Photo: Tian CartierClimate change is the result of the way we consume, produce, distribute, consume and throw away worldwide. Based on our many years of research experience, we know what challenges we face. What seems clean and green to us may be based on a grim reality elsewhere in the world.
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The production of wood pellets for biomass used in Dutch coal-fired power plants is causing serious damage to forests and biodiversity in Estonia. This does not comply with Dutch sustainability criteria on biomass. The full…
Mining and energy companies must stop extracting and burning coal if disastrous climate change is to be avoided. But what will this transition mean for communities and workers that depend on coal mining for their…
As the growing popularity of electric vehicles sparks an increased demand for battery-related minerals, new research by ActionAid and SOMO exposes the harmful impact of manganese mining on communities in South Africa. Publication / June…
The energy transition is leading to an unprecedented global surge in mining, an industry notorious for human rights violations and environmental destruction. Holding companies and investors accountable for abuses is challenging, particularly if they are…
The Dutch National Contact Point for the OECD Guidelines today announced they would accept a complaint against Pluspetrol, a multinational oil firm headquartered in an Amsterdam mailbox. The decision gives Indigenous communities in the oil…
Shell will fail to achieve even the most modest climate targets if it is not forced to make immediate structural changes, SOMO concludes in its report Still playing the Shell Game. The report identifies four…
SOMO is co-organising two debates (in Dutch) in the run-up to the Dutch elections on 17 March. Het Grote Buitenlanddebat – 24 February During the “Grote Buitenlanddebat”, candidate MPs will debate the role of the…
Mass adoption of electric vehicles is widely seen by governments and businesses as a key element of the energy transition. But the soaring demand for batteries to propel these vehicles comes with devastating social and…
This week, members of the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) will hold their annual conference and assess ongoing attempts to reform the controversial agreement. Amidst growing concerns that the ECT undermines urgent climate action, its corporate…
In order to meet the climate targets of the Paris Agreement and encourage more environmentally friendly investments, a new EU law establishes clear EU definitions of what ‘green’ actually is. This EU Taxonomy Regulation wants…
