Category Archives: Harmful Cases

FACING FINANCE keeps constant record of incidents on the involvement of investments in human rights violations, international law infringements or environmental devastations.

Mobile Phone trends – Is sustainability improving?

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phones | Bild (Ausschnitt): © dave patten [CC BY-NC-SA 2.0] - flickr

When did you last buy a new smartphone? According to Bitkom, the majority of Germans own a mobile phone that is less than a year old. Instead of repairing them, smartphones are bought again. This creates problems in relation to labour and human rights as well as for the environment as the ever-growing demand for precious metals leads to environmental disturbances in mining regions, the neglect of labour rights for miners, and resource scarcity.   ... →

HSBC and Commerzbank are financing dubious palm oil company Noble

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Oil palm graveyard - these palms were injected with pesticides (paraquat, according to locals) so to kill them and allow preparations for the next planting. | Bild (Ausschnitt): © Wakx [CC BY-NC-SA 2.0] - Flickr

In January 2017 Greenpeace released the report „Dirty Bankers – How HSBC is financing forest destruction for palm oil“.   This report provides a detailed explanation of the business relations between HSBC and controversial palm oil companies.
HSBC is considered to be one of the leading investors of the palm oil industry. Noble Group for example, a supplier of agricultural and energy products based in Hong Kong, is financed by this bank.   ... →

Another mining activists in Colombia killed

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On January 7, Aldemar was assassinated by two unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle on the route from El Hatillo to La Loma in broad daylight. He was a community leader and active trade unionist, until recently employed in the mine of Colombian Natural Resources (CNR). He leaves his wife and three children behind.

The murder of Aldemar is not an isolated incident.   ... →

Update: Employees of the law firm Leigh Day arrested after criticism of the Vedanta subsidiary KCM in Zambia

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Leigh Day, an international law firm, represents some 1800 Zambian farmers in their accusation against the mining company Konkola Coppermines plc (KCM), a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources. The company is accused of having contaminated the groundwater in the course of its copper production, contaminated soils and damaged the health of the population.

At the beginning of January 2017, Leigh Day Day employee Oliver Holland was arrested during a meeting with several clients in a Zambian community and held for several hours by the police.   ... →

Lafarge: Accusation of crimes against humanity and complicity in war crimes

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The NGOs Sherpa and the ECCHR (European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights) have filed a criminal complaint against the French group Lafarge. The world’s leading cement producer and its Syrian branch Lafarge Cement Syria (LCS) is accused of having maintained business relations with the so-called “Islamic State” (ISIS)- and thus supporting terrorist activities- as well as complicity in war crimes, endangerment of people and forced labour.   ... →

Update: Dam Collapse in Brazil: Lawsuit against Executives

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Bento Rodrigues, Mariana, Minas Gerais Local: Distrito de Bento Rodrigues, Município de Mariana, Minas Gerais.Foto: Rogério Alves/TV Senado | Bild (Ausschnitt): © Créditos: Rogério Alves/TV Senado (CC BY 2.0) [CC BY 2.0] - Wikipedia

Since the disastrous collapse of the tailings dam in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais in November 2015 (which FACING FINANCE has reported on several times since the incident) the Brazilian public prosecutor’s office filed homicide charges against 21 executive staff members of the mining companies BHP Billiton (Australia), Vale S.A. (Brazil) and Samarco Mineração, which is a joint-venture between Vale and BHP Billiton.   ... →