This U.S. agency keeps funding fossil fuel projects abroad — no matter what Biden says

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🗞️ Driving the news: The U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIM), despite President Joe Biden's climate commitments, continues to finance overseas fossil fuel projects, contradicting advisory council concerns and U.S. climate policy
• This includes a $100 million loan for an Indonesian oil refinery and oil and gas development in Bahrain, raising tensions within the agency and attracting criticism from environmental groups

🔭 The context: Created to support U.S. exports and jobs, EXIM's financing of fossil fuels is at odds with Biden's environmental agenda
• The bank's climate council, established at Biden's behest in 2021, has voiced concerns over these investments
• Despite these objections and international pledges to end public financing for fossil fuel projects, EXIM's actions reflect the challenges of aligning export finance with climate goals

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: EXIM's support for fossil fuel projects undermines global efforts to combat climate change and contradicts the Biden administration's commitment to a low-carbon future
• These investments highlight the difficulties in transitioning away from carbon-intensive energy sources and the tension between economic objectives and environmental responsibilities

⏭️ What's next: The ongoing controversy over EXIM's fossil fuel financing poses a significant challenge for the Biden administration's climate credentials
• It underscores the need for legislative and policy changes to ensure that federal agencies support the transition to renewable energy and align with broader climate goals

💬 One quote: "Unfortunately, I think that EXIM has worked in defiance of Biden and his climate agenda," (Kate DeAngelis, Friends of the Earth)

📈 One stat: Oil and gas accounted for 26% of EXIM’s investments in 2021, despite a global push for renewable energy and the U.S. pledge to end public support for overseas fossil fuel projects by the end of 2022

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