BTC Pipeline and ACG Phase 1 Projects Environmental and Social Documentation

The IFC asserts that the BTC Pipeline and ACG Phase 1 projects comply with its environmental and social safeguard policies, rejecting claims from NGOs that the projects lacked proper alternatives analysis, failed to protect natural habitats, or violated involuntary resettlement and indigenous peoples' policies. The document details the IFC's due diligence, including the use of Resettlement Action Plans (RAPs), the implementation of a US$2.5 million Natural Habitats Offset Program, and the conduct of Multi-stakeholder Forum meetings with over 800 participants. It specifically defends the routing through Georgia's Modified Central Corridor and the use of 'expedited expropriation' under Article 27 of Turkey's Expropriation Act, arguing these measures were necessary and legally sound.

• The IFC maintains that the BTC Pipeline and ACG Phase 1 projects are compliant with its safeguard policies, procedures, and guidelines, despite claims from various NGOs to the contrary.
• The BTC pipeline route was determined after nearly six years of assessing technical, financial, environmental, social, cultural, and political factors, including a 'no development' option. In Georgia, the 'Modified Central Corridor' was selected as the only viable route after the Georgian Government rejected the Eastern Corridor due to security risks in the Akhalkalaki district and other corridors were deemed unconstructable due to environmental and safety risks.
• To mitigate impacts on natural habitats, the pipeline avoids all IUCN Category I to IV and Ramsar sites. The project includes a US$2.5 million Offset plan for natural habitats and an approximately US$8.75 million Environmental Investment Program (EIP).
• The IFC defends the use of Article 27 of the Expropriation Act in Turkey for 'expedited expropriation,' stating it is not limited to national emergencies and is necessary to ensure compensation reaches active land users when other shareholders are absent.
• The IFC concluded that the World Bank's Indigenous Peoples policy (OD 4.20) does not apply to Kurdish communities or any other group along the route, as they do not meet the key characteristics of indigenous people, such as being primarily involved in subsistence-oriented production or solely reliant on local natural resources.
• The project's Resettlement Action Plans (RAPs) involved over 17,700 parcels of land. The IFC reports that compensation rates were consistently higher than local market rates, and that 100% of affected current land users were consulted at least once.
• The IFC rejects claims that the project lacked a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), stating that SEAs are typically governmental undertakings. To address this gap, the project produced a 'Regional Review' to examine the project within the wider regional setting.
• Regarding the Ceyhan terminal in Turkey, the IFC opted for a jetty system over single point mooring (SPM) due to lower oil spill risks from shipping lanes, existing land ownership by Botas, and the ability to use a gravity feed system.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2003). BTC Pipeline and ACG Phase 1 Projects Environmental and Social Documentation. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/BTC_Response_30Oct03.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. BTC Pipeline and ACG Phase 1 Projects Environmental and Social Documentation. 2003. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/BTC_Response_30Oct03.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=BTC Pipeline and ACG Phase 1 Projects Environmental and Social Documentation |date=27 October 2003 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/BTC_Response_30Oct03.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2003btc, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{BTC Pipeline and ACG Phase 1 Projects Environmental and Social Documentation}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2003}, month = oct, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/BTC_Response_30Oct03.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }