13th June 2022
To: Mr. Jin Liqun, President, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
Mr. Ludger Schuknecht, V.P. and Corporate Secretary, AIIB
Sir Danny Alexander, V.P., Policy and Strategy, AIIB
Mr. Bob Pickard, D.G., Communications Department, AIIB
– Via Email –
Dear AIIB President Jin Liqun, Mr. Ludger Schuknecht, Sir Danny Alexander, and Mr. Bob Pickard:
We appreciate the decision to extend the duration of the period for public comment on the proposed updates to the Energy Sector Strategy. However, with all due respect, we urge the AIIB to make this one month reflective of a more inclusive, meaningful process taking into account the global reach of the Bank’s current membership. As previously elaborated, this would include namely:
Scheduling interactive discussion sessions with civil society in different languages, including listening directly to people already affected by AIIB’s energy sector investments and considering their recommendations for moving forward,
Scheduling time to discuss concerns related to particular types of projects or about regional/country contexts, and
Accepting submissions in major operating languages of member countries (i.e. not English only, including for example: Arabic, Bahasa, Bengali, Hindi, Nepali, Russian, Spanish and Thai).
Given the constrained time frame available, at a minimum, we urge you to schedule separate sessions on the following (with translations and different time zone options):
Fossil fuel financing and alignment with the Paris Climate Accord (1.5C Pathway)
Financing new /expansion hydropower project schemes (in contrast to renewable energy systems needed for a just and sustainable transition)
Gendered implications and considerations related to project financing under the Energy Sector Strategy, including universal energy access
We look forward to a timely response. Thank you.
Respectfully,
Aksi! for Gender, Social and Ecological Justice (Indonesia)
Bangladesh Working Group on External Debt (Bangladesh)
Both ENDS (Netherlands)
Centre for Financial Accountability (India)
Center for Energy, Ecology and Development (Philippines)
Civic Advisory Hub (Uganda)
Coastal Livelihood and Environmental Action Network (Bangladesh)
Committee for the Cancellation of Third World Debt (India)
Defenders Protection Initiative (Uganda)
Environics Trust (India)
Environmental Public Alliance (Armenia)
Equitable Cambodia (Cambodia)
Freedom from Debt Coalition (Philippines)
Friends of the Earth US (USA)
Fundación Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (Argentina)
Gender Action (USA)
GrowthWatch (India)
Indian Social Action Forum (India)
Initiative for Right View (Bangladesh)
KRuHA - People's Coalition for the Right to Water (Indonesia)
Manushya Foundation (Laos & Thailand)
Mekong Watch (Japan)
Nash Vek (Kyrgyz Republic)
Oil Workers' Rights Protection Organization Public Union (Azerbaijan)
Oyu Tolgoi Watch (Mongolia)
Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (Pakistan)
Recourse (Netherlands)
Rivers without Boundaries (Mongolia)
Sustentarse (Chile)
Urgewald e.V. (Germany)
VedvarendeEnergi (Denmark)
Youth Group for the Protection of the Environment (Tajikistan)
350 Pilipinas (Philippines)
Fundación para el Desarrollo de Políticas Sustentables /Foundation for the Development of Sustainable Policies (Argentina)
BRICS Feminist Watch (Global)
Inclusive Development International (Global)
International Accountability Project (Global)
International Rivers (Global)
Just Finance International (Global)
Programme on Women’s Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Global)
Rivers without Boundaries International Coalition (Global)
350.org Asia (Regional)
Arab Watch Regional Coalition (Regional)
Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development (Regional)
Building and Wood Workers International - Asia Pacific (Regional)
CEE Bankwatch (Regional)
Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives-Asia Pacific (Regional)
Latinoamérica Sustentable (Regional)
NGO Forum on ADB (Regional)
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