UK Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Curtis Research

The UK Energy-Finance-Government Nexus

(May 2013)

This briefing, based on research commissioned by the World Development Movement, outlines the role played by British companies in controversial energy projects in developing countries. It shows the nexus of interests, and revolving door, between these companies and former and current civil servants and Ministers. Many British companies currently promoting dirty energy projects are managed or advised by former British officials. Furthermore, senior executives in these companies serve on government-linked advisory boards which shape the UK’s financial and trade policies. The nexus goes to the heart of government. Several Cabinet ministers have past or present links to the energy or finance companies under analysis.

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Categories: Climate, Companies, UK

The Role of European Development Finance Institutions in Land Grabs

Report for Aprodev (May 2013)

This briefing, the result of a longer piece of research commissioned by Aprodev, analyses the involvement of nine European development finance institutions (DFIs) in investments where land grabs have been reported: FMO (Netherlands), DEG (Germany), CDC (UK), Norfund (Norway), Finnfund (Finland), Swedfund (Sweden), SIFEM (Switzerland), OeEB (Austria) and IFU (Denmark). It also analyses the internal guidelines of these DFIs and finds that they have insufficient safeguards in place to ensure that they are not involved in land grabs.

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Categories: Companies, Food & Agriculture, UK

Web of Power: The UK Government and the Energy-Finance Complex Fuelling Climate Change

Report for World Development Movement (March 2013)

This report, written by WDM to which Curtis Research contributed research, shows the links between current and former British ministers and officials and the finance and energy companies driving climate change. The report highlights the extent to which British companies currently promoting dirty energy projects in developing countries are managed or advised by former British officials and that senior executives of many of these same companies are currently serving as members of government-linked advisory boards which shape the UK’s financial and trade policies. These companies are likely to be exerting influence over government policy on energy projects and on its wider financial and trade policies, which thus may have been captured by this nexus of personal interests.

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Categories: Climate, Companies, Foreign Policy, Mining, UK

Enough Food for Everyone If…: The need for UK action on global hunger

Report for UK NGOs (January 2013)

Curtis Research researched and wrote the first draft of this report, which outlines some of the key challenges facing the UK and other developed states relating to their policies on global hunger. The report is the launch document for a UK campaign, the successor to Make Poverty History, to change certain UK government policies on agriculture, nutrition, tax, biofuels, land grabs and policy transparency. It calls on the UK, and other G8 states, to invest in small farmers and those suffering from undernutrition, address damaging biofuels and land grabs policies, take steps to end tax haven secrecy and improve transparency of policies.

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Categories: Climate, Food & Agriculture, Tax, UK

The Hunger Games: How DFID Support for Agribusiness is Fuelling Poverty in Africa

Report for War on Want (December 2012)

This report shows that hundreds of millions of pounds of British taxpayers’ money is being used to promote projects designed to benefit some of the world’s richest agribusiness corporations and to extend their control over the global food system. DFID is at the centre of an intricate nexus of corporations and donor-sponsored institutions seeking to maximise private profit from agriculture. Personal connections play a vital role, and there is a significant ‘revolving door’ of staff between DFID and agribusiness corporations, with the personal links going beyond DFID to the heart of the UK government and its economic policy. In addition, this report reveals DFID’s involvement in a network of private enterprises and investment fund managers incorporated in the secrecy jurisdiction of Mauritius.

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Categories: Companies, Food & Agriculture, Tax, UK

Briefing on London Mining Agreement in Sierra Leone

Briefing for National Advocacy Coalition on the Extractives, Sierra Leone (April 2012)

This briefing analyses the fiscal terms of the revised mining agreement between the UK-based London Mining with the government of Sierra Leone. It finds that while the new agreement is an improvement over the current one it contains 11 provisions inconsistent with Sierra Leone’s legislation while some of its terms are actually worse than in the current agreement. The new agreement should not be ratified in its present form, since Sierra Leone will unnecessarily lose badly-needed revenues. Increasing revenues from mining must be a top priority for the government, along with ensuring transparency in such revenues as under the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.

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Categories: Companies, Mining, UK

The Great Game: The Reality of Britain’s War in Afghanistan

Report for War on Want (February 2011)

Afghanistan is the UK government’s “most important” foreign policy and national security issue, according to Prime Minister David Cameron. The current war in Afghanistan has now entered its 10th year, longer than both the First World War and Second World War combined. This report outlines the impact of the war on the Afghan people, whose country has been devastated by decades of warfare and foreign interference, and calls for the withdrawal of NATO troops.

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Categories: Foreign Policy, UK

Sierra Leone at the Crossroads: Seizing the Chance to Benefit from Mining

Report for National Advocacy Coalition on Extractives, Sierra Leone (March 2009)

This report shows how the people of Sierra Leone could benefit more from the country’s mineral resources, which account for 90 per cent of exports but only $9-10 million in government revenues. It shows how mining tax laws have given away too much to companies while government policies to regulate the mining sector are poor or non-existent. Includes case studies of the two largest foreign investors, Sierra Rutile and Koidu Holdings.

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Categories: Companies, Mining, Tax, UK

Precious Metal: The Impact of Anglo Platinum in South Africa

Report for ActionAid (March 2008)

This report analyses the operations in South Africa of the world’s largest platinum producer, Anglo Platinum, a company majority-owned by the British mining giant, Anglo American. The findings suggest that company activities have deprived communities of agricultural land while community protests are often met by police brutality and company legal action.

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Categories: Companies, Mining, UK

Fanning the Flames: The Role of British Mining Companies in Conflict and the Violation of Human Rights

Report for War on Want (November 2007)

This report documents the impacts of the largest British mining companies, including BHP Billiton, Anglo American, Xstrata, Rio Tinto and Vedanta, in around twenty countries. It shows companies’ involvement in human rights violations, the exacerbation of conflict and environmental destruction at the same time as making record profits.

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Categories: Companies, Mining, UK

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