[Env seminars] Wednesday's Environmental Seminar: "NGO Proposals to Reform International Trade Finance Rules: Boon for Clean Energy Exports or Boondoggle?", E40-496

[Karen Luxton]

A reminder about this week's seminar!

 

Environment and Sustainability Seminar Series

Sponsored by the MIT Laboratory for Energy and the Environment (LFEE)

 

THIS WEEK - 

 

"NGO Proposals to Reform International Trade Finance Rules:  Boon for Clean
Energy Exports or Boondoggle?"

 


Peter C. Evans


Center for International Studies, MIT

 

Wednesday, November 17th

12:00 - 1:30 pm

E40-496

 

NGOs have been highly critical of the international regime that governs
official trade finance.  They have challenged the regime for failing to
sufficiently regulate the negative environmental externalities associated
with large pipelines, dams, nuclear power plants and other energy projects.
Given climate change concerns, NGOs have also criticized the substantial
credit support that exporting governments provide for fossil fuel based
capacity additions in developing countries compared to the meager support
provided to renewable energy.  

 

The industrialized member countries of the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD) established the regime governing official
trade finance in the 1970s. These rules were designed to curtail trade
distortions caused by the subsidization of credits issued by export credit
agencies (ECAs) and the abuse of Official Development Assistance (ODA)
through "tied-aid" and other potentially predatory trade practices.  These
rules now affect approximately $100 billion in projects financed annually
with medium to long-term credits backed by OECD governments, including a
wide range of energy infrastructure projects in the developing world.

 

In this talk, Peter Evans will examine the criticisms leveled by NGOs, the
prospects for reforms they propose, and the consequences for cleaner energy
exports.  Mr. Evans, a Senior Associate at Cambridge Energy Research
Associated (CERA) from 1996-2003, has written extensively about energy and
export credit issues.   He is currently completing his PhD at MIT's
Department of Political Science.  His dissertation examines the
international regime governing official trade finance.

 

_________________________________________________________________

Part of a series of brown bag talks on issues of energy, environment, and
sustainability sponsored by the MIT Laboratory for Energy and the
Environment.  Bring your lunch - cookies and drinks will be provided.

 

 

 

Karen K. Luxton, Administrative Assistant

Education Program

MIT Laboratory for Energy and the Environment

77 Massachusetts Ave., E40-481

Cambridge, MA  02139

phone:  (617) 253-3478

fax:  (617) 253-8013

e-mail:  kkluxton at mit.edu

http://lfee.mit.edu/education

 

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