Urgewald is a non-profit organisation committed to promoting environmental and social justice. Founded in Germany, the organisation focuses on researching and exposing financial institutions involved in environmentally harmful projects. Their primary goal is to advocate for sustainable finance by encouraging divestment from fossil fuels and supporting a global transition to clean energy.

Urgewald’s research and advocacy efforts aim to hold financial institutions accountable for their investments in industries contributing to climate change and environmental degradation. They provide critical information on the involvement of banks, insurance companies, and asset managers in projects such as coal mining and infrastructure development that harm the planet.

The organisation’s structure is geared towards conducting impactful research and facilitating global campaigns. They collaborate with various stakeholders, including activists, NGOs, and communities affected by harmful projects. Urgewald actively engages with financial institutions, urging them to adopt responsible investment practices and divest from unsustainable ventures.

In the realm of sustainable finance, Urgewald plays a crucial role in influencing the investment landscape. By exposing the links between financial institutions and harmful projects, they contribute to the growing movement for responsible and ethical investment. Their work empowers investors, policymakers, and the public with the information needed to make informed decisions aligned with environmental sustainability.

Urgewald provides valuable resources for those interested in understanding the financial landscape of environmentally impactful projects. Their website offers reports, publications, and tools that shed light on the connections between finance and environmental degradation. By accessing Urgewald’s information, individuals and organisations can make more environmentally conscious decisions in their financial activities.

About 50% of our funds come from private donors and about 50% from national and international foundations and institutions. More than 1,500 private donors regularly support Urgewald. To reach big campaign targets, we also need bigger sums on a regular basis. This is why we started our Major Giving Program. In this program we focus on donors with higher potential.

A list of our most important and recent foundation and institutional supporters:

• C.S. Mott Foundation, USA
• Grassroots Foundation, Germany
• Bewegungsstiftung, Germany
• Rockefeller Brothers Fund, USA
• European Climate Foundation
• Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, USA
• Sunrise Project, Australia
• Olin Foundation, Germany
• Stiftung Umwelt und Entwicklung NRW, Germany
• European Union
• Misereor, Germany
• Bread for the World, Germany

Our ethical guidelines handling donations

• We don’t accept donations from the finance industry and companies that we are campaigning against.
• We check all donations starting at EUR 5,000 to ensure that they comply with our regulations.
• We don’t accept donations from donors and institutions whose financial background or aims run counter to Urgewald’s objectives and reputation.