Carbon Web Newsletter Issue 10 2008
Carbon Web Issue 10 includes a special feature on the Russia-Georgia conflict and the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, alongside articles exploring BP & Shell’s investments in Canadian ‘tar sands’, the role of RBS in bankrolling global coal, the historical development of the fossil fuel industry in the Hoo Peninsula, the ongoing struggle for control over Iraqi oil, and an analysis of BP’s lobbying activities in Brussels and the EU's attempts to exert pressure on Russia.
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Oil giants "underestimating investor risk" on tar sands
A new report by PLATFORM and Greenpeace warns of increasing financial risk for UK oil giants BP and Shell, who have invested heavily in the Alberta tar sands. The sector now accounts for 30% of Shell’s proven reserves. The report shows that tar sands represent not only an enormous threat to the climate, but also the security of pension fund shareholders of the oil companies.
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New Report: Cashing in on Coal
The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has helped provide loans of almost $16 billion to coal-related companies over the last two years, according to detailed estimates in a report by a coalition of environmental NGOs, including Friends of the Earth Scotland, People & Planet and PLATFORM.  The report compiles public evidence of coal industry financing by UK banks in the last two years, and reveals that RBS has helped lend more money to the coal industry, in more deals, than any other major UK bank.
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NGOs slam RBS for fossil fuel financing on the eve of delayed Corporate Responsibility Report launch
Delayed by a week, the Royal Bank of Scotland will now launch its 2007 Corporate Responsibility (CSR) Report on Friday 11 July. A coalition of environmental NGOs, including Friends of the Earth Scotland and People & Planet, pre-empted its publication by casting doubt on the bank’s green credentials in light of its ongoing role in financing fossil fuel expansion around the world. In 2007 RBS supported the fossil fuel industry with over $7 billion, while the bank’s embedded missions passed 50 million tonnes of CO2 – more than Scotland.
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Iraqi oil on the block
ANALYSIS - The real significance of the Oil Ministry's announced bid round

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Oil sell-off by stealth
Iraq’s oil service contracts are more than they seem
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