In aid of who?

Global Witness reveals that the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG), largely funded by UK aid, committed $749.8 million to fossil fuel projects between 2002 and 2018. The report highlights the use of highly polluting heavy fuel oil (HFO) in West Africa and the continued funding of gas plants in Togo and Cote D'Ivoire in 2019. It further criticizes PIDG's investments in diesel-powered telecommunications towers and high-carbon industrial projects, while noting that 43% of its renewable energy spending went to biomass and hydropower. The document calls for an immediate end to all UK overseas fossil fuel investments across all government departments and agencies.

• Between 2002 and 2018, the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) committed $749.8 million to fossil fuel projects, representing 51% of its total energy investment of $1.46 billion.
• The UK government is the primary funder of PIDG, providing over $1 billion in Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) from 2002 to 2018, which constitutes 70.7% of the total funding from members and owners.
• PIDG has funded highly polluting energy projects, including heavy fuel oil (HFO) power plants in Mali and Senegal in 2017, and gas power plants in Togo ($23.8 million) and Cote D'Ivoire ($31 million) in 2019.
• Beyond the energy sector, PIDG has invested in high-carbon infrastructure, including $30 million in 2015 for an oil refinery improvement for ByCo in Pakistan and $128.5 million in Helios Towers, many of which rely on diesel generators in sub-Saharan Africa.
• A significant portion of PIDG's renewable energy spending from 2002 to 2018—43%—was directed toward biomass and hydropower, which the document notes can have negative climate impacts such as methane emissions from dams.
• PIDG's public funding acts as a catalyst for private investment; the group claims to have mobilized $35.8 billion from the private sector and development finance institutions since 2002.
• The UK government provides broader fossil fuel support through other agencies, such as UK Export Finance (UKEF), which gave 97% of its energy support to fossil fuel projects between 2010 and 2017.

APA

Global Witness (n.d.). In aid of who? https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/fossil-fuels/in-aid-of-who/

Chicago

Global Witness. In aid of who? n.d. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/fossil-fuels/in-aid-of-who/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Global Witness |title=In aid of who? |url=https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/fossil-fuels/in-aid-of-who/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{globalwitnessndaid, author = {{Global Witness}}, title = {{In aid of who?}}, publisher = {Global Witness}, url = {https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/fossil-fuels/in-aid-of-who/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }