„Follow the Money“

You can’t build a nuclear power plant, a dam or a pipeline without loans, insurances and other investments. Mining companies and arms manufacturers are also always in need of fresh money. Urgewald uncovers the financing of environmental destruction and abuse of human rights, and names those responsible. “Follow the Money” is the strategic approach to our campaigns against investors and other financiers. It is aimed directly at the Achilles heel of these enterprises: the money.

As an “advocate for environmental and human rights”, we give a voice to those affected. On their behalf, we exert pressure on investors, banks and politics. We are their point of contact, when German or European donors abroad harm their rights. We ensure that displaced smallholders, activists against cluster bombs, anti-nuclear activists and climate protectors from all over the world are heard during shareholder meetings, press conferences and in the boardrooms of German firms and banks. If this does not suffice, we mobilize with protest and consumer campaigns.

We talk regularly to persons responsible in corporations and politics – after all, the federal government and state governments are also repeatedly involved in abhorrent transactions, for example, via public and multilateral banks.

Urgewald’s success is based on the strength of sound arguments, on the quality of our investigations and on a very dogged determination. In addition, we also believe campaigns are there to be won! Over the years, we’ve prevented, amongst other things, a nuclear power plant, curtailed the financing of a cluster ammunition manufacturer and secured an end to Hermes guarantees for international nuclear projects. We also initiated the four hitherto largest ground-breaking coal divestment decisions: the extensive coal phase-out by the Norway Pension Fund and the Allianz, AXA and Generali insurance groups.