Our Demands
Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) such as the World Bank manage billions of dollars of public money. They have a mandate to support our futures and shift to a sustainable, renewable global energy system. As major funders of fossil fuels and climate destruction, these Banks have a responsibility to lead the way on phasing out fossil fuels and shifting investment to sustainable renewable energy.
Multilateral Development Banks must:
- Phase out all direct and indirect finance to fossil fuels, including fossil gas, and promote a just transition away from fossil fuels.
- Promote 100% renewable energy future and ensure everyone has access to clean, sustainable, safe energy.
- Establish strong environmental, social, human rights and governance safeguards for the phase out of fossil fuels and the transition to renewable energy including - Full Prior Informed Consent with local communities.
- Be transparent and accountable about direct and indirect energy finance, the impacts of investments and in measuring emissions from the projects they fund.
Together, we demand the world's development banks shift their money out of dirty fossil fuels and into just renewable energy systems that are accessible for all.
Multilateral Development Banks, such as the World Bank, manage billions in public funds that should be used to help communities and countries develop.
But while they talk about helping the world, they continue to invest in dirty fossil fuel projects destroying our planet in front of our eyes, poisoning the air we breathe and polluting the water we drink.
They claim they’ll stop investing in fossil fuels, yet they continue to find hidden, indirect ways to finance them. They say they're meeting climate goals by investing in "natural" gas, but we know gas is still a fossil fuel.
We know a better future for our energy is possible, one that breaks free from the damaging structures of the past. With one billion people living without access to electricity, the time is now to shift to investing in clean, community-led renewable energy that is accessible for all.
These banks should be accountable to the people, and it’s time we made our voices heard. We won’t let them distract and delay any longer, join us in demanding public banks spend our money on solutions today.
Who we are:
Big Shift is a global campaign coordinated by groups from the Global South and North. Bringing people’s voices from the ground to those in power at Multilateral Development Banks, including Executive Directors, as well as the Heads of State and Finance Ministers in member countries.
Countries from across the world have pledged to rapidly phase-out fossil fuels and scale-up a just and equitable transition to renewable energy but people are experiencing devastation from the climate crisis now. As the World Bank and other MDBs continue to finance new fossil fuel projects further contributing to the devastation impacting communities. Enough is enough. We can’t keep letting the big development banks talk about climate action while funding climate destruction behind-the-scenes.
Investing in renewable energy is crucial for improving the lives of the one billion people around the world who don’t have access to electricity. MDBs must ensure investments in renewable energy provide affordable, secure and sustainable energy for the poorest communities, benefiting local businesses and households.
We are therefore calling on the world's biggest public banks to shift their money out of dirty fossil fuels and into sustainable, renewable energy to ensure energy access and benefit the most vulnerable and remote communities. This would improve the lives of people all around the world.
Watch our shirt film to find out more information about the impact these projects have on communities across the world.
Our demands
Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) such as the World Bank manage billions of dollars of public money. They have a mandate to support the shift to a sustainable, renewable global energy system. As major funders of fossil fuels and climate destruction these Banks have a responsibility to lead the way on phasing out fossil fuels and shifting investment to sustainable renewable energy.
Multilateral Development Banks must:
- Phase out all direct and indirect finance to fossil fuels including fossil gas and promote a just transition away from fossil fuels.
- Promote 100% renewable energy future and ensure everyone has access to clean, sustainable, safe energy.
- Include strong environmental, social, human rights and governance safeguards for the phase out of fossil fuels and the transition to renewable energy including - Full Prior Informed Consent with local communities.
- Be transparent and accountable about direct and indirect energy finance, the impacts of investments and in measuring emissions from the projects they fund.
The following organisations are supporting this initiative: 11.11.11, 350.org, Abibiman Foundation, ACCESS Coalition, ACT Alliance, Africa Coal Network, Africa Coalition for Sustainable Energy & Access (ACSEA), African Climate Reality Project, Arab Watch Coalition Asia Climate Change Consortium (ACCC), Bank Climate Advocates, Bank Information Centre, Both Ends, The Bretton Woods Project, CEDLA, Center for Earth Ethics, Centro Humboldt, Climate Action Network (CAN), Counter Balance, Christian Aid, Church World Service (CWS), Fossil Free South Africa, Gender Action, Global Catholic Climate Movement, Grupo de Financiamiento Climático para América Latina y el Caribe (GFLAC), GreenFaith, FEMAPO, Friends of the Earth US, Fundación Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, Inclusive Develpment International, Jeunes Volontaires pour l’Environnement (JVE), Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns (MOGC), Oil Change International, the Natural Resources Defense Council, NGO Forum on ADB, Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ), Power Shift Africa, re-course, Reclaim Power, Season of Creation, Sierra Club, Solutions for Our Climate, Stand.Earth, Strategic Youth Network for Development, SustainUS, Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, Tearfund, The Energy Mix, Vasudha Foundation, Urgewald and World Future Council.
Research Partners: E3G, Germanwatch, New Climate Institute
