Export credit agencies 'must improve'

20th October 2008

MPs have called on the UK's official export credit agency to do more to promote sustainable development.

The Commons environmental audit committee said on Monday that the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) needed to tighten up its environmental standards.

The report said that the ECGD should use its influence over export credit agencies around the world to improve global standards with a "bold and ambitious stance".

It called for more scrutiny of heavily polluting sectors, such as aerospace and defence, and said that the department should do more to attract sustainable industries.

While the MPs acknowledged the ECDG was focused on boosting industry competitiveness, it said it must account for government objectives on the environment.

And it said that the transparency of assessment procedures must be improved, warning that current practices undermine confidence and prevent effective scrutiny of its operations.

Committee chairman Tim Yeo said: "The ECGD has made good progress on sustainable development, but it must not rest on its laurels. It is vitally important that the ECGD tightens its environmental standards.

"The ECGD's portfolio is dominated by heavily polluting sectors, including aerospace and defence. The ECGD must scrutinise the environmental credentials of these industries much more rigorously and encourage them to raise their standards.

"Moreover, the ECGD should work to attract more projects that support sustainable development to its portfolio.

"Although the ECGD is not a large agency, it carries huge weight internationally. The ECGD must use this influence to push up standards and improve the performance of export credit agencies worldwide."

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