Friends of the Earth

Economics for the Earth

Our economics for the earth project aims to create a more environmentally sustainable and socially just world by transforming financial and economic systems. We work to redirect tax policies and public spending to make polluters pay for the costs of their pollution, and to drive the transition to a cleaner, low-carbon economy.

At home and abroad, we advocate for policies that minimize environmental and social harm and fund a brighter future. In the United States, we strengthen regulations to encourage sustainability in financial markets and fight trade policies that allow companies to run roughshod over the environment and human rights. We also work with allies around the world to alter lending practices at financial institutions such as the World Bank, the U.S. Export-Import Bank and Wall Street banks that fund polluting activities and harm communities in developing countries.

Earth Budget: prioritizing people, not polluters

Our Earth Budget campaign focuses on improving federal tax and budget policies and includes our participation in the Green Scissors coalition that seeks to end giveaways to polluters.

International finance -- reforming financial institutions so they work for the public good

We work to curb harmful activity by the World Bank, the U.S. Export-Import Bank and other international financial institutions. We also are monitoring the development of the Green Climate Fund, which will provide public finance to developing nations to help them adapt to climate change.

Climate finance -- funding solutions to climate change in developing countries

We work to ensure that the wealthiest industrialized countries, which have done the most to cause climate change, do their fair share to solve the problem, in part by providing financial assistance to developing countries so they can grow their economies with clean energy sources and so they can more effectively cope with climate change impacts.