Barclays faces complaint over backing for power plant near world’s largest mangrove forest
Bangladeshi complainants allege Rampal power station’s pollution and climate risks threaten the Sunderbans, a world heritage site Barclays Bank is facing a formal complaint over its financial links to a coal-fired power station near the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest and home to millions of people in Bangladesh and India. Three complainants from the region have submitted a case…
Barclays Bank faces a formal complaint over its financial support for the Maitree super thermal power plant, also known as the Rampal power station, near the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest. The complaint alleges that the British bank breached international guidelines by underwriting companies involved in the emission-heavy project, which is situated close to the Sundarbans, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Three regional complainants have submitted a case to the UK government's Office for Responsible Business Conduct, claiming that Barclays underwrote debt for India's state-owned NTPC Ltd and provided financial support for the project between 2016 and 2019. The complainants argue that the plant's pollution and industrial development pose a significant environmental threat to the Sundarbans, including mercury and arsenic contamination in the water.
The power station, located near the Pasur River, which serves as the lifeline of the Sundarbans, could exacerbate climate change, rising sea levels, and extreme weather, posing a threat to the millions of people who depend on the mangrove forest for their livelihoods.
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