Gujarat: 174 Civil Society Outfits Urge World Bank to Reject Loan for Harmful Waste-to-Energy Projects

New Delhi: A coalition of 174 civil society organisations, networks, and activists has written to the World Bank’s board of directors, urging them to reject funding for four waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration projects proposed by Abellon Clean Energy Limited (ACEL) in Rajkot, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, and Jamnagar in Gujarat.

The letter, written by the Centre for Financial Accountability,  International Accountability Project, National Hawkers Federation, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA)-Asia Pacific, and Break Free From Plastics and endorsed by 174 civil society organisations, regional and global networks and activists, underlines that the projects would burn over 3,750 tons of garbage daily and generate CO2 equivalent to the emissions from about 18,75,000 cars.

The harmful impacts of WTE incinerators have been documented in the subproject in Jamnagar where the incinerator has been operational since November 2021, the collective mentions. Further, the letter underlines that ever since the operation of the plant, the local residents have faced issues of noise pollution, air pollution, deposition of effluent smog on their residences, water pollution and severe health impacts. 

“Due to the violations seen in Jamnagar, civil society organisations and activists in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, and Rajkot are worried about the environmental and health impacts on communities staying in the vicinity of the proposed WTE incinerators, if these are constructed. The incinerator in Ahmedabad which has only been partially built is being constructed in Gyaspur village, on the outskirts of the city, where there is already another incinerator by Jindal Power operating nearby and there are many other polluting industries. Due to the pollution generated by the existing incinerators and other industries, communities residing here have already been suffering from severe health impacts with many reported cases of cancer. Construction of another WTE incinerator in such an area will bear cumulative health and environmental impacts,” the collective letter says.

The coalition argues that the projects’ environmental and social impact assessments are flawed and violate both the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Performance Standards and Indian environmental laws. Despite being considered a “red category” project in India for its massive environmental and social risks, this project has been given a lower risk rating of “Category B” by the IFC, as per the collective. 

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“The diluted and flawed environment and social impact assessment by IFC for these toxic WTE incinerators that contribute to excessive pollution and are linked to fossil fuels indicates that IFC has not been compliant to its safeguards and also to the Paris Agreement,” says Vaishnavi Varadarajan from the International Accountability Project, in a press statement released by the coalition.

They also point out that the projects threaten the livelihoods of waste workers and are a “false solution” to the climate crisis, producing excessive pollution and undermining sustainable waste management practices.

“WTE incinerators are poised to become the most carbon-intensive power source once coal is phased out. Burning a tonne of plastic waste alone results in the release of around 1.43 tonnes of CO2. It destroys recycling, reuse, and refill options and disincentives reduction of producing new materials so less will have to be managed as wastes,”  says Miriam Mayang Azurin, asia pacific deputy director at GAIA, in the press statement.

The World Bank’s funding of these projects would be contradictory to its commitment to environmental protection and community well-being, the coalition says. They have urged the World Bank to prioritise sustainable energy solutions and reject the funding for ACEL’s waste-to-energy initiatives.

“We therefore strongly urge you as directors of the World Bank to consider the scientific and public evidence presented above, to respect human rights, and to be true to the Bank’s commitment to achieve the SDGs and the Paris Climate Agreement goals, by not only voting against the loan to Abellon Clean Energy Limited, but to halt all finance to waste-to-energy incinerator projects,” the collective writes. 

Collective letter is written by: 

Endorsed by: 

1. Samast Machimar Samaj, Gujarat, India 
2. Vadodaraa Jan Samiti, Gujarat, India 
3. Peoples Union of Civil Liberties-PUCL, Gujarat 
4. Maldhari Vikas Sanghatan, Gujarat, India 
5. SEVA, Gujarat, India 
6. Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti, Gujarat, India 
7. Rahethan Adhikar Manch – Gujarat-Ahmedabad, India 
8. KKPKP, Pune, Maharashtra, India 
9. SWaCH Cooperative, Maharashtra, India 
10. Govandi New Sangam Welfare Society, Maharashtra, India 
11. Bargi Bandh Visthapit Evam Parbhavit Sangh, Madhya Pradesh, India 12. Poovalugin Nanbargal, Tamil Nadu, India
12. Plachimada Solidarity Organisation, Trivandrum, India 
13. Ecotourism & Conservation Society of Sikkim, India 
14. Affected Citizens of Teesta, Sikkim, India 
15. Zero Waste Himalaya, India 
16. Lok Shakti Abhiyan, Odisha, India 
17. Information Resource Centre For Urban Deprived Communities, Tamil Nadu, India 19. Maharashtra State Bank Employees Federation
18. Delhi Forum, India
19. National Alliance for People’s Movements, India
20. MAUSAM- Movement for Advancing Understanding of Sustainability And Mutuality, India
21. SANDRP, India
22. Toxics Watch, India
23. Focus on the Global South, India
24. Waste to Biogas to Energy Startup Innovation Network, India
25. Eco Circular India Foundation, India
26. Sambhaavnaa Institute
27. Youth for Climate, India 
28. Mines,minerals and People, India 
29. Nadi Ghati Morcha, India 
30. All India Kabadi Mazdoor Mahasangh, India 
31. Joint Action for Water, India 
32. Waste Warriors, India 
33. Warrior Moms, India 
34. We the Change Trust, India 
35. Warrior Moms, India 
36. Indigenous Perspectives, India 
37. Ajeevika Bureau, India 
38. Samata, India 
39. South Asian Solidarity Collective, India 
40. Friends of the Earth, India
41. Centre For Labour Research and Action, India 
42. National Land Coalition – International Land Coalition 45. Indian Social Action Forum 
43. Green Army International, India 
44. Anhad, India 
45. Stree Mukti Sanghatan, India 
46. Coastal Women’s Movement, India 
47. International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal, India 
48. MCC, India 
49. Grambangla Unnayan Committee, Bangladesh 
50. Participatory Research & Action Network – PRAAN, Bangladesh 54. Alternative Law Collective, Pakistan 
51. Lahore Conservation Society, Pakistan 
52. Pak Trading, Pakistan 
53. Pakistan Fisherfolk Form, Pakistan 
54. EcoCare Consultancy Services (ECCS) Private Limited 59. Clean Up Nepal, Nepal 
55. Health Environment and Climate Action Foundation (HECAF360), Nepal 61. Samyukta Safai Jagaran, Nepal 
56. Community Empowement and Social Justice, Nepal 
57. Indigenous Women’s Legal Awareness Group, Nepal 
58. Health Environment and Climate Action Foundation, Nepal 65. Centre for Environment Justice, Pakistan 
59. Movement for Land and Agricultural Reform (MONLAR), Sri Lanka 67. FIAN Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka 
60. Sri Lanka Nature Group – SLNG, Sri Lanka 
61. National Fisheries Solidarity Movement, Sri Lanka 
62. Thant, Myanmar 
63. Alyansa Tigil Mina, Philippines 
64. EcoWaste Coalition, Philippines 
65. War on Waste Negros Oriental, Philippines
66. Sahabat Alam Malaysia (Friends of the Earth), Malaysia 
67. Consumers’ Association of Penang, Malaysia 
68. Trend Asia, Indonesia 
69. Indonesia for Global Justice (IGJ), Indonesia 
70. The Indonesian Forum for Environment (WALHI), Indonesia 79. TKPT,Indonesia 
71. Bai Waste Platform, Indonesia 
72. Ecoton, Indonesia 
73. Brantas River Waterkeeper, Indonesia 
74. NOWASTE SURABAYA, Indonesia 
75. Inisiasi Masyarakat Adat (IMA), Indonesia 
76. KSPPM, Indonesia 
77. AMAN Maluku, Indonesia 
78. Yayasan Srikandi Lestari, Indonesia 
79. SERUNI, Indonesia 
80. Pacific Environment Vietnam, Vietnam 
81. SCODE, Vietnam 
82. Equitable Cambodia, Cambodia 
83. Oyu Tolgoi Watch, Mongolia 
84. Terra Pheonix, Singapore 
85. Greeners Action, Hong Kong 
86. Blue Dailan, China 
87. Korea Zero Waste Movement Network, Korea 
88. Uzbek Forum for Human Rights, Uzbekistan 
89. ACARO, Uzbekistan 
90. PA “Bir Duino Kyrgyzstan “, Kyrgystan 
91. FORUM- Asia, Asia (Regional) 
92. NGO Forum on ADB, Asia (Regional) 
93. Reality of Aid-Asia Pacific, Asia (Regional) 
94. Asian Peoples Movement on Debt and Development, Asia (Regional) 104. 350 Asia, Asia (Regional)
95. Asia Pacific Network of Environmental Defenders, Asia (Regional) 106. Sankalp Gramotthan Bahuddeshiya Sanstha, Asia (Regional) 
96. Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment (AWHHE), Armenia 108. Friends of the Earth Spain, Spain 
97. Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland, United Kingdom 110. Polish Zero Waste Association, Poland 
98. The Bretton Woods Project, United Kingdom (Global) 
99. Recourse, Netherlands (Global) 
100. Urgewald, Germany (Global) 
101. Environment and Language Education Trust, South Africa 
102. Mapela Executive Committee, South Africa 
103. JUHUDI Community Support Center, Kenya 
104. Jamaa Resource Initiatives, Kenya 
105. Endorois Welfare Council (EWC), Kenya 
106. Green Advocates International (Liberia) 
107. Sustainable Development Institute (SDI), Liberia 
108. Center for Environment/Friends of the Earth Bosnia and Herzegovina,Bosnia and Herzegovina 
109. Les Amis de la Terre-Togo, Togo 
110. Care For Environment, Cameroon, Africa 
111. Host Communities Network of Nigeria ( HoCoN), Nigeria 
112. Buliisa Initiative for Rural Development Organisation, Uganda 
113. National Association of professional Environmentalists(NAPE), Uganda 127. Zimbabwe People’s Land Rights Movement, Zimbabwe 
114. Dibeen For Environmental development, Jordan 
115. Consejo Indígena Maya Ch’orti de Olopa Chiquimula, Guatemala 130. ANAFAE, Honduras 
116. AMFER, El Salvador 
117. CAMBIUM, Colombia 
118. Otros Mundos Chapas/Amigos de la Tierra México, Mexico 
119. Center for International Environmental Law, United States (Global)
120. Trash Hero World, Global 
121. Saahas, India 
122. Chennai Climate Action Group(CCAG), India 138. Vinod Sonera, India 
123. Ramachandra Rao, India 
124. Namuna Amjad, India 
125. Priya Jain, India 
126. Rosamma Thomas, India 
127. Priyanka Raj, India 
128. Avinash Kumar India 
129. Ayesha Khan, India 
130. Swati Desai, India 
131. Rohini Malur, India 
132. Ramnarayan, India 
133. Bhavna Sharma, India 
134. Ambily Adithyan, India 
135. K Saravanan, India 
136. Selvakumar, India 
137. Dhilipan K, India 
138. Ashok, Tamil Nadu, India 
139. Jamunarai, India 
140. Salma Sumi, India 
141. Kobad Ghandy, India 
142. Renuka Kad, India 
143. John, India 
144. Hirak Bandyopadhyay, India 
145. Nikhilkumar Panchal, India 
146. Prashanth, India 
147. Dr. Sultan Mahmood, Pakistan 
148. David Jens Thomas Pedersen, Canada 165. Jenny
149. Sundarrajan 
150. Prabhakaran Veeraarasu 168. SARAVANAN T M 169. Anu 
151. Yukendran 
152. Kamaraj 
153. Bharat 
154. Balaji S 
155. SABARESAN
156. Salma Sumi, India
157. Kobad Ghandy, India
158. Renuka Kad, India
159. John, India
160. Hirak Bandyopadhyay, India
161. Nikhilkumar Panchal, India
162. Prashanth, India
163. Dr. Sultan Mahmood, Pakistan
164. David Jens Thomas Pedersen, Canada
165. Jenny
166. Sundarrajan
167. Prabhakaran Veeraarasu
168. SARAVANAN T M
169. Anu
170. Yukendran
171. Kamaraj
172. Bharat
173. Balaji S
174. SABARESAN