In the last two days an incredible 5,000 Avaaz members from across Scandenavia have contacted Nordea Bank, urging them not to fund a destructive pulp mill in Tasmania, Australia.

For the first time, Nordea bank announced via Twitter today that they would not finance the Gunns pulp mill in Australia if its widely-publicized environmental impacts were not curbed. It's a spectacular example of the power of rapid public pressure to affect global companies, and of the power of the global network: Australian Avaaz members and partners, facing a threatened environmental disaster, appealed to Scandinavians to take action and moved one of the world's leading banks. Increasingly, corporations face accountability everywhere for what they do anywhere.

But the fight isn't over yet! Nordea has to make crystal clear that it won't fund the pulp mill unless specific safeguards are put in place. Click here to read a press release explaining more -- or check out the background information below to learn the history and possible impact of the pulp mill.

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The proposed Bell Bay pulp mill in Tasmania, Australia was announced by Gunns Ltd. over five years ago.
Gunns is unable to complete the project without significant financial investment, and has so far failed to find such funding.

Nordea and the Pulp Mill

Nordea has been considering financing the pulp mill since 2008 after being approached by Gunns ltd. Today (6 January 2010) Mr. Sjøhelle confirmed that Nordea "would not finance a project in the form presented in the media so far."¹

In 2008 a coalition of NGOs including Europe-based BankTrack and Australian organisations GetUp and The Wilderness Society ran an international advertising campaign in the Financial Times which led to more than 15 leading banks ruling out involvement in the project, including all major banks in Australia. Nordea was the only bank to respond that they were considering funding the project. In response to the campaign, Nordea wrote, in an email to the campaigning coalition in August 2008,

"Nordea has been approached by Gunns Ltd. in the initial finance processes of the proposed pulp mill in Tasmania. Nordea has not committed to any financing of the project yet. Nordea is at this stage researching all aspects of the project prior to a finance decision."²

In July 2009, VG Newspaper in Norway ran an expose on the environmental devastation the mill would cause. Nordea Communication Director Rune K. Sjøhelle told the paper: 

"We know the project, and Gunns has been in contact with us. Nordea is the biggest bank in the Nordic countries, and the Nordic countres are world leaders on this kind of industry. So it is not surprising that we have been contacted about financing."³ (translated to English)

On September 28, 2009, The Australian newspaper wrote " Gunns' financiers" were "thought to include Nordea Bank."⁴

As of December 16, 2009, the Australian firm Mimram Planning and Development had a page up on its site describing its work on behalf of Gunns to assess the pulp mill:

"Acting for the project financiers - ANZ and Nordea Banks - Mimram, in collaboration with its European associates, recently carried out extensive and in-depth research into how the Gunns pulp mill project complies with the 9 Equator Principles and their Performance Standards, as promulgated by the IFC (World Bank)." ⁵

Other investors

Another Scandinavian company, pulp and paper company Södra, have recorded interest in financing the pulp mill. Their involvement has been welcomed by campaigning groups after Södra set minimum benchmarks for any pulp mill development in Australia, saying it would need to be totally chlorine-free (TCF), 100% plantation-based and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified.⁶

Any pulp mill development should be totally chlorine free, draw 100% on existing plantations rather than virgin forests, and fully assessed to community standards. Crucially, the proposed site of the mill in the Tamar Valley is not a suitable site.

Environmental impacts

Water

The proposed mill would dump 64,000 tonnes of toxic pollution into Bass Strait, Tasmania⁷. This effluent will contain dioxins and furans--some of the deadliest substances known to science. These build up over time in the food chain, contaminating fish, shellfish, seals and other marine life. Oceanographers have warned that the effluent will frequently blow back to pollute the shore and the Tamar Estuary⁸. The pulp mill will consume 26 to 40 billion litres of fresh water each year⁹. This is almost as much as the combined use of all water users in Northern Tasmania¹⁰. 

Economy

Air

The Australian Medical Association (Tasmanian branch) says the pulp mill 'could cause an increase in the already existing morbidity and mortality from atmospheric pollutants'¹². The pollution from the mill will also threaten the viability of local vineyards, farms and tourism.

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¹ Nordea Communication Director Rune K. Sjøhelle responds to twitter petition: http://act.ly/1kz

²Email correspondence from Knut Rorbakken, Group CSR Officer, Nordea Bank, 28 August, 2008.

³ "Nordea Vurderer Skandale-Prosjekt" VG, July 9, 2009. Original article http://avaazimages.s3.amazonaws.com/VG%20Nordea%20Article%20Translation.pdf , English translation http://avaazimages.s3.amazonaws.com/Norwegian%20news%20Gunns%20Nordea.png

⁴ http://www.theaustralian.com.au/politics/state-politics/when-enough-is-enough-the-policy-gets-pulped/story-e6frgczx-1225779451172

⁵ This can still be viewed in Google's Cache: http://74.125.113.132/search?q=cache:AEYdet8cKFwJ:www.mimram.com.au/assignments/anz-nordea-gunns-pulp-mill although it is now offline:  http://www.mimram.com.au/assignments/anz-nordea-gunns-pulp-mill/.

⁶ https://secure.wilderness.org.au/cyberactivist/cyberactions/09_06_sodra-cyberaction.php?

⁷  Gunns' referral under the EPBC Act, April 2007

⁸ Dr Stuart Godfrey http://www.cleantamar.com.au/pulp_mill_press_release.html

⁹ Gunns Ltd, Bell Bay Pulp Mill, Draft Integrated Impact Statement

¹⁰ Annual Reports, Esk Water and Cradle Coast Water

¹¹ Business Round Table for Economic Sustainability, http://www.lec.org.au

¹² Australian Medical Association Tasmania, position statements, http://www.amatas.com.au/issues/

On what was scheduled to be the last day of the Copenhagen climate talks, a diverse crowd of global civil society locked out of the negotiations sent a clear message of "Climate Shame" to Obama, Merkel, Hu, Harper, and other leaders who are most responsible for the current stalling of the negotiations.

With the talks now running well past their projected closure time. It's clear, there is one reason why climate negotiations have not moved forward in Copenhagen -- the failure of the U.S. and other developed nations to support emission reduction targets and climate finance at the levels needed to avoid catastrophic climate change.

Today a UN document was leaked that stated what many climate experts have been claiming throughout Copenhagen -- that the combined commitments of all nations in Copenhagen would leave the world with 3 degrees celsius of warming and 550ppm eCO2. A rise of 3C would mean up to 170 million more people suffering severe coastal floods and 550 million more at risk of hunger, according to the Stern review.

We've just heard that Obama has postponed his flight and is in meetings with key world leaders into the night. Let's hope these leaders see the light and raise their ambitions in the final hours. I wouldn't count on it. Either way, we will fight on.

**More photos from today's stunt to follow.

Thanks to Josh Lynch at the Avaaz action factory for this post

Today -- December 12, 2009 -- hundreds of thousands of people around the world gather at 3000 events in over 130 different countries with one message: the world wants a real climate deal at Copenhagen. Below is a slideshow with high-resolution photos from these actions around the world. To download them, please click on the image you prefer, you will direct to the "World Wants a Real Deal" flickr account and be able to save a copy from there. This Flickr account is shared by the partners of this day of action: Avaaz.org, 350.org and the TckTckTck campaign.

For press enquires please contact:

In Copenhagen: Alice Wynne Wilson -- Tel: +45 5273 0467, Email: aliceww@avaaz.org

In New York: Lisa Main -- Tel: + 1 347 278 3763, Email: lisa@avaaz.org

It's a huge part of Copenhagen, the financing of the $200 billion fund for climate change adaptation. We cannot get a deal unless richer nations -- also referred to as Annex 1 in legal-speak -- put money on the table to help developing nations grow cleanly and vulnerable countries adapt to the climate impacts already under-way.

Countries like the US have made short term financing suggestions but nothing in-line with what is really needed. It's a game of poker, with each country making a bet, and slowly increasing the pot. Now it's Japanese turn, and the new Prime Minister, Hatoyama, has indicated he may be willing to significantly raise the stakes.

The Japanese youth delegation know the potential that exists for Japan to be a climate leader on finance. They realize Japan has the opportunity to be a leader in unlocking the additional financing caught up in political posturing and rhetoric. To crank up this message the youth delegation joined the Avaaz aliens to take demands directly to Japan's delegation; demands that humans can't seem to muster up the courage to ask. Hiroyuki Hori and Jouju Vechi from Tokyo, and Yaicha Bookhout of Missoula suited up and went green to hunt down the Japanese representatives. They were determined to deliver the Japanese youth statement to Japan's negotiators

Word spread to the Japan's offices as the aliens wondered the hallways calling for Japan to take up a climate leadership role in Copenhagen. The aliens were essentially asking Japan to save Copenhagen as without real finances there is no real deal.
Japan quickly sent message to the aliens that the Japanese delegates would like to meet with the aliens and make a statement on what they are asking of Japan!

The Japanese youth got quick response from the delegation, which is promising, however we need commitments not promised statements from. The meeting is set to take place in s few hours and we'll be watching to see what happens.

Will Japan take the bold leadership needed to save Copenhagen or will they fall in line with other annex one countries that refuse to commit the additional funding needed to save the most impacted countries?

As far as these young leaders are concerned, they believe that Japan will make the right decision and become bold leaders here in Copenhagen.

**Thanks to Nick Magel from Avaaz Action Factory

Moments ago at the Copenhagen climate summit -- also known as the COP15 meetings -- 100's of people lined the entry way to the main plenary to stand with Tuvalu and all small island nations. Earlier today, Tuvalu, a small island in the south Pacific, showed true leadership at these negotiations, showing ambition by attempting to initiate an open conversation on how the world can achieve a legally binding treaty. However just mere suggestion of transparent communication, or "formal contact group", was thumbed away by rich nations trying to continue back-room negotiations that are wrecking havoc on a real deal in Copenhagen. While entire countries like Tuvalu combat raising sea levels, the richest countries refuse to pony up fair financing and set targets ambitious enough to avoid complete climate catastrophe.

Rich nations bound determination to continue with a business as usual mentality, or "informal talks", forced Tuvalu to appeal for temporary suspension of the Kyoto Track of the COP15 (one of the two major tracks hey re) realizing that transparent talks are essential to their survival and to achieving a fair and binding treaty. Word of these developments spread fast through the conference center and as the plenary came back to their reinitialized session 100's were standing there to greet them.

Video below.

The vulnerable communities and countries like Tuvalu are on the front lines of climate change. They're experiencing impacts which, unless we act, will eventually affect all of us. We would be wise to listen to them.

Video: Adam MacIsaac, Josh Lynch, Daniel Boese
Thanks to Nick Magel from the Avaaz Action Factory

The clock is ticking on climate change. In one month, 192 countries will meet at the international climate summit in Copenhagen to negotiate a new global treaty to prevent catastrophic climate change.

Everyone, including our political leaders, know what needs to be done in the deal: it must be fair, ambitious and binding. But at talks this week in Barcelona -- which aimed at trying to build consensus on key issues ahead of the final discussions -- progress was idling and political will from rich countries was severely lacking.

Heads of state need to step up and be the leaders people everywhere expect them to be. Today, aliens from Planet B went looking for climate leaders in Barcelona. Their message was delivered loud and clear to governments at the UN by TckTckTck -- a global campaigning force including 350.org, Avaaz, IndyAct, Greenpeace, and Oxfam -- watch the video and see photos below:

Here's a photo of the aliens with lead US negotiator, Jonathan Pershing:

Right now Copenhagen is the most important city in the world. In just 2 short months, the city might witness the formation of a global climate treaty. You've heard of the Kyoto protocol - the climate treaty that the US helped draft 12 years ago? The one that pretty much every other country has signed on to?

Well, the US, with 1/4 of global greenhouse emissions, has more excuses than a student with a late term-paper about why it hasn't done its part to help solve climate change. The people of the world aren't impressed.

Two years ago in Bali after a dramatic plea from Papua New Guinea in the final hours, the US and other leaders agreed to make a global treaty in Copenhagen in 2009. According to the Bali agreement, the plan needs to have four key elements to bring all nations together (here's the homework assignment). It needs to set mitigation targets for every country (reducing carbon emissions). It needs to protect forests from destruction (which cause 20% of global emissions). It needs to help poor countries develop more responsibly than we did by providing clean technology because the world can't afford to repeat the dirty energy economies of the 20th century. And it needs to help poor countries deal with the present and increasing effects of the climate crisis.

The road-map to Copenhagen, agreed on by the leaders in Bali, places a responsibility on every national government, but the path has been most difficult for the United States. Stubborn, short-sighted politics have delayed action for years, but the window of opportunity for a global deal in Copenhagen has added urgency to our fight.

When the the timetable was set, climate activists like myself stepped up efforts to get the US on track in the two years from December 2007 to December 2009. We threw ourselves into an election that promised change and took on challenges on a historic scale. But that clearly hasn't been enough.

Photo Credit: Robert Van Warden

We brought 12,000 activists to Powershift09 for the largest lobby day ever, and then stopped the U.S. Capitol plant from ever burning coal again. Just last month over 1,800 flash-mobs all over the world placed wake-up calls to world leaders on the need for climate action. And it's working; the global movement we've been working for is here and its beautiful.

The one tiny, little problem is that a handful of US senators stand between us and a global climate treaty. In Bali, they said the treaty needed to deal with 4 things, things that the senate (and specifically the finance committee) can provide.

Luckily, large environmental organizations are pulling out all the stops to fight for ambitious reductions in domestic emissions - as ambitious as we can get. (But boy are my fingers crossed that we can get something better.)

What we're lacking, and this is where you come in, are people fighting for those other three provisions. Adaptation, clean-tech transfer and forest protection receive mere lip-service in the initial draft of the Kerry-Boxer bill.

Developed countries need to put money on the table. How much? According to the Climate Action Network International policy paper, $150 billion per year, additional to existing aid, and raised from auction allowances. The European Commission Communication on Climate Financing is talking on a similar scale at least, calling for €50 billion annually by 2020.

What that works out to for the US, is in the range of 5% of allocation revenue for international adaptation, 5% for clean tech-transfer, and 5% for forest protection. The House climate bill in June allocated just 1%, 0.5% and 5%, respectively for those provisions. The Senate can do better and needs to do better. Whether we get a global deal or not could all come down to the next few weeks in the US senate.

We're so close to the global climate deal we need, but three of the four major provisions required aren't getting much attention. Let's give the senators on the finance committee a reason to look beyond their petty interests and own up to the responsibility we have to the world. Take a look at the senate finance committee members and how to contact them.

Two years ago, we could only hope that a good US Senate bill would be the biggest remaining obstacle to a good global climate treaty. It took millions of calls and letters, thousands of individual meetings and one of the largest days of action the world has yet seen to get us here. We're not done yet. If we can make the case for financing global solutions to the Senate, we can start to see the outlines of history -- the story we can tell our grandchildren about how we fought for, and won, a planet they can still enjoy.

Morgan Goodwin is a fellow at the Avaaz Action Factory in DC

Inspired by sustained support for an end to torture from the world community and a clear majority of Americans, Avaaz.org launched a metro billboard ad campaign to remind policymakers that torture is illegal, unethical and a top recruiting tool for the terrorist leader Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda network.



The ads (which are running at Farragut North Station and in a Washington Paper) feature Osama bin Laden in an "I love Gitmo" t-shirt (an acknowledgement that Al Qaeda uses the prison to recruit terrorists) and include quotes from President Obama and Presidential candidate John McCain.

Click here to download the press release

Thanks go to the thousands of Avaaz members who donated to fund this campaign. Our global voices are vital if we are to see Guantanamo Bay closed, a total ban on torture, and the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry into past practices. If you would like to make a further donation for this ongoing campaign - click here.

Some of the media achieved from the campaign is listed below:

Times of Malta

Agence France Press

Yahoo Espana

Middle East Online

On July 8th Italian Avaaz volunteers and members of the Avaaz European climate action factory -- a rapid response group of youth climate activists supported by Avaaz to raise the level of ambition for climate action in Europe -- organised a "strip mob" in front of the iconic Spanish stairs in Rome, Italy. The stunt's message was for bold climate action from the g8 leaders who were assembling in Italy for 2009 G8 Summit.

The team danced around to chants of "it's getting hot in here" whilst stripping down to reveal green underwear. They kept green underwear on, but threw their clothes at a dancer dressed as Berlusconi, who has been embroiled in public rows over his friendship with a young model. A large crowd of journalists and tourists cheered them on.

Photos and video below. For more information on the Action Factory projects in Europe and Washington DC, click here.

Thank you for participating in the Swine Flu campaign!


We stopped traffic in Geneva on May 27th as we descended on the World Health Organization (WHO) with a herd of cardboard pigs to deliver our petition! The 225 cardboard pigs represented the 225,000 Avaaz members that had signed the petition.

We certainly got our message across -- our campaign delivery went out around the world on ABC news, EFE TV, the Wall Street Journal, France 24, Kuwait News Agency, and Intellasia - as well as many other major news outlets.

When we handed over our petition, it became apparent how important our campaigning was and how valid our concerns were. Initially, the World Health Organization's Food Safety and Zoonoses director, Dr. Jørgen Schlundt, told us that the WHO and the FAO had not found a definitive link between the H1N1 virus and a factory farm and that the source was still under investigation. But he then admitted:
1) scientists have seen more disease breeding and mutating between animals and humans with the massive increase in industrial meat production;
2) he agreed that certain company's farming practices (Smithfields in this case) were dangerous;
3) he warned that new operations propagating in developing countries could make 'mistakes' in food safety that could be seriously risky to human health; and most importantly
4) he indicated that the political processes that determine the research and rules on factory farm biosafety are dominated by the industrial meat lobby. He said strong global regulations were essential, but, to date, unless there is a huge scare like BSE and people die, scientists are unable to push through the laws needed to prevent animal borne pandemics.

The message was clear - our public campaigning for investigation and regulation of factory farms is vital to ensure our food safety and counter the powerful meat industry. Our action showed the WHO that the world does not want to wait for another disaster - we want funding for scientists to investigate factory farms and we want preventive measures put in place that ensure public heath standards.

Click below to see the interview with Avaaz campaign director Alice Jay on Efe: