The letter - Oil Change International

April 26, 2007The Honorable Nancy PelosiSpeaker of the HouseUnited States House of RepresentativesWashington, DC 20515Dear Speaker Pelosi:We, the undersigned representatives of development, environmental, human rights, community, andindigenous rights groups around the world, commend you for your work to repeal tax breaks and othergiveaways benefiting Big Oil. In addition to the domestic subsidies that H.R. 6, the CLEAN Energy Act of2007, eliminated, oil companies benefit from billions of dollars in project-specific and structural assistancefrom international financial institutions and export and development agencies. As you continue charting anew path for energy policy in the 110 th Congress, we urge you to work to eliminate this international “oilaid.”Your leadership in Congress led to the passage of the 1989 “Pelosi Amendment,” which was enacted as partof the International Development and Finance Act of 1989 and prevents the U.S. executive director at theWorld Bank from voting to approve any project that would have a significant impact on the environmentunless an environmental assessment is made publicly available.Your amendment was a critical step toward accountability and sustainability and communities around theworld continue to benefit from it. We are writing today to ask you again for your leadership on internationaldevelopment policy.The World Bank’s Extractive Industries Review—a two-year, multi-stakeholder process that evaluated theenvironmental and development impacts of international oil projects—recommended in 2003 that “the WorldBank Group should phase out investments in oil production by 2008 and devote its scarce resources toinvestments in renewable energy resource development.” Although the World Bank has ignored this centralrecommendation of its own report, we wish to underscore it with you, and we respectfully request that theUnited States formally back this shift in funding priorities as part of your commitment to fighting poverty,climate change, and corporate welfare.The U.S.-funded World Bank Group has provided more than $5 billion to oil extraction projects since 1992,while devoting only five percent of its energy budget to clean, renewable energy sources. Moreover, in theoil sector, 82 percent of the World Bank's approved finance goes to projects that export to the North. Theseprojects are not about alleviating energy poverty – they are about corporate welfare for Big Oil and feedingoil addiction in the U.S. and Europe.U.S. export credit agencies are also providing substantial subsidies to the oil sector. Since 1995, the Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im) has provided $9.8 billion in financing for international oil projects such as oil and gasextraction projects and pipelines, and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) has provided $5.41

illion in such financing. During that period, Exxon Mobil received a combined $972 million in financingfrom Ex-Im and OPIC, Chevron Texaco received a combined $475 million from the two agencies, and BPhas received a combined $157 million in financing. These projects fuel global warming, encourage oildependence, and increase conflict and poverty around the world.Oil companies are benefiting from this “oil aid” at the same time that they register record profits. Asindependent research has increasingly indicated, the oil industry is hindering, not promoting, development inpoor countries, sinking oil-producing countries deeper into poverty and economic inequality. Continued oildependence has a distorting impact on the world’s poorest countries at a time of high oil prices, therebyundermining the benefits of debt cancellation and harming the very countries that international institutionslike the World Bank should be helping.Ending oil aid and focusing on supporting truly sustainable energy alternatives would be an important step inaddressing energy poverty and catalyzing new renewable energy. As Congress acts to repeal tax breaks andother handouts for oil companies, we hope that you will also work to end international assistance to Big Oil.Sincerely,Nii Akuetteh, Africa Action, USANancy Alexander, Globalization Challenge Initiative, USATom Athanasiou, EcoEquity, USARaya Ariella, Climate Crisis CoalitionNikhil Aziz, Grassroots International, USAManish Bapna, Bank Information Center, USADiana Bohn, Nicaragua Center for Community Action, USAMike Brune, Rainforest Action Network, USABrian Concannon Jr., Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti, USAMichael Cox, California Student Sustainability Coalition, USAKira Christie, Americans for Informed Democracy, USACharlie Cray, Center for Corporate PolicyKevin Danaher, Global Citizen Center, USAMarie Dennis, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, USASameer Dossani, 50 Years Is Enough: U.S. Network for Global Economic Justice, USABeatrice Edwards, Government Accountability Project, USAAl Gedicks, Center for Alternative Mining Development Policy, USADavid Gordon, Pacific Environment, USAEthan Green, Rising Tide North America, USAChristine Halvorson, Rainforest Foundation, USAWenonah Hauter, Food & Water Watch, USADouglas Hellinger, Development Group for Alternative Policies, USAValerie Heinonen, Dominican Sisters of Hope, Sisters of Mercy Regional Community of Detroit, andUrsuline Sisters of Tildonk-U.S. Province, USADerrick Hindery, USC School of Policy, Planning and Development, USAPaul Joffe, National Wildlife Federation, USASteve Kretzmann and Graham Saul, Oil Change International, USAOrin Langelle, Global Justice Ecology Project, USADenny Larson, Global Community Monitor, USALeslie Lowe, Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, USALillian Manzella, EarthRights International, USAMichael Mariotte, Nuclear Information and Resource Service, USAJoan Mencher, Second Chance Foundation, USA2

Stephen Mills, Sierra Club, USAAnuradha Mittal, The Oakland Institute, USAKirsten Moller, Global Exchange, USASr. Ann Oestreich, Sisters of the Holy Cross, Congregation Justice Committee, USADiana Oleskevich, Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, USAPaula Palmer, Global Response, USAJuan Parras and Bryan Parra, Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (t.e.j.a.s), USATheresa Polk, Columban Justice, Peace & Integrity of Creation Office, USAAlfredo Quarto, Mangrove Action Project, USAÁlvaro J. de Regil, The Jus Semper Global Alliance, USAKathleen Rogers, Earth Day Network, USAAnne Rolfes, Louisiana Bucket Brigade, USASister Annette M. Sinagra, Adrian Dominican Sisters, USAAlice Slater, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, USAAtossa Soltani, Amazon Watch, USATrevor Stevenson and Juanita Cabrera-Lopez, Amazon Alliance, USATamarah Tilos, Filipino/American Coalition for Environmental Solidarity, USAMary Turgi, CSC - Holy Cross International Justice Office, USANathalie Walker & Monique Harden, Advocates for Environmental Human Rights, USADavid Waskow, Friends of the Earth US, USANeil Watkins, Jubilee USA Network, USAKate Watters, Crude Accountability, USARobert Weissman, Essential Action, USAAlice Woldt, Jubilee NW Coalition, USAJamye Wooten, Kinetics-Faith in Motion, Inc., USADaphne Wysham, Institute for Policy Studies, USAElaine Zuckerman, Gender Action, USAOrganizations from – or with member groups in – areas where US bilateral and multilateral foreignassistance is active:Yakubu Zakaria, Grassroots Africa, GhanaDilbar Zainutdinova, Center "Armon", UzbekistanJiten Yumnam, Forum for Indigenous Perspectives and Action, IndiaSujin Yim, Citizens' Movement for Environmental Justice/Youth for Climate Justice, South KoreaLuis Yanza, Asamblea de Afectados por Texaco-Ecuador, EcuadorIvonne Yanez, Oilwatch South America, EcuadorShailendra Yashwant, Greenpeace Southeast Asia, ThailandRichard Worthington, Earthlife Africa, South AfricaEtiosa Uyigue, Community Research and Development Centre (CREDC), NigeriaDavid Ugolor, African Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), NigeriaAshraf ul Alam Tutu, Coastal Development Partnership (CDP), BangladeshCarolina Amaya Tobar, Unidad Ecologica Salvadoreña, El SalvadorKouadio Julien Tingain, Droits et Devoirs Democratique, Cote d'IvoireAndrew Taynton, Safe Food Coalition, South AfricaGustavo Castro Soto, Educación para la Paz A.C. (EduPaz), MéxicoSergey Solyanik, Green Salvation, KazakhstanTiti Soentoro, NADI, IndonesiaMoekti H. Soejachmoen and Nyoman Iswarayoga, Yayasan Pelangi, IndonesiaSilas Siakor, Sustainable Development Institute (SDI), LiberiaChiekh Sid'Ahmed Ould Sidoumarm, Union Général Des Travailleurs De Mauritanie (UGTM), MauritaniaRómulo Torres Seoane, La Red Latinoamericana de Deuda, Desarrollo y Derechos (LATINDADD), Peru3

Agnes Sia Tamba, Network Movement for Justice and Development, Sierra LeoneAdesina Salawu, Center for International Law and Development, NigeriaDana Sadykova, Karaganda EcoMuseum, KazakhstanAliya Ryan, Shinai, PeruDenis Rojas, Asociacion Civil Labor-FOE, PeruAnna Roggenbuck, Polish Green Network, PolandHimayat Rizvanqizi, Himayadar Humanitarian Organization, AzerbaijanRavi Rebbapragada, Samata, IndiaArup Rahee, LOKOJ Institute, BangladeshJoseph Rahall, Green Scenery, Sierra LeoneEmmanuel Pulupulu K., Avocats Verts, Democratic Republic of CongoCesar Augusto Guimarães Pereira, Coletivo Alternativa Verde (CAVE), BrazilBobby Peek, groundWork, South AfricaDaniel Owusu-Koranteng, Wassa Association of Communities Affected by Mining (WACAM), GhanaFred Oweyegha-Afunaduula, Uganda Nile Basin Discourse Forum/National Association of ProfessionalEnvironmentalists/Integrated Environmental Concern, UgandaBimal Pandia, Water Initiatives Orissa, IndiaJose Nguema Oyana, MAYSSER, Equatorial GuineaAsume Osuoka, Social Action, NigeriaFred Opio, Uganda Debt Network, UgandaCélestin Nsabiye, Global Village, BurundiNachilala Nkombo, Jubilee Zambia, ZambiaNadji Nelambaye, Commission Permanente Pétrole Locale-Moundou, ChadLidy Nacpil, Jubilee South, based in the PhilippinesReinford Mwangonde, Citizens For Justice-(CFJ), MalawiCharles Mutasa, African Forum and Network on Debt and Development, based in ZimbabweKalia Moldogazieva, HDC Tree of Life, Kyrgyz RepublicAlena Miskun, National Ecological Centre of Ukraine, UkraineYoboue Michel, Eden International, Côte d'IvoireMartha Mercado, Érika García, Grupo de Solidaridad-Arenal (GRUDESA), NicaraguaHelen N. Mendoza, SOLJUSPAX, PhilippinesMariam Mayet, African Centre for Biosafety, South AfricaMaría Elba Martínez, Servicio Paz y Justicia de Región Centro- Córdoba, ArgentinaJames Makor, Save My Future Foundation (SAMFU), LiberiaThuli Makama, Yonge Nawe, SwazilandJulianna Malerba, Rede Brasileira de Justiça Ambiental, BrazilAhmed Swapan Mahmud, VOICE, BangladeshDmitry Lisitsyn, Sakhalin Environment Watch, RussiaGermán Jácome López, Vida en la Cuenca del Río Guayas, EcuadorSara Larrain, Programa Chile Sustentable, ChileVladimir Krainyuk & Julia Ossipova, Resources Informational Analytical Center: Wildlife Laboratory,KazakhstanRichard Twum Barimah Koranteng, Volta Basin Development Foundation, GhanaAgbozo Komlavi, Jeunes Volontaires pour l'Environnement, TogoManana Kochladze, Green Alternative, GeorgiaZakir Kibria, BanglaPraxis, BangladeshBeverly Keene, Jubilee South/Americas, based in ArgentinaKeanaia Karikpo, OilWatch International, based in NigeriaBhanumathi Kalluri, International Women & Mining Network (RIMM), IndiaPaul L. Johnson, THARSATH - Rain Water Harvesting, PakistanEtienne De Jonghe, Pax Christi International, based in BelgiumGibson Jerue, Public Agenda, LiberiaShynar Izteleyova, TAN, Kazakhstan4

Richard Ingwe, Centre for Research and Action on Developing Locales, regions and the Environment(CRADLE), NigeriaAli Idrissa, Comité de Réflexion et d'Orientation Indépendant pour la Sauvegarde des Acquis Democratiques(CROISADE), NigerPetr Hlobil, Central and Eastern European Bankwatch Network, based in the Czech RepublicMuhammad Hilaluddin, Angikar Bangladesh Foundation, BangladeshShalmali Guttal and Herbert Docena, Focus on the Global South, India/PhilippinesLonggena Ginting, Friends of the Earth International, based in the NetherlandsMirvari Gahramanli, Oil Workers Rights Protection Public Union, AzerbaijanRhodele Gabac, United Front to Oust Oil Depot, (UFO-OD), PhilippinesEkpok Erokoro, Citizens for Environmental Safety (CES), NigeriaDesmond D'Sa, South Durban Community Environmental Alliance, South AfricaAntoine Doudjidingao, Groupe Recherches Alternatives et de Monitoring du Projet Pétrole Tchad-Cameroun, ChadThabsile Dlamini, Consumer Association of Swaziland, SwazilandMmadou Taran Diallo, Publiez ce que vous payez-Guinee (PCQVP Guinée), Guinea.Demba Moussa Dembele, African Forum on Alternatives, SenegalAbdulai Darimani, Third World Network – Africa, Ghana.Jorge Cortes, CEADES (Collective of Applied Studies on Social Development), BoliviaGalina Chernova, Globus, KazakhstanAlicia Casas, Oilwatch Mesoamerica, Costa RicaDennis Brutus, Jubilee South Africa, South AfricaAbu A. Brima, Network Movement for Justice and Development (NMJD), Sierra LeonePatrick Bond, Centre for Civil Society Economic Justice Project, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South AfricaWirsiy Emmanuel Binyuy, Global Village Cameroon, CameroonPietro Berardi, Renewable Energy Association of Swaziland, SwazilandGerman Bedoya, Nacional Agrario de Colombia (CNA), ColombiaFrans Baleni, National Union of Mineworkers, South AfricaNnimmo Bassey, Environmental Rights Action (ERA), NigeriaNilton Deza Arroyo, Ecovida, PeruShamim Arfin, AOSED, BangladeshInnih Archibong, Liberty Now, NigeriaSoren Ambrose, Solidarity Network Africa, KenyaPastor Innocent Adjenughure, Institute for Dispute Resolution and the Campaign Against Arms Trade(CAAT) Network, NigeriaNatalia Ablova, Bureau on Human Rights and Rule of Law, Kyrgyz RepublicEdith Abilogo, Centre for Environment and Development, Cameroon5