Climate Change

Large dams may be one of the single most important contributors to global warming, releasing 104 million metric tonnes of methane each year. This estimate was recently published in a peer-reviewed journal by Ivan Lima and colleagues from Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE). "There is now more than enough evidence to show that large dams are a major source of climate-changing pollution," says Patrick McCully, Executive Director of International Rivers. "Climate policy makers must address this issue." Lima’s calculations imply that the world’s 52,000 large dams contribute m

This op-ed first appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, November 17, 2006 It comes as a surprise to most people, but the reservoirs behind the world’s dams are likely a major source of global warming pollution. In the case of big reservoirs in the tropics -- where most new dams are proposed -- hydropower can actually emit more greenhouse gases per kilowatt-hour than fossil fuels, including dirty coal. Climate change scientist Philip Fearnside estimates that hydro projects in the Brazilian Amazon emit at least twice as much greenhouse gas as coal plants. The worst example studied, Balbina D

The World Bank is failing to live up to its clean energy mandate, agreed at the 2005 G8 Summit, figures in a new report from the bank reveal. The revelation comes as the World Bank is taking an increasingly high profile and controversial role at the UN climate talks currently underway in Montreal. The Bank hopes to control several global funds and initiatives supposed to help solve the climate crisis. But the World Bank’s own energy report exposes the institution’s failure to act on its mandate from G8’s Gleneagles summit to "take a leadership role in creating a new framework for clean e

In May 2005, HSBC was the first private bank to adopt the decision–making framework of the World Commission on Dams. In July, International Rivers and BankTrack called on more than 80 banks in 17 countries to follow the example of HSBC and adopt the WCD recommendations. What follows is the NGO letter to the banks.Dear Madam/Sir: We are writing to discuss the financing of large dams and to suggest that, following the example of other actors, your bank adopt the decision–making framework of the World Commission on Dams (WCD) to guide your activities in the water sector. Experience sh

As the World Bank unveiled its new Investment Framework on Clean Energy and Development at its annual meeting in Singapore in September 2006, a coalition of environment and development organizations charge that the strategy will not be effective at combating climate change and expanding energy access for the poor. The World Bank proposed raising $10 billion for conventional energy technologies such as fossil fuels, while selling renewable sources of energy short. The strategy will do little to slow global climate change or bring energy services to the 1.6 billion people that currently lac

A bitter debate has broken out in the scientific community over hydropower’s contribution to global warming. A leading Brazil-based climate scientist calculates that startlingly high levels of greenhouse gases are emitted when water is released from the turbines and spillways of tropical dams. But hydro industry-backed researchers have fiercely attacked his work. In an effort to settle the debate, International Rivers is releasing a report, just prior to the UN Climate Change conference in Nairobi (Nov. 6-25), calling on the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to determine hydropo

This summary of the report, “Twelve Reasons to Exclude Large Hydro from Renewables Initiatives,” has been prepared for distribution at the International Conference for Renewable Energies, Bonn, June 2004. This summary has been endorsed by 247 groups and networks in 61 countries. Funds to reduce the climatic and other environmental impacts of energy production and consumption, to advance sustainable development, and to increase energy security should be used for the promotion of “new renewables.” The most important “new renewables” are modern biomass, geothermal, wind, solar, ma