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 and set a gold standard for other banks to aspire to.
Explore our case studies to find out more information on 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 fuel and high carbon intensity industries.
- 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
