Allegations

On 7 April 2026, Solutions for Our Climate (SFOC) filed complaints against three major Korean public financial institutions, namely the Export-Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM), Korea Development Bank (KDB), and Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-SURE) at the Korean NCP. SFOC alleges that these institutions’ long-term financial support to LNG shipping carriers has failed to meet the standards in the OECD Guidelines, specifically on environmental impacts, human rights due diligence, and climate targets. SFOC’s press release on the complaint filing states:

“According to SFOC research, LNG carriers are associated with a range of overlooked environmental impacts. These include methane slip from dual-fuel marine engines, underwater noise pollution affecting marine mammals, ballast water discharge introducing invasive species, and collision risks in biodiversity-rich coastal waters.

Meanwhile, global LNG shipping enables fossil gas emissions of about 12.7 billion tonnes of CO₂e annually, though the industry does not disclose the full lifecycle climate impact.”

SFOC also alleges human rights and health harms to local communities, specifically fisherpeople living near the Verde Island Passage in the Philippines. They say that these communities have not been adequately consulted and informed about the expansion of LNG carrier operations.

“SFOC argues that financiers behind LNG carriers have failed to conduct adequate environmental and social due diligence before providing ship finance. This includes the absence of lifecycle climate impact assessments and cumulative supply chain risk evaluations.”

Among other things, SFOC calls on the respondent institutions to cease new financial support for LNG carriers and adopt conditional financing policies, and establish rigorous environmental and human rights due diligence frameworks for ship finance.

Relevant OECD Guidelines

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Related complaints

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