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  Oil, gas & coal companies: General materials Apr.-June 2002  

See also other materials on " Oil, gas & coal companies"

Apr.-June 2002:

Angola fines ChevronTexaco $2m - The government said it is fining ChevronTexaco Corp. $2-million for environmental damage allegedly caused by oil spills from the US company's operations in Angola. (Business Day [South Africa], 30 June 2002)

Saving the planet - a business opportunity -...if companies can join scientists in tackling climate change, they may find a host of viable business opportunities. And seizing those opportunities now makes business sense. (Tom Delay, Chief Executive of Carbon Trust, in Financial Times, 30 June 2002)

Germany OKs more cash to clean communist coal mess - German authorities said yesterday they would make an additional 1.4 billion euros available to clean up the mess left by eastern Germany's brown coal mining industry in Europe's biggest environmental project. (Reuters, 28 June 2002)

Profit at all costs: Irish and Spanish multinationals flout international standards in Georgia [refers to labour rights issues relating to multinationals Iberdrola & ESB International] (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 28 June 2002)

Corporate Human Rights -...For several years, a small group of lawyers and labor advocates has been trying to hold transnational companies responsible for their actions by suing them in the United States for abetting and/or benefiting from human rights abuses overseas. [refers to lawsuits against Unocal, Shell, Texaco, Rio Tinto, Coca-Cola, Del Monte, DynCorp, Drummond Company, ExxonMobil] (David Corn, The Nation, 27 June 2002)

What has the ACFTU done? [China] – An Interview with the Wife of a Jixi Mine Blast Victim - On June 20, a gas explosion with 115 fatalities took place at the Chengzihe Coal Mine in Jixi, a city in Heilongjiang province. On June 25, a victim’s wife told China Labour Bulletin that the compensation offered by the Jixi Mining Bureau (JMB) was unreasonable, and that the mine was guarded by the police to prevent further negotiations with the victims’ families. (China Labour Bulletin, 27 June 2002)

O'Neill Opposes Capital Mkt Sanctions On Foreign Firms - U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill on Thursday reiterated the Bush administration's opposition to legislation that would bar oil companies operating in Sudan from raising money on U.S. capital markets..."A better way to deal with Sudan is to say no one should do any business with Sudan full stop," O'Neill said. (Elizabeth Price, Dow Jones, 27 June 2002)

Shareowner Support for Resolutions Increases Significantly This Proxy Season [USA] - Support for proposals concerning corporate governance as well as social and environmental issues in the 2002 proxy season is reaching record levels. [includes reference to resolutions at American Standard, Eastman Kodak, Niagara Mohawk Power, Unocal] (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 27 June 2002)

Activist Groups Oppose Public Financing of Caspian Oil Pipeline [Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey] -...In a three-page letter sent Tuesday to the heads of the World Bank, the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and U.S. and Japanese ECAs [export credit agencies], the groups [64 NGOs from 37 countries] argue that very few of the most important project documents have been released publicly and that the project's social, environmental, and even security impacts have yet to be fully assessed...Other partners besides BP include Italy's Eni, Statoil of Norway, and California-based Unocal. (Jim Lobe, One World, 26 June 2002)

Heilongjiang Coal Mine Explosion Kills 115 Miners [China] (China Labour Bulletin, 25 June 2002)

ExxonMobil sues over logo 'abuse' - In an unprecedented tactical shift, oil giant ExxonMobil is to sue pressure group Greenpeace over misuse of its corporate logo. (BBC News, 25 June 2002)

Talisman's woes keep oilpatch on guard: Third-world risk - The rise in human rights activism that is seen as driving Talisman Energy Inc. out of Sudan is inflating the risk for other Canadian oil and gas companies operating in the developing world, observers say. (Tony Seskus & Claudia Cattaneo, National Post [Canada], 24 June 2002)

Activists Oppose Financing for Peruvian Gas Project - Environmental activists are lobbying hard at the United States Export-Import Bank (Exim) and the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington against loans for a controversial gas and pipeline project in Peru that they say threatens isolated groups of indigenous people and their Amazonian homeland. The project is led by Pluspetrol and Techint, two Argentinian energy companies, Texas-based HuntOil, and includes several other energy companies, including SK Corporation of South Korea, Sonatrach of Algeria, and Peru's own Grana y Montero. Citigroup...has acted as the consortium's chief financial adviser for the project. (Jim Lobe, OneWorld US, 24 June 2002)

Sudan: Mixing Oil and Blood - A first-hand account of life and politics inside Sudan. There, a starving population has endured decades of war, sparked by religious differences, but now fueled by oil. [includes reference to Shell, Talisman Energy] (Benjamin Bock, in Amnesty Now, Amnesty International USA, summer 2002)

Old US power plants emit twice as much pollution - report - Aging, U.S. coal-fired power plants released twice as much sulfur dioxide into the air than newer plants that are required to meet stricter environmental standards, according to a report from Congress' investigative arm. (Reuters, 21 June 2002)

Corporate secrecy oils the wheels of poverty - While oil, gas and minerals are by far the largest sources of state revenue for the world's poorest nations, these resources, which should help fund development and sustainable economic growth, all too often turn out to be a curse, leading to increased poverty, child malnutrition and civil conflict. At the heart of this paradox is the secrecy surrounding payments by oil and mining companies to governments - a lack of transparency that provides the perfect cover for corruption and embezzlement by ruling elites. (Simon Taylor, Director of Global Witness, in International Herald Tribune, 20 June 2002)

Brazil fines Shell for toxic pesticide pollution - Brazil said this week it had fined oil and chemical giant Royal Dutch/Shell 105,200 reais ($38,963) for contaminating the environment in its second investigation caused by toxic pesticide operations. (Reuters, 20 June 2002) 

North Carolina gives incentive to cut utility pollution [USA] - North Carolina's governor is expected to sign into law today legislation to freeze the rates utilities can charge for electricity in exchange for air pollution cuts at their coal-fired power plants. [refers to Duke Energy Corp. subsidiary Duke Power and Progress Energy Inc. subsidiary Carolina Power and Light] (Chris Baltimore, Reuters, 20 June 2002)  

China to build plant to turn coal into oil products - U.S.-based Headwaters Inc. announced yesterday plans with Shenhua Group Corp. Ltd to build in China the world's first commercial plant to turn coal into diesel fuel and gasoline, a move that could help China reduce oil imports and cut pollution. (Reuters, 19 June 2002)

Report of the Workshop on Indigenous Peoples, Private Sector Natural Resource, Energy and Mining Companies and Human Rights - Geneva, 5-7 December 2001 - Chairperson-Rapporteur: Mr. Wilton Littlechild (document for U.N. Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, 17 June 2002)

Bad business in Burma - In a boon for human rights and corporate responsibility, a Superior Court judge in California last week refused to dismiss a suit charging that the energy company Unocal is liable for human rights abuses perpetrated by the military junta in Burma while the regime was under contract to provide security for Unocal and its partners in a natural gas pipeline project. (editorial, Boston Globe, 16 June 2002)

U.S. firms face suits for overseas acts: New twist on anti-pirate law blurs borders, extends liability ...Some suits charge companies with polluting foreign lands, others with violating human rights [refers to lawsuits in U.S. courts against Unocal, ChevronTexaco, Gap, Levi Strauss] (David R. Baker, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 June 2002)

ExxonMobil-Sponsored Terrorism? Why are villagers in the Aceh province of Indonesia--or their lawyers--worrying about contributions from Exxon Mobil to George W. Bush and the Republicans? - A year ago, the Washington-based International Labor Rights Fund filed a lawsuit against the energy behemoth, claiming the Mobil half of the conglomerate in the 1990s paid and supported Indonesian military troops that committed human rights abuses in the war-torn province. (David Corn, The Nation, 14 June 2002)

US to relax air pollution rules for utilities - The Bush administration yesterday said it will relax costly air pollution rules when US utilities are repaired or expanded, triggering a storm of protest from environmental groups and some Democrats. (Chris Baltimore, Reuters, 14 June 2002) 

Human rights and accountability -...At the World Economic Forum, I was given a prominent role on various panels with business leaders who were keen to hear about human rights. At the same time, there were demonstrations outside and I'm sure there were Amnesty people in those demonstrations. We didn't see a contradiction, because we felt there was room for both ways of approaching business. We find the oil companies in Europe more open to dialogue than those in the US. Amnesty USA has been trying to have a dialogue with ExxonMobil on their human rights practices for some time and has made no headway, so they bought some shares and went into their recent AGM and tried to put pressure on that way. (comments by Irene Khan, Secretary-General of Amnesty International, in article by Alison Maitland, Financial Times, 13 June 2002)

ONGC seals first move into Sudan oil - Oil & Natural Gas Corp, the Indian state-owned group...yesterday concluded negotiations in London to acquire a 25 per cent stake in the Greater Nile Oil Project from Talisman Energy of Canada...Mr Buckee [Talisman's CEO] has in the past been critical of non-governmental organisations, warning that their campaigns for his company to leave Sudan could be counter-productive. In October he said the Asian state-owned groups and Saudi princes vying for the assets were unlikely to be as enthusiastic about corporate social responsibility as Talisman. (Matthew Jones & Khozem Merchant, Financial Times, 13 June 2002)

George Soros and NGOs Call for Rules to Require Corporations to Disclose Payments - International financier and philanthropist George Soros launched a call to governments across the globe for transnational resource extraction companies to 'Publish What You Pay'. Mr. Soros has teamed up with a coalition of over 30 NGOs to insist that oil, gas and mining companies must publish net taxes, fees, royalties and other payments as a condition for being listed on international stock exchanges and financial markets. The coalition includes Amnesty International, CAFOD, Christian Aid, Friends of the Earth, Global Witness, Oxfam, Save the Children and Transparency International. (Open Society Institute, 13 June 2002)

Unocal Faces Trial For Rights Abuses -...Yesterday in California, a judge asserted international jurisdiction in a way that some U.S. companies may not be so happy about. A Superior Court judge in Los Angeles ordered Unocal to stand trial for human rights abuses allegedly committed in association with a pipeline project in Myanmar. Judge Victoria Chaney denied a Unocal motion for summary judgment (Dan Ackman, Forbes, 12 June 2002)

"African Oil Policy Initiative Group" - U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Africa - Statement of Chairman Ed Royce -...Let's be frank: oil development has proven to be more of a curse than a blessing for many developing nations. Few have put oil revenue to good use. Oil revenue has often been squandered...In the worst cases, oil has fueled civil war. This has been the case in Angola for years; over the last few years, oil has intensified the long and brutal war in Sudan...[The] Chad-Cameroon Pipeline Project...brings together the World Bank, energy companies, the governments of Chad and Cameroon, and civil society...in an effort to see that the oil revenue...works toward the goal of national development...I believe this approach holds great promise for current and future African oil producing nations...The practice of turning a blind eye as oil revenues are misused is not good for our country's strong interest in seeing the world's poorest continent develop; it's certainly not good for Africans; and ultimately it's bad business for energy companies. (U.S. State Department, 12 June 2002)

Tulsa: The American Dream Turned Nightmare - Indian Workers Allege Abuse By Oklahoma Company [USA] -...53 Indian men spent months working under conditions that their attorneys have called "virtual slave labor." Their employer was the John Pickle Company, a manufacturer of oil pipelines and pressure vessels (Russell Cobb, TomPaine.common sense, 11 June 2002)

High court ruling called setback for disabled, ill [USA] - In another setback for disabled-rights claims in the workplace, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously Monday that employers can reject applicants for jobs that would endanger their health. The ruling, in the case of a Southern California refinery worker with a liver disease, alarmed advocates for HIV-positive people and the mentally ill, who said cost-conscious employers could exaggerate or invent health concerns to turn applicants away. (Bob Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 June 2002)

Oil refiners can make "clean" hydrogen too - Shell - Oil companies can wrest the initiative from the green lobby by making the clean fuels of the future from their own refineries, but they will need to act quickly if they are to stay ahead of the game, a Shell executive said last week. (Sujata Rao, Reuters, 10 June 2002)

New Report Assesses the Status of Corporate Social Responsibility: Echo Research reports on how corporate social responsibility is increasingly important for global corporations, and rates how CSR is being incorporated into business practices -...Ford and BP topped Echo's CSR Perception Index for the second year in a row. IBM and GlaxoSmithKline rounded out the top four this year. Echo applauded Ford's "Time Budget" program, which encourages employees to advance CSR initiatives, and BP's integration of social reporting into its business model. IBM earned high ranking due to its promotion of education, while GlaxoSmithKline distinguished itself as the most prominent CSR practitioner in the pharmaceutical industry. (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 6 June 2002)

Alaska fines BP $300,000 over pipeline leak systems [USA] - The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation fined BP's Alaska unit $300,000 for inadequate detection of spills from major pipelines carrying crude oil from the Prudhoe Bay field (Yereth Rosen, Reuters, 6 June 2002)

U.S. House members slam Bush's Sudan oil policy - Members of the House International Relations Committee lashed out at the Bush administration on Wednesday for blocking legislation aimed at cutting off oil revenues that Sudan is using to finance its war against rebels in the south. (Vicki Allen, Reuters, 5 June 2002)

Bush - Global climate report is bureaucratic hot air [USA] - President George W. Bush yesterday called a recent report that blames humans for global warming nothing more than a product of government "bureaucracy" and said he would not accept an international accord to reduce heating-trapping emissions. The report by the Environmental Protection Agency, whose top officials are appointed by the president, appeared to back the view of many scientists who believe that global warming is primarily caused by emissions from automobiles, power plants, and oil refineries. (Tom Doggett, Reuters, 5 June 2002) 

SUDAN: Civilian suffering continues as war rages [refers to fighting in oil-producing areas] (U.N. Integrated Regional Information Networks, 4 June 2002)

Activists see connection in coal between Salem [Massachusetts, USA] and Colombian village -...Some of the coal imported for PG&E Corp.'s Salem Harbor Station power plant comes from a giant mine in Colombia, which is accused of growing by bullying, cheating and sickening villagers into leaving homes that sit on massive, untapped reserves of coal...While the Colombian activists decried abuses of human rights at the hands of their government and the owners of the Cerrejon Zona Norta mine, they also carefully refrained from calling on PG&E to stop buying its coal. (Dave Gershman, Salem Evening News, 3 June 2002)

Ten Planet Trashers: Why corporate accountability matters -...Friends of the Earth today publishes details of “Ten Planet Trashers”, companies whose behaviour since Rio shows the need for binding rules on corporate behaviour. [the 10 companies: Exxon Mobil (Esso), AMEC, Premier Oil, ICI, Scotts, Barclays, Associated Octel, Aventis/Bayer, BNFL (British Nuclear Fuels), Associated British Ports] (Friends of the Earth, 1 June 2002)

BASDards at the World Summit on Sustainable Development - Business Action for Sustainable Development (BASD) is the distasteful lovechild spawned from an unholy union between the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC – the world’s premier business lobby group) and the benign sounding, but very dangerous, World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD – otherwise known as Greenwash International). The initiative was launched in April 2001, with the expressed intention of ‘rallying the collective forces of world business in the lead up to next year’s Earth Summit.’ It is aptly headed by Sir Mark Moody-Stuart, retired chairman of those arch-deacons of global greenwash Shell. (Corporate Watch [UK] Newsletter, June-July 2002)

Khartoum cuts southern aid route to oil regions - The Sudanese government on Wednesday agreed to a resumption of aid flows into the highly contested area of western Upper Nile, southern Sudan, but on the condition that relief flights pass through the north...Recent months have seen an upsurge in fighting in Unity State/western Upper Nile between Sudanese government and aligned militia forces, on the one hand, and the rebel SPLM/A, on the other, essentially over control of the area's rich oil resources. (U.N. Integrated Regional Information Networks, 31 May 2002)

ExxonMobil Fights Indonesia Rights Suit - ExxonMobil Corp is trying to persuade a federal court to dismiss a year-old lawsuit against it that alleges complicity in atrocities in Indonesia, court documents showed. (Agence France Presse, 30 May 2002)

Sudan govt unable to defeat rebels in oil areas: think tank - Sudan's military has failed to make headway into oil-rich southern areas under rebel control despite having acquired modern weaponry with revenue from petroleum exports, a representative of an international research organisation [International Crisis Group] said here Wednesday...Sudan's government had failed in its objective of "depopulating much of the area south of Bentiu and secure them for oil exploitation", Prendergast told a media briefing after touring southern Sudan. (AFP, 30 May 2002)

Oil revenue key to solving Sudan conflict (Bill Farren-Price, UPI, 30 May 2002)

Statement of the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights -...the Committee observes with concern the overall decline in living conditions, particularly in connection with pressures of globalization and the shrinking role of the State, as more and more social services are turned over to non-State entities who have no comparable commitment to the progressive realization of economic, social and cultural rights, nor to the protection of the environment. The Committee has observed, for example, that the right to health is violated by "the failure to enact or enforce laws to prevent the pollution of water, air and soil by the extractive and manufacturing industries." [para. 3] (United Nations, Background Paper No. 5 for the World Summit on Sustainable Development, Fourth Preparatory Session, 30 May 2002) [to download this pdf file directly, click here: http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/html/documents/prep4_background_papers/humanrights_background5.pdf]

Trees, Trash And Toxic Leaded Petrol Targeted In This Year's World Environment Day Celebrations In Kenya -...The action plan to phase out lead in petrol is to be drawn up by representatives of governments, industry and civil society from countries including Burundi, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Kenya. (U.N. Environment Programme, 30 May 2002)

Enron, Others Ordered to Preserve Documents Related to Secret Meetings with Cheney Energy Task Force [USA]: Sierra Club serves subpoenas to industry groups in lawsuit against Cheney, others - Subpoenas began arriving today at polluting industries and industry groups, like Enron and the National Mining Association, as part of efforts by the Sierra Club to discover how they influenced Vice President Cheney's Energy Task Force. (Sierra Club, 30 May 2002)

Court upholds arbitration contract [USA] - The Texas Supreme Court today upheld a company's [Brown & Root Energy Services, a subsidiary of Halliburton Co.] right to impose a non-negotiated binding arbitration contract on a longtime employee [alleging race & age discrimination] who claimed it was unfair. Consumer and labor groups criticized the ruling as eroding Texas workers' rights to sue employers for wrongdoing. (Associated Press, 30 May 2002)

Shareholders blast ExxonMobil - Criticism runs gamut from human rights to compensation - ExxonMobil shareholders on Wednesday lit into the oil-and-gas giant and Chairman Lee Raymond at the annual meeting, criticizing the company's practices on everything from renewable energy sources to the appointment of board members. (Lisa Sanders, CBS.MarketWatch, 29 May 2002)

Journalists List Corporations Found Guilty of Crimes throughout the 1990s - A simple list of corporate crimes, presented along with guilty pleas or fine payments, hints at the pervasiveness of poor corporate ethics...journalists Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman have compiled a list of The Top 100 Corporate Criminals of the Decade...The authors point out that six corporations--Exxon (now ExxonMobil), Rockwell International, Royal Carribbean Cruises, Warner-Lambert (now part of Pfizer), Teledyne, and United Technologies--appear more than once on the list. (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 29 May 2002)

[CalPERS decides to vote its 30,828,796 shares of ExxonMobil in favour of shareholder proposal filed by Amnesty International USA calling on the company to adopt a comprehensive human rights policy] - Shareholder Proposal: Adopt comprehensive human rights policy - For - CalPERS is a supporter of best practices in domestic and international operations (CalPERS, Proxy Voting Decisions for 29 May 2002 shareholder meeting of ExxonMobil)

Sustainable development is serious stuff for industries - ‘Sector projects’, a new WBCSD brochure, outlines the groundbreaking work carried out by six industry sectors toward sustainable development. [the 6 sectors: Forestry; Sustainable Mobility; Cement Sustainability Initiative; Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development; Electricity Utilities; Financial Sector] (World Business Council for Sustainable Development, 28 May 2002)

All Things Considered [NPR radio programme]: Exxon Shareholders [audio] - Commentator Chip Pitts says tomorrow in Dallas, Exxon-Mobil will hold its annual shareholders' meeting. Representatives of Amnesty International will also be present. The non-profit organization has bought shares in Exxon-Mobil so that it can introduce a shareholder resolution -- a human rights policy for the corporation. (All Things Considered, NPR, 28 May 2002)

Saving Sudan -...But the great wild card is oil, which Sudan began exporting three years ago. The oil allows the government to shop for weapons in Moscow and drives it to massacre southern villagers around the oil fields on the theory that they may harbor rebels...For all the logic of peace, oil makes the logic of war even more compelling. (Sebastian Mallaby, Washington Post, 27 May 2002)

Pro-government Sudan militia denies bombing town - The pro-government Southern Sudan Defence Force militia has denied reports that government planes bombed a village in the oil-rich Unity state last week, and instead accused rebels of killing civilians. (Reuters, 27 May 2002)

A new model for social auditing -...In future, companies will need to move way from self-promotional corporate social responsibility reports - such as those recently published by Reebok, Nike, McDonald's and Shell - and move towards independent evaluations by qualified third parties. They will have to open up their factories to independent audits that disclose publicly whether conditions have improved. (Elliot J Schrage, formerly senior vice-president of global affairs at Gap, teaches at Columbia Business School and Columbia Law School, in Financial Times, 27 May 2002)

Over a Barrel in Sudan: Is Talisman's oil-processing facility aiding development or funding war? (David Hecht, Fortune, 27 May 2002)

Shell Brazil unit may be shut as toxic case looms - Oil and chemical giant Royal Dutch/Shell might have to shut down its big fuel unit in Brazil amid a second investigation of alleged environmental and health damage caused by its toxic pesticide operations, local authorities said yesterday. (Andrei Khalip, Reuters, 24 May 2002)

Ocean oil pollution blamed on US rivers and boats - The vast majority of the 29 million gallons of petroleum that flow into U.S. coastal waters each year comes from polluted rivers, small boats and jet skis, and can't be blamed on well-publicized oil spills, a report from the National Academy of Sciences said yesterday. (Tom Doggett, Reuters, 24 May 2002) 

Annual Meeting Focuses Pressure on ExxonMobil: Some shareowners and NGOs claim that ExxonMobil's environmental and social practices are hurting the company's profitability -...At its May 29 annual meeting, ExxonMobil shareowner will vote on eight resolutions that concern issues ranging from human rights abuses to global warming. (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 24 May 2002)

Unocal Shareholder Move on Labor Rights Makes Major Headway - A resolution calling on United States oil giant Unocal Corporation to adopt a workers' rights policy gained the support of almost one third of the shares voted at the company's annual shareholder's meeting in California this week in what corporate social responsibility advocates hailed as an unprecedented advance in the movement to press companies to respect human rights...The move was targeted in particular at Unocal's operations in Myanmar (formerly Burma), which have been accused by the ILO and the U.S. state department of using forced labor and child labor. (Jim Lobe, OneWorld US, 22 May 2002)

Greenpeace ends French Esso refinery blockade - Greenpeace activists ended a day-long blockade of Exxon Mobil Corp's largest refinery in France yesterday, after dubbing the world's biggest oil company "Climate Enemy No. 1". (Marc Parrad, Reuters, 22 May 2002)

GAO warns MTBE fuel leaks in water more widespread [USA] - Contamination of water supplies by MTBE is more widespread in local communities than previously thought, because the gasoline fuel additive has leaked from pipelines across the United States, the General Accounting Office warned Congress yesterday. (Tom Doggett, Reuters, 22 May 2002)

Big Unocal Shareholder Support For Worker Rights Proposal: No new investments in Burma, energy giant pledges - A resolution calling on energy multinational Unocal to adopt a workers' rights policy was supported by over 31 percent of the shares voting at the company's annual shareholder meeting in the US this Monday. (ICEM - International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions, 22 May 2002

In Khartoum's Oil Pipelines flow Blood [Sudan] - Two documents on the Sudan released almost simultaneously last week expose the complexities and contradictions inherent in the search for peace in that country's conflict that has lasted two decades, killed two million people, displaced 4.5 million others and burnt hundreds of billions of dollars. And nowhere is this more dramatic than in the reports' treatment of the role of oil in the war between the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) and its allies, and the Government of Sudan [refers to Talisman Energy, Chinese National Petroleum Corporation, Petronas Carigali and Sudapet] (Peter Wanbali, The Nation [Kenya], 21 May 2002)

CLIMATE CHANGE: New IPCC Head Defends His Impartiality - Newly elected Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change chief Rajendra Pachauri has defended himself, in an interview with the BBC, against allegations that his ascension to the post was aided by support from oil companies. Earlier reports indicated petroleum and automotive interests lobbied on behalf of Pachauri (UN Wire, 21 May 2002)

Villagers vow to fight Thai-Malaysian pipeline (Sasithorn Simaporn, Reuters, 20 May 2002) 

Why do they hate Exxon? Yesterday saw national [UK] protests by environmentalists against ExxonMobil. Mary Fagan assesses whether they were justified (Mary Fagan, Telegraph [UK], 19 May 2002)

ExxonMobil launches eco-friendly strategy - ExxonMobil, the US oil giant, has belatedly climbed aboard the corporate social responsibility bandwagon by launching a research programme worth up to $500m to help fight global warming. (Mary Fagan, Telegraph [UK], 19 May 2002)

Sudanese Rebels To Continue Attacking Oil Installations -..."The oil exploration, the oil installations, are legitimate military targets because it fuels the war," Kwaje told The Associated Press. (AP, 17 May 2002)

{···español} Sospecha rodea muerte de dirigentes indígenas [Ecuador] - El accidente de una avioneta en que murieron hace seis días tres dirigentes del pueblo shuar enfrentados con la compañía petrolera Burlington, en el suroriente de Ecuador, pudo ser consecuencia de un sabotaje, advirtieron organizaciones indígenas. (Kintto Lucas, IPS, La Hora [Ecuador], 16 mayo 2002)

HRW And CRS Criticise Danforth's Report [Sudan] -...In a statement issued on Wednesday, CRS [Catholic Relief Services] applauded the progress made by Danforth, but urged for greater attention be paid to the right of self-determination and the destructive role of oil exploitation in Sudan. (UN Integrated Regional Information Networks, 16 May 2002)

Ecuador reinstates OCP's environmental license - Ecuador's Environment Ministry yesterday said it reinstated a license for OCP Ecuador SA to build an oil pipeline near a protected forest after area damage was mitigated (Reuters, 16 May 2002)

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: UNEP Blasts Industry "Business As Usual" (UN Wire, 16 May 2002)

Environmental fray over Ecuador pipeline heats up - Activists have mounted a fresh campaign against an Ecuadorean oil pipeline, buying a swath of forest where the line should go, an environmental group spokesman said. (Reuters, 15 May 2002)

Nippon Mitsubishi says to enter windpower business - Nippon Mitsubishi Oil Corp , Japan's biggest oil company, said yesterday it planned to get into the wind power industry, becoming the first Japanese oil company to become involved in the business. (Reuters, 15 May 2002)

Depopulating Sudan's Oil Regions, January to March 2002 (Diane deGuzman, edited by Egbert G. Ch. Wesselink, for the European Coalition on Oil in Sudan, 14 May 2002)

Environmentalists launch campaign against ExxonMobil for global warming stance: Greenpeace Report Details More Than a Decade of Deception and Undue Influence (Greenpeace USA, 13 May 2002)

Premier Oil: UK company bad in Burma, putrid in Pakistan -...Campaigners from The Burma Campaign UK and Friends of the Earth have bought one share each in Premier Oil and will be going into the AGM, after the demonstration. The shareholders will be asking the board difficult questions about its controversial activities, and whether they are damaging shareholder value. (Friends of the Earth, 10 May 2002)

Occidental Pipeline in Colombia Strikes It Rich in Washington - The Bush Administration has proposed $98 million in military aid to protect Occidental's Cano-Limon pipeline in Colombia, despite its environmental and economic liabilities. (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 10 May 2002)

CHILDREN: U.N. Says Pollution Kills Millions Yearly - More than 5,000 children die daily from diseases caused by consuming water and food contaminated with bacteria, according to a new study released by UNICEF, the World Health Organization and the U.N. Environment Program...The agencies say pollutants in the environment -- toxic chemicals, lead from gasoline, pesticides -- directly affect children (UN Wire, 10 May 2002)

Enron's Pipe Scheme: Energy giant bulldozed over environmental, human rights concerns to build Bolivian pipeline -- with U.S. government backing (Jimmy Langman, on CorpWatch website, 9 May 2002)

Our organizations respectfully urge the Export-Import Bank of the United States to reject financing currently under consideration for all aspects of Peru's Camisea gas development project. Public funds of the United States government should not be invested in a project that will provoke an array of insurmountable and unavoidable environmental and social impacts on vulnerable, isolated indigenous peoples... (letter to Export-Import Bank of the U.S. from Amazon Watch, Friends of the Earth International, Rainforest Action Network, Pacific Environment, Sustainable Energy and Economy Network-Institute for Policy Studies, Reform the World Bank Campaign, 9 May 2002)

TotalFinaElf faces lawsuit by Myanmar refugees over govt human rights abuses - Four refugees from Myanmar are seeking to take legal action in Belgium against TotalFinaElf for alleged complicity with Myanmar's military regime, human rights advocates said (AFX News, 8 May 2002)

Unocal Shareholders Urged to Back Corporate Best Practice: Burma Disinvestment Campaign Continues (ICEM - International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions, 8 May 2002)

Need to turn 'black gold' to 'human gold' in Azerbaijan - A national conference recently called for Azerbaijan to develop a national employment strategy as a part of its poverty reduction programme....UNDP joined with the Ministries of Economic Development and Labour and Social Protection of Population in organizing the event. BP...provided financial support. (U.N. Development Programme, 8 May 2002)

EU coal, diesel subsidies clash with green ideals - The European Union is committed to reducing the pollution blamed for causing global warming, so why is it pumping vast subsidies into fossil fuels such as coal and diesel which are the main sources of greenhouse gases? (Robin Pomeroy, Reuters, 7 May 2002)

Independent Evaluation of Peru's Camisea Gas Project Reveals Violations of World Bank Environmental Standards -...The Project will have negative irreversible impacts on the biodiversity of this area and on indigenous groups living in isolation, regardless of the implementation of the strictest mitigation measures...Neither the upstream nor the downstream component of the Project meets World Bank environmental guidelines and operational policies (Amazon Watch, 6 May 2002)

Enron Pipeline Leaves Scar on South America: Lobbying, U.S. Loans Put Project on Damaging Path - Of Enron Corp.'s many political maneuvers in Washington before its fall into bankruptcy, winning the promise of federal financing for a 390-mile pipeline from Bolivia to Brazil through the Chiquitano Dry Tropical Forest may have the most enduring consequences. (James V. Grimaldi, Washington Post, 6 May 2002)

ExxonMobil rubbishes green investor report - ExxonMobil Corp , the world's biggest oil company, labelled as "ridiculous" a report by a group of dissident investors that the company's stance on global warming hurt shareholder value. (Stefano Ambrogi and Neil Chatterjee, Reuters, 6 May 2002) 

Picketers protest Occidental drilling - A noisy group of about 20 sign-waving demonstrators marched outside the annual meeting of Occidental Petroleum Corp. last week to protest the prospect the company could drill for oil in a war-torn region of Colombia they say belongs to the U'wa Indian tribe. (Doug Young, Reuters, 6 May 2002)

US appeals court upholds EPA cut in diesel emissions [USA] - A federal appeals court last week cleared the way for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to require diesel trucks and buses to cut emissions by 90 percent by 2007, rejecting an attempt by engine makers and fuel refiners to gut the rule. (Chris Baltimore, Reuters, 6 May 2002) 

EPA rule allows mining firms to dump waste in rivers - The U.S. government last week unveiled new rules allowing Appalachian coal miners to dump dirt and rubble into streams and lakes, evoking howls of protest from environmental groups. (Chris Baltimore, Reuters, 6 May 2002) 

515 delegates debate plan for Africa: Proponents tout more business investment; critics point to earlier failed policies [refers to Sudan; Talisman Energy] (Jeff Heinrich, Gazette [Montreal], 5 May 2002)

NGO demands [Indonesian] govt to postpone Papua project environmental impact evaluation - The Manokwari non-governmental organisations alliance has urged the government to postpone its evaluation of the environmental impact document for the Tangguh liquefied natural gas project in Berau`s Bintuni Bay, Papua. (Earth Wire, Antara [Indonesia], 5 May 2002)

U.S. Urges Sudan to Divide Oil Income as Step to Peace - President Bush's special envoy for Sudan, John C. Danforth, has recommended that the Sudanese government share its oil revenue with rebels as part of an effort to end a decades-long civil war... The rebels say oil provides the money that pays for the Islamic government's military campaigns against the mostly Christian and animist south. (Marc Lacey, New York Times, 5 May 2002)

{···español} Los bosques, un negocio con futuro... para las petroleras: Repsol YPF inicia un gran plan de forestación en Suramérica que podrá rentabilizar si las cuotas «de aire» se incluyen en el Protocolo de Kioto -...La petrolera española decidió ampliar el proyecto de forestación que ejecuta en el sur de Argentina, exportándolo a otros cinco países de Suramérica, entre ellos Colombia, Venezuela y Ecuador. (Ramy Wurgaft, El Mundo [España], 5 mayo 2002)

Warming makes oil the 'new tobacco' - Oil companies could find themselves facing multi-billion pound legal suits - similar to those facing tobacco firms - if they ignore the potential consequences of global warming, a report claimed yesterday. ExxonMobil, the biggest oil group in the world, compares badly with its peers Shell and BP for its hardline stance on global warming, argues the study by Claros Consulting. (Terry Macalister, Guardian [UK], 3 May 2002)

{···français} Recommandations en direction des entreprises françaises investissant en Birmanie - À la demande de la CFDT, de la CGT et de FO, le Point de contact national chargé de veiller au respect des Principes directeurs de l'OCDE (PCN) a examiné les difficultés qui se présentaient aux entreprises françaises ayant des activités en Birmanie. Cet examen a principalement porté sur le respect des droits sociaux, particulièrement sur la lutte contre tout travail forcé. Le PCN a audité deux groupes français, Total et Accor (CFDT - Confédération Française Démocratique du Travail, 3 mai 2002)

Miners urged to lead the way on development issues: The mining industry must take the initiative in standardising its approach to social, economic and environmental considerations, according to a new report from the Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development (MMSD) project [includes comments by Rio Tinto] (Andy Blamey, Reuters, 3 May 2002)

Talisman in talks with India over selling Sudan - The chief executive of Talisman... confirmed it is in talks with India's national oil company and a handful of others for a sale of its controversial Sudan interests...Dr. Buckee made the comments after the company's annual meeting, which was once again dominated by confrontation with human rights and religious organizations, as well as representatives of Southern Sudan... Some even suggested that Dr. Buckee should be indicted for war crimes. (Claudia Cattaneo, Financial Post [Canada], 2 May 2002)

US ruling on Western gas leases may spur lawsuits - The Bush administration's plan to spur coalbed methane development in Western states could be jeopardized by a ruling that the government failed to thoroughly analyze the environmental impacts of three Wyoming leases, U.S. green groups said this week...Environmental groups contend that when the gas is removed, sodium in the water flows into streams, harming cattle and local residents. (Christopher Doering, Reuters, 2 May 2002)

{···español} Protestas en Italia contra oleoducto en la Amazonía ecuatoriana - Los manifestantes se reunieron en Roma en frente de la sede central del Banca Nazionale del Lavoro (BNL), para evitar que financie la obra. (El Tiempo [Colombia], 1 mayo 2002)

Conflict Prevention and Revenue-Sharing Regimes: Prepared for the United Nations Global Compact Policy Dialogue: Business in Zones of Conflict [refers to mining industry; oil industry; World Bank; Shell; BP; Angola; Statoil; indigenous peoples; Western Mining Co., Normandy Mining; Rio Tinto; BHP-Billiton; Social investment projects: Freeport McMoRan in Irian Jaya, Placer Dome in Papua New Guinea, Newmont & Rio Tinto in Indonesia; Natural resource funds in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Norway, Alaska/USA, Chad-Cameroon pipeline - ExxonMobil - Petronas - Chevron, Nigeria]  (Juliette Bennett, May 2002)

Multinational Enterprises in Situations of Violent Conflict and Widespread Human Rights Abuses - This report considers the challenges of conducting business responsibly in countries characterised by civil strife and extensive human rights violations. It focuses particularly on extractive industry companies and documents the search for solutions. [includes reference to oil/gas and mining industries; Burma, Nigeria, Angola, Chad, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Colombia, Indonesia, Sudan] (Kathryn Gordon, OECD, May 2002)

Decision of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights on communication 155/96, submitted by The Social and Economic Rights Action Center and the Center for Economic and Social Rights [case concerning the Ogoni people in Nigeria] - In this decision the African Commission finds the former military government of Nigeria violated rights of the Ogoni people in connection with state violence and abuses around oil development in the Niger Delta. (African Commission on Human Rights, May 2002)

Pipeline Dreams: The World Bank, Oil Development and Environmental Protection in Georgia [refers to Argomar Oil Limited, a Cyprus-registered company; Anadarko; Azerbaijan International Oil Company consortium, headed by BP; Argo, a Georgian fishery company] (Manana Kochladze, Association Green Alternative [Georgia], Georgian National Coordinator with CEE Bankwatch Network, in Multinational Monitor, May 2002)

Bank Accountability Redux: The Campaign for Compliance and Appeal Mechanisms at the European Development Banks -...Now citizens’ groups in Eastern Europe, such as CEE Bankwatch Network and Friends of the Earth, have started to demand that the EU representatives to these banks establish mechanisms to allow citizens to voice concerns in cases where they are negatively affected by projects financed by the publicly owned banks. They are also seeking mechanisms to hold those institutions accountable to their own policies and procedures, as well as international laws and conventions. [refers to Frontera Resources oil development project in Azerbaijan] (Petr Hlobil, Centre for Energy and Transportation [Czech Republic], international oil and climate coordinator, CEE Bankwatch Network, in Multinational Monitor, May 2002)

Indonesia: Gas Project Promises Income [contract for natural gas production in West Papua, a project between BP & Indonesia's state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina] - West Papuans Not Excited -...But many West Papuans feel that real benefit from the project is likely to go, as in the past, to Jakarta instead of their province, which remains among the poorest although it is home to a lot of multinational investments...Indeed, many activists have security and environmental fears about the natural gas project, given bitter experiences with past foreign investments drawn to the island (Prangtip Daorueng, Inter Press Service, 30 Apr. 2002)

Talisman Advised - Further Abuses Could Result In Prosecution In International Criminal Court - Rights & Democracy advised oil corporation Talisman today that future complicity in Sudanese human rights abuses could be liable for prosecution by the impending International Criminal Court. (Rights & Democracy, 30 Apr. 2002)

Men and women of steel take up arms in Aids war [ South Africa] [refers to National Union of Mineworkers commitment to addressing workplace AIDS issues; refers to steps taken by employers: Gold Fields, AngloGold, Matla Coal] (Business Report [South Africa], 30 Apr. 2002)

Thailand says gas route likely to be changed: The routing of a planned gas pipeline between Malaysia and Thailand is likely to be changed to avoid violent protests from residents and environmentalists in southern Thailand, the Thai industry minister said yesterday. (Pisit Changplayngam, Reuters, 30 Apr. 2002)

Worries over water in Wyoming coalbed methane [USA]: An EPA regional office is warning that water from coalbed methane wells could seep into and pollute streams in Wyoming [refers to Marathon Oil Corp.] (Judith Crosson, Reuters, 29 Apr. 2002)

ChevronTexaco seeks release of hostages in Nigeria -...Nigerian analysts fear the incident could signal the start of a new cycle of attacks on oil multinationals by local people in oil-producing areas demanding a greater share of Nigeria's mineral wealth (Reuters, 23 Apr. 2002)

New climate body chief denies US lobbied for him: The new chief of the U.N.'s climate advisory body said yesterday the United States had not lobbied for his election but environmentalists said Washington had engineered his victory to oust a less acceptable candidate...Green campaigners were reluctant to criticise Pachauri, but pointed out that in addition to his position as director of the Tata Energy Research Institute, he was also a non-official director of the state-run Indian Oil Corporation. (Sugita Katyal, Reuters, 23 Apr. 2002)

Eight "eco-heroes" win global environment prize [Goldman environmental prize] (Andrew Quinn, Reuters, 23 Apr. 2002)

TUC [Trades Union Congress, UK] urges Unocal shareholders to pass Burma resolution -...Shareholders in the US energy firm Unocal have put forward a resolution for its annual meeting calling on it to adopt and implement an enforceable company-wide employee policy based on the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. (TUC, 22 Apr. 2002)

Tactical victory for U.S. and the oil industry: Greenpeace calls on scientific community to rise above politics -...Greenpeace denounced the influence of the oil industry and fossil fuel interests in the election of the new Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (Greenpeace, 22 Apr. 2002)

Protest against Exxon expands across the globe: Esso/Exxon Mobil...will be the target of a week of global protests in May, sparked by its continuing and blatant manipulation of US and international climate change policy, Greenpeace said today. (Greenpeace, 22 Apr. 2002)

Rio meeting backs World Bank Latam mining aid -...Industry, aid and indigenous people's groups last week gave qualified support for the World Bank's activities in Latin American oil, gas and minerals extraction. "But while the Rio meeting did not ask the Bank to withdraw from oil, gas and mining in Latin America, it raised many questions that would call for significant changes in the way it operates...," a World Bank review team stated...Around 90 delegates discussed the importance of World Bank financing and environmental standards-setting in projects such as the Brazil-Bolivia gas pipeline, copper mining in Chile and small mines in Ecuador. (Reuters, 22 Apr. 2002)

ExxonMobil Shareholder Resolution Seeks Corporate Human Rights Policy: In First Shareholder Action, Amnesty International Cites Risk to Corporate Reputation of Ignoring Social Responsibility - In advance of ExxonMobil's shareholder meeting May 29, Amnesty International is seeking support for a shareholder resolution calling on ExxonMobil to adopt a comprehensive, transparent, and verifiable human rights policy to guide the company's business operations and protect communities affected by the company's global operations. (Amnesty International USA, 19 Apr. 2002)

SUDAN: "War raging" around southern oilfields -...The SPLA has said fighting in the area began in February when the government tried to force residents and the rebel movement from the area in order to secure it for oil production. On Thursday, it deplored the alleged forcible displacement of the indigenous population from the villages of Wang Kai and Rier "to make these areas safe for the foreign multinational oil companies to operate". [refers to Lundin Oil, Talisman Energy] (U.N. Integrated Regional Information Networks, 19 Apr. 2002)

Green lobby loses eco-vote at BP meeting: Green groups and ethical shareholders in oil major BP lost a vote yesterday on reporting environmental risks, but said they would keep pushing the company to live up to its green marketing image. (Neil Chatterjee, Reuters, 19 Apr. 2002) 

California jury finds companies liable for MTBE pollution: A San Francisco jury has found three energy companies [Shell Oil Co., Lyondell Chemical Co., Tosco Corp.] liable for polluting Lake Tahoe's drinking water with MTBE...The San Francisco Superior Court jury also found that Shell Oil Co. and Lyondell Chemical Co. hid information about the potential dangers (Reuters, 19 Apr. 2002)

{···français} Des syndicats de Technip-Coflexip et de PPR [Pinault-Printemps-La Redoute] appelés en renfort par les salariés de filiales aux Etats-Unis: La fédération américaine AFL-CIO a sollicité la CGT, FO et SUD pour l'aider à imposer la création de sections syndicales dans des sociétés récemment rachetées par les deux groupes français (Michel Delberghe, Le Monde, 18 avril 2002)

Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest Gains Reprieve: Government Oil Firm Recommends Reduced Oil Development; Cites Community Resistance - A mega oil development planned for the Ecuadorian Amazon may be radically reduced in size, in response to opposition by indigenous groups. (EarthRights International, 18 Apr. 2002)

Taiwan gets T$61 mln to clean up worst oil spill: Taiwan's environmental authority said yesterday it reached a deal with the insurance firms of the Greek bulk carrier Amorgos for T$61 million (US$1.7 million) in compensation to clean up the worst oil spill in decades. (Reuters, 18 Apr. 2002) 

Sample Letter for Concerned Customers and Shareholders of ExxonMobil - ICCR-Member religious investors, along with Amnesty International, are pressing ExxonMobil to create a comprehensive, verifiable human rights policy...You can send the following letter to CEO Lee Raymond (Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, 17 Apr. 2002)

Three oil firms lose MTBE suit [USA]: A jury holds them responsible for Lake Tahoe well pollution -...Jurors also found that Shell and Lyondell Chemical Co. of Houston, the largest domestic manufacturer of MTBE, acted with "malice" in failing to warn consumers that the chemical posed an extraordinary environmental hazard. (Chris Bowman, Sacramento Bee, 17 Apr. 2002)

{···español} Ecologistas denuncian muerte de operario por imprevisión en construcción del OCP [Ecuador]: La organización Acción Ecológica denunció hoy que la imprevisión en la construcción de un nuevo oleoducto causó la muerte de un operario e hirió a otros dos. (El Universo [Ecuador], 17 abril 2002)

BP Complicity in China's Exploitation of Tibet: Campaigners Set Sights on company AGM after BP stonewalls rights groups - Tibet campaigners have pledged to highlight at this week's BP AGM (18 April) how the company's collaboration with PetroChina makes BP complicit in abusive policies in Chinese occupied Tibet. (Free Tibet Campaign, 16 Apr. 2002)

Union Activist: Co.'s Hire Attackers [Colombia]: Hiring paramilitary groups to attack and threaten union leaders is a common practice by foreign companies operating in Colombia, a union activist from the country said Tuesday [refers to lawsuits against Drummond Co. and Coca-Cola] (Associated Press, 16 Apr. 2002)

Ecuador's oil pollution fears -...Oil waste is collected in vast pools often on agricultural land, making further cultivation impossible. (BBC News, 15 Apr. 2002)

Canada's Talisman plans to remain in Sudan: A leading Canadian energy firm has pledged to remain in Sudan despite threats by rebel forces...Hears asserted that his company will not end operations in Sudan despite criticism of Canadian human rights groups. (MENL, 12 Apr. 2002)

The Debate: Behind the corporate greenwash - Graham Ward claims the UK's energy companies take environmental issues very seriously, but Tony Juniper argues most do not take a global view and fail to recognise the scale of the challenge. (Tony Juniper, Director-designate at Friends of the Earth, and Graham Ward, Chairman of the British Energy Association, in Accountancy Age, 11 Apr. 2002)

Case Study: BP and the Casanare Project, Colombia - With high oil production levels, and with a backdrop of a nationwide-armed conflict, BP decided it was time to improve and streamline the Tri-Sector Partnering model it had been applying since 1993, with the advisory support of BPD/NRC. The goal was to optimise the use of resources, so that that their operations generate long-term sustainable, non-oil dependent social and economic development in the Casanare region. (Michael Warner, Secretariat Coordinator, Business Partners for Development/Natural Resources, in Ethical Corporation Magazine, 11 Apr. 2002)

Olympic agrees to $75 mln pipeline blast settlement [USA]: Olympic Pipe Line Co. and other companies have agreed to pay $75 million to the families of two 10-year-old boys who were killed in a Washington state pipeline blast, a settlement the parents hailed as a strong signal to the oil industry that safety must come first (Scott Hillis, Reuters, 11 Apr. 2002)

Colombian rebels declare war on oil:...Commander Pablo, a representative of the ELN (National Liberation Army in English), told reporters that Occidental Petroleum from the US, Spanish-Argentine combine Repsol-YPF and Colombia's own Ecopetrol were now targets. (BBC News, 10 Apr. 2002)

Chinese mine blasts kill 31: Fatal explosions have been reported in two coal mines in northern China, on the same day the country announced it was closing thousands of unsafe mines. (BBC News, 10 Apr. 2002)

Thousands more Chinese mines to be shut in safety crackdown: China will close thousands of small coal mines this year in an attempt to reduce the appalling death toll among workers in the industry. (AFP, 10 Apr. 2002)

Thailand may alter Malaysia gas pipe route - paper: Thailand is studying alternative routes for a controversial gas pipeline to Malaysia, due to opposition from villagers and environmentalists, a Thai newspaper reported yesterday. Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has ordered studies into alternatives by oil and gas firm PTT Plc... (Reuters, 10 Apr. 2002)

UNDP and Shell to assess social impact of major China pipeline project: The assessment will help maximize economic and social benefits in communities affected by the project and promote equitable development in areas adjoining the pipeline's route in western China...The study is one element of an overall environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) being conducted by Shell, the leader of the consortium currently in discussions with PetroChina over possible participation in the West -East Pipeline project. (U.N. Development Programme, 9 Apr. 2002)

Letter from John Gibbons [former director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy] to ExxonMobil - "...the recent action by your Washington, D.C., representative in lobbying the Bush Administration to dump Dr. Robert Watson as the United States representative on the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) gives me every reason to quit doing business with ExxonMobil and to urge others to do the same." (John Gibbons, former director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, 8 Apr. 2002)

CLIMATE CHANGE: ExxonMobil Defends Lobbying Against IPCC Head - Petroleum giant ExxonMobil defended itself last week against allegations it lobbied U.S. President George W. Bush to withdraw support for Robert Watson, the incumbent chairman of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (UN Wire, 8 Apr. 2002)

Environmentalists say US hijacking UN summit: Environmental groups last week accused the United States and oil exporting nations of trying to gut a global action plan for environmentally friendly development to be adopted at a U.N. summit in South Africa..."The United States' only vision is that this planet should be run like a business park," Greenpeace's Remi Parmentier told a news conference (Irwin Arieff, Reuters, 8 Apr. 2002)

Colombian Rebels Free Union Leader: A leader of an oil workers' union was freed Sunday by a right-wing paramilitary group which had kidnapped him more than a month ago, the government said. (Associated Press, 7 Apr. 2002) 

UMWA miners' union says safety regulations unenforced [USA]: A coal miners' union has accused the government of major regulatory lapses at an Alabama mine where an explosion last September killed 13 workers and at mines nationwide. (Jay Reeves, Associated Press, in Nando Times, 7 Apr. 2002)

'Boycott Esso' call over attempt to oust green expert [UK] - Motorists across Britain are being urged by environmentalists to boycott Esso petrol stations following claims that their parent company collaborated with the Bush administration in a bid to undermine the world's most influential exponent of global warming theory. (Steve Boggan, Independent [UK], 6 Apr. 2002)

{···español} Greenpeace plantea demanda contra banco que financia el OCP [Ecuador]: La organización ecologista Greenpeace presentó un recurso al Gobierno del estado federado alemán de Renania del Norte-Westfalia contra un crédito del banco Westdeutsche Landesbank para la construcción del Oleoducto de Crudos Pesados (OCP)...Para la experta, el oleoducto...destruirá las selvas del país y los fundamentos de la vida de los pueblos indígenas y de especies animales amenazadas. Además, según greenpeace existe el peligro de que, a través de derramamientos accidentales de petróleo, se contaminen los suelos y las reservas de agua potable. (La Hora [Ecuador], 5 abril 2002)

SEC Requires ExxonMobil to Include Shareowner Resolutions on Proxy [USA] -...The SEC had only one amendment to the third shareowner resolution that will appear on ExxonMobil’s proxy, which was filed by Amnesty International and involved human rights. The words “we believe” must appear before the resolution’s statement that the company does not possess a comprehensive human rights policy. (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 4 Apr. 2002)

Leading Toward A Better World? The Role of Multinational Corporations in Economic & Social Development of Poor Countries: Keynote Speaker - John Browne, Group CEO, BP (John Browne, Group CEO, BP, speech at Harvard University, 3 Apr. 2002)

{···español} Gobierno ecuatoriano espera que petrolera repare daño ambiental: La ministra ecuatoriana de Ambiente, Lourdes Luque, dijo que espera que la empresa OCP-Ecuador cumpla su ofrecimiento de reparar el daño ambiental causado en el noroeste de Quito. (El Tiempo [Colombia], 3 abril 2002)

CLIMATE CHANGE: U.S. To Endorse Indian Replacement Of Watson For IPCC -...The decision comes after a meeting between State Department officials and energy and automotive lobbyists yesterday, with reports saying the two industries and the U.S. administration itself were displeased with Watson because he has pressed for tough climate control measures. (UN Wire, 3 Apr. 2002)

Activists held in Ecuador pipeline protest freed (Reuters, 3 Apr. 2002)

Premcor says to pay $6.2 mln fine [USA]: Premcor Refining Group Inc. said this week it will pay a $6.2 million fine related to alleged violations of environmental laws at its now-closed refinery near Chicago. (Reuters, 3 Apr. 2002)

Polar Partnership Promotes Sustainable Development in Arctic:...Natural resource utilization, mining and military operations in the Arctic have expanded...the [Arctic] Council does promote the precautionary principle and urges the use of environmental and social impact assessments to assure that all activities benefit local people while providing the maximum environmental protection. (United Nations website for the Johannesburg Summit 2002 - the World Summit on Sustainable Development, 2 Apr. 2002)

Occupational illnesses on rise in China: Health damages and illnesses associated with poor working conditions are plaguing an increasing number of Chinese workers, as necessary protective measures are often ignored, according to China's health authorities...Workers in the industries of coal production, metallurgy, building materials, nonferrous metals, machinery and chemicals run especially high risks of suffering occupational illnesses. (Xinhua, in China Daily [China], 2 Apr. 2002) 

CLIMATE CHANGE: U.S. Reportedly Seeking To Sink Watson As IPCC Head - The U.S. State Department is planning to hold up the nomination of climatologist Robert Watson for re-election as head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in a decision that has sparked debate among environmental groups and the energy industry, the New York Times reports today...In a letter cited by the newspaper, ExxonMobil senior environmental adviser Arthur Randol reportedly told the U.S. State Department last year that Watson leaked drafts of IPCC climate reports to advance a "personal agenda." According to the Times, Randol asked, "Can Watson be replaced now at the request of the U.S.?" (UN Wire, 2 Apr. 2002)

More light, less heat: If countries and companies are willing to co-operate, global warming can be brought under control, believes John Browne (commentary by John Browne, Chief Executive of BP, in Financial Times, 2 Apr. 2002)

Shell on Trial in the Niger Delta: This week multinational Shell Petroleum Development Corporation settled one of two major cases brought against them by local peoples suffering the consequences of their operations in the Niger Delta. [settlement of lawsuit for alleged damage to Ogbodo community caused by oil pipeline explosion; also refers to ongoing lawsuit on behalf of the relatives of Ogoni environmental activist Ken Saro Wiwa and eight others who were publicly executed in Nigeria after speaking out against environmental degradation caused by Shell operations in 1995] (Cultural Survival, 1 Apr. 2002)

Burma Democracy Campaigners Target U.S. Energy Firm: Burma Campaign UK launched a campaign last week aimed at persuading energy firm Amerada Hess to withdraw its 25 percent stake in the British company Premier Oil, which operates a major pipeline in Myanmar (Carol Nahra, OneWorld UK, 1 Apr. 2002)

Business and Human Rights: Policy commitments and disclosure in the extractive sector [A comparison of policies and practices on human rights issues from seven multinational extractive companies: BG, BP, BHP Billiton, BOC, Premier Oil, Rio Tinto, Shell] (Lucy Amis & Dave Prescott, International Business Leaders Forum, Apr. 2002)

UN Global Compact Case Studies of Multistakeholder Partnership: Policy Dialogue on Business in Zones of Conflict (edited by Virginia Haufler, University of Maryland, Apr. 2002)

Pocketing Caspian Black Gold: Who are the Real Beneficiaries of Oil Infrastructure Development in Georgia and Azerbaijan? [section 1.5 entitled "Human Rights and Oil"; report refers to following companies in context of Georgia: Georgian International Oil Corp. (state-owned), Saknavtobi (state-owned, Georgia), Ramco Energy (UK), National Petroleum (Switzerland), Frontera Resources, Anadarko Georgia, Georgian-British Oil Company, National Petroleum LTD, Ninotsminda Oil Co., Canargo Energy; report refers to following companies in context of Azerbaijan: BP, Amoco, Pennzoil, Unocal, Exxon, Statoil, TPAO, Itochu, McDermott, Bechtel] (Manana Kochladze, CEE Bankwatch Network - Energy Project, Apr. 2002)

The key to peace: Unlocking the human potential of Sudan - Interagency briefing paper -...The extraction of oil is fuelling war and allowing increased military expenditure to occur. Conflict in the oil fields is escalating as warring parties reposition and shift allegiances. The recent attack in the remote town of Bieh, which killed at least 24 people, was a tragic reminder that civilians are paying the cost of oil extraction. (Christian Aid, CARE-International, Oxfam, Save the Children, Tear Fund, Apr. 2002)

Hiding between the streams - the war on civilians in the oil regions of southern Sudan (Christian Aid and Dan Church Aid, Apr. 2002)

Report of an Investigation into Forced Displacement in the Town of Mankien, Western Upper Nile, Sudan (Gary W. Kenny, Researcher/Policy Advocate - Human Rights Africa, KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives, Apr. 2002)

Way beyond petroleum: Oil giant British Petroleum’s glossy, eco-friendly advertising campaign says the company has gone ‘beyond petroleum’. In resource-rich West Papua, the company seems to be living up to its claim by helping to fund an emerging government. Can it be trusted? If not, what’s the alternative? [refers also to Freeport McMoRan] (New Internationalist, Apr. 2002)

The Cost of Living Richly: Citigroup’s Global Finance and Threats to the Environment - Citi-financed projects, say environmentalists, are promoting environmental insecurity — not only damaging local ecosystems, but undermining the livelihood of communities around the world and threatening the well-being of people across the globe through climate change (Ilyse Hogue, global finance campaigner with the Rainforest Action Network, in Multinational Monitor, Apr. 2002)