BlackRock's Big Problem | Making the climate crisis worse

"There is no sustainability in this sector – it’s all corruption, criminality and deception – and what it leads to is ecological disaster.” – Zenzi Suhadi, WALHI/Indonesian Forum for the Environment

The forests cut down for these industries are irreplaceable ecosystems and home to millions of people and countless species.

Deforestation from industrial plantations is a major cause of climate emissions, as falling forests release centuries’ of stored CO2. 2015’s Indonesian peat fires released as much CO2 as the entire US economy, making Indonesia temporarily one of the world's biggest climate polluters. A study by Harvard and Columbia said the fires will lead to 100,000 premature deaths.

In Africa, 54 million acres of rainforest may be destroyed in the next five years for plantation development. In the Americas, the plantation frontier is devastating the Amazon, the Brazilan Cerrado and the forests of Mesoamerica. The industries that destroy forests drive local communities off the land and drive countless species, including Sumatran Rhinos, Tigers and Elephants to the brink of extinction. Half of the Bornean orangutan population has been wiped out in just 16 years, driven by habitat destruction for palm oil plantations.

Why Indonesia is One of the Worst Climate Polluters in the World

Video from Bloomberg

32322425116_2e743926e2_b_jpg__1024×630_.

Deforestation – the widespread clearing of forests often for industrial plantations – is the second largest contributor to carbon emissions in the world after the burning of fossil fuels.

Since 1985 Indonesia has lost more than half its forest cover, largely to agribusiness, which fells forests, drains peatlands and sets fires in order to clear the land. This in turn drives countless species, including Sumatran Rhinos, Tigers and Elephants, to the brink of extinction. Half of the Bornean orangutan population has been wiped out in just 16 years, driven by habitat destruction for palm oil plantations.

BlackRock’s ownership position :

Biggest extractors:

Whether it’s palm oil, pulp and paper, timber, cattle or soy, BlackRock is consistently among the top investors in the industries driving forest destruction, with holdings in the worst companies from Brazil to Borneo.

BlackRock’s ownership position :

BlackRock’s role:

Razing the world’s remaining forests would release more carbon than all the world’s oil, gas, and coal reserves.

Protecting and restoring forests would help achieve almost 1/5 of our global climate goals.

Climate impacts:

Agribusiness is responsible for and linked with numerous murders of land defenders.

2015's peat fires released as much CO2 a day as the entire US economy, and the toxic smoke will lead to as many as 100,000 premature deaths in the region.

Human rights impacts:

RAZING THE WORLD'S REMAINING FOREST COVER WOULD RELEASE MORE CARBON THAN ALL THE WORLD'S FOSSIL FUEL RESERVES

Deforestation is also a major cause of human rights abuses and threats to local communities, as companies force people off their land to clear the way for palm oil, soy, wood products and cattle.

Underlying the deforestation crisis is the crisis of land grabbing: plantation companies use intimidation, coercion and force to take vast swathes of land from local and indigenous communities.

With environmental and land defenders being killed in increasing numbers, agribusiness is the industry linked with the greatest number of murders and intimidation of land defenders.

If BlackRock claims to be a leader in sustainable investing, it should not be financing deforestation, climate change, and human rights abuses.