US, South Korea, and Japan fail to follow suit
The European Union, the United Kingdom, and Canada are ready to be climate leaders by proposing phasing out fossil fuel finance through Export Credit Agencies at the OECD. This move reflects a commitment to aligning public financing with climate goals and the urgent need to transition to clean energy.
Over 250 organizations from 30 countries call on governments to support fellow OECD members’ efforts to end oil and gas export finance at OECD meeting on 6 November 2023.Â
Today, 27 environmental and civil society organizations from Papua New Guinea, the Asia Pacific region and the United States submitted a letter to the U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIM) urging it to oppose support for the Category A Papua liquefied natural gas project.Â
Instead of ending oil and gas finance, the OECD has enacted new public financial incentives for the fossil fuel industry, including for hydrogen and ammonia created from fossil gas, as part of its new “climate-friendly” incentives for Export Credit Agencies (ECAs).
New analysis by Oil Change International shows that OECD countries supported fossil fuel exports by an average of $41 billion from 2018 to 2020, almost five times more than clean energy exports. This directly contradicts internationally agreed climate goals, including the Paris Agreement objective to align financial flows with the low-carbon energy transition.
New research shows that Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries supported fossil fuel exports by an average of USD 41 billion from 2018-2020, almost five times more than clean energy exports ($8.5 billion).
The OECD has adopted a new list of âclimate-friendlyâ projects that will benefit from preferential financial terms for export support. But a number of projects are poorly defined, potentially allowing for preferential financial incentives for export credit agency investments in gas.
Last week, OECD countries failed to conclude negotiations on climate friendly incentives to align Export Credit Agencies, the worldâs largest international financiers of fossil fuels, with international climate goals.
175+ organizations call on the OECD to end oil and gas finance. As a first step towards this objective, an OECD member must table a proposal to prohibit oil and gas support at next weekâs OECD meeting.
This joint position launched by 175 civil society organisations from 45 countries calls on world leaders to end OECD export finance for oil and gas, and explains how it can be done.
