Asia – On July 10th, 350.org Asia launched Connecting the Dots, a new investigative storytelling report that exposes the devastating impacts of fossil fuel finance in Asia. The digital book features accounts from communities in Indonesia, Bangladesh and the Philippines who have suffered at the hands of coal developers and the financial institutions that fund them.
Norly Mercado, 350.org Asia Regional Director says:
“Asia has been called the battleground for resistance against dirty energy. Across the continent, communities continue to rise up against climate-destroying fossil fuels and those that fund them. These stories are the stark reality of what fossil fuel finance pays for in Asia, and it exposes the terrible system that puts profit over people. But that system can become a thing of the past, and we can create a future built on clean, equitable renewable energy. It will mean we shift this money away from the coal and gas plants they are currently funding, and into the clean energy projects that our communities demand.”
The case studies expose a myriad of health, economic and environmental impacts that arose from fossil fuel developments, and connect them back to financial institutions in Japan and the rest of the world. Four investigative journalists captured these stories showcasing the impacts of coal power plants on these communities. These communities continue to resist the fossil fuel industry’s greed and dirty tactics to this day.
Raminih, resident of Mekarsari Village in Indramayu, Indonesia says:
“Before the Indramayu 1 Coal Power Plant, I could harvest the vegetables on the farm and eat them right away, or I could cook them in the kitchen at ease. Now, most of the plants are dead. Vegetables that can survive the dust can’t be eaten right away as they need to be cleaned thoroughly. If not, they can be contaminated with poisonous dust from the coal power plant,”
Masayoshi Iyoda, 350.org Japan Campaigner says:
“Loopholes in Japanese megabanks’ climate finance policies are extending fossil fuel addiction and climate colonialism across Asia, locking the planet further into climate catastrophe. Japan has the opportunity to lead the Asia energy transition, but this means both public and private financiers must cut the flow of money to fossil fuel projects and other delaying tactics such as ammonia/hydrogen co-firing with fossils, carbon capture and storage. This report exposes the devastation that the Japanese yen is wreaking across Asia, and I hope to see Japan instead divert this money to community-led renewable energy that protects the health, livelihoods and homes of all Asians.”
The report is available for download here with accompanying multimedia assets here.
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Media Contact
Drue Slatter
drue.slatter@350.org
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