

-- Justin Guay, Sierra Club's International Climate Program