Campaign

• We partner with civil society organisations around the world to influence decision-makers and hold international financial institutions to account
• We advocate to shift institutions’ policies and practices in line with the demands of climate justice, human rights and the urgent just energy transition
• We use evidence-based research and advocacy to build a compelling case for change

Support

• We work in solidarity with local communities around the world, to ensure their voices are heard in development decision-making
• We support communities who have suffered harm from projects supported by public finance, to gain remedy and justice from the institutions responsible
• We partner with civil society organisations to open the space to be heard, secure community rights and fight discrimination

Multiply

• We work in coalition with other civil society organisations to maximise impact
• We facilitate an informed and engaged movement to hold financial institutions to account, through networking and capacity-building
  We are committed to movement-building to foster long-term, systemic change in public finance

Rights and accountability

Peoples’ rights are under threat around the world. The people most likely to be impacted by development finance are the ones least likely to be heard in decision-making. We support civil society organisations who work with communities worldwide, in their struggle for their rights to be respected and their voices to be heard, so that they benefit from rather than bear the costs of development.

Recourse advocates for:

• Stronger environmental and social standards. We put pressure on the multilateral development banks to adopt and implement the highest safeguards on gender, human rights, climate, and other priorities.
• Better accountability mechanisms. We campaign for stronger independent bodies to hold banks accountable when they do harm and support affected communities to file complaints, pushing for urgent remedy for affected people.

• Empowered civil society. We help to inform civil society and create safe spaces for engagement with development finance institutions and national development planning processes.
• Gender equality. Together with partner organisations, we highlight the disproportionate impact of climate change and poverty on women and girls, and fight against discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation and gender identity.

The protection and promotion of rights is fundamental to our vision of a world where people and planet are at the heart of development. To achieve this, the policies and practices of international finance institutions must be based on participation, transparency and public accountability.

Ecological justice 

Economic inequality, social injustices and the growing urgency of the climate crisis define today’s world. These are complex development challenges, felt most keenly by people on the frontline of the climate crisis especially in Africa, Asia and Latin America. We work to put climate, biodiversity and environmental justice at the forefront of the agendas of international finance institutions agendas, and push them to uphold their commitments.

Recourse advocates for:

• An end to gas and coal finance. We conduct research to see where public money is supporting unsustainable energy choices, and work in civil society coalitions to shift public finance away from fossil fuels.
• A just transition to renewable energy for all. We push multilateral development banks to redirect public money towards achieving thriving 100% renewable economies which leave no one behind.

• Better energy strategies and policies. We bring local civil society voices to the table and insist on better civil society engagement and consultation by public finance institutions, to ensure everyone’s energy needs are met.

• Transparency and clear commitments. We monitor the multilateral development banks’ funding portfolios, to expose and challenge continued support for fossil fuels via indirect financing, technical assistance, guarantees and intermediary lending.

Ecological justice is fundamental to our vision of a world where people and planet are at the heart of development. To achieve this, the policies and practices of international finance institutions must be ambitious, transparent and aligned with the Paris Climate Agreement. A transformative and truly just transition must support and not undermine the livelihoods of local communities, but put them at the centre of decision making.