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Accountability Counsel

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The Accountability Counsel is a left-of-center environmentalist organization that uses litigation and media campaigns to oppose construction projects in developing countries. Natalie Bridgeman Fields founded Accountability Counsel with the support of the environmentalist group Echoing Green. 1 The organization has partnered with left-wing groups to oppose building hydroelectric dams in Latin America and producing oil and natural gas in Russia. 2 3

Opposition to Energy Projects

Accountability Counsel has opposed the construction of hydroelectric dams in Latin America. In Mexico, the organization lobbied against the Cerro de Oro Hydroelectric Project. 4 The U.S. government’s Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) supported the project as a way to provide power and create jobs in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. 5 While Accountability Counsel and its local partners claimed the project threatened local natural resources and indigenous people’s livelihoods, an OPIC study found that there were no indigenous communities or cultural heritage sites near the proposed project. 6 As a result of Accountability Counsel and its partners’ work, the project was never completed. 7

In Panama, Accountability Counsel opposed the construction of the Pando-Monte Lirio Hydroelectric Energy Project, claiming that it would negatively impact local communities. 8 Both the International Finance Corporation, a sister organization of the World Bank, and the Inter-American Development Bank, the largest lender for economic development projects in Latin America, supported the project as a way of creating jobs and improving energy efficiency. 9 Accountability Counsel partnered with the left-leaning Bank Information Center to oppose the project. 10

Accountability Counsel lodged complaints against British companies that were involved in the Sakhalin II Project, an oil and gas facility on the Sakhalin Island off Russia’s Pacific coast. 11 Partnering with the environmentalist organization Pacific Environment, Accountability Counsel claimed the project was causing severe impacts on the local indigenous community and environment. 12 The government watchdog agency ultimately rejected the complaints, finding that Accountability Counsel failed “to substantiate this allegation with a corresponding court decision or information on possible efforts that were undertaken in this respect.” 13

Leadership

Natalie Bridgeman Fields is the founder and executive director of Accountability Counsel. 14 In college, Fields interned with the Center for International Environmental Law and later worked at the World Bank. 15 She founded Accountability Counsel with the support of Echoing Green in 2009. 16 Between fiscal year 2014 and fiscal year 2018, Fields received over $620,000 in compensation as executive director. 17 In 2014 and 2015, her salary accounted for over 15% of the organization’s total expenses. 18 In 2018, Field’s salary was $139,085, which was over 7.8% of Accountability Counsel’s total expenses. 19

Fields has taken left-wing positions in the past. In May 2021, she called an Israeli airstrike on a building that contained members of the terrorist organization Hamas a “crime” and called for the United States to cut military aid to Israel. 20 She also accused former President Donald Trump of being a dictator and claimed that the Trump administration housed Nazi sympathizers. 21 22 Fields blamed “white privilege” for the January 2021 riot at the United States Capitol and said that it reminded her of the impact of “US imperialism” and how corporations allegedly continue to exploit the “devastating impacts of slavery and colonialism.” 23 Fields contributed to President Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign. 24

The Accountability Counsel board also includes left-of-center members. Jason Higgins is treasure of the board for Accountability Counsel. 25 He is also the executive director of Sall Family Foundation, a U.K. based environmentalist organization. Andrew Dickson is the board secretary of Accountability Counsel. Dickson works for BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, and is a graduate of the Echoing Green Direct Impact Program. 26 27

Donors

Accountability Counsel has received donations from left-of-center organizations. These include the 11th Hour Project, the NoVo Foundation, the Sall Family Foundation, the Wallace Global Fund, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. 28 29 30 The George Soros-backed Foundation to Promote Open Society (FPOS) has also given to Accountability Counsel. 31

Major corporate donors to Accountability Counsel include BlackRock, Netflix, and Google. 32 Additionally, the Omidyar Group, founded by liberal donor Pierre Omidyar, also gave to Accountability Counsel. 33

References

  1. “About Us.” Accountability Counsel. Accessed May 31, 2021. https://www.accountabilitycounsel.org/about-us/.
  2. “Panama: Pando and Monte Lirio Dams.” Accountability Counsel. Accessed June 13, 2021. https://www.accountabilitycounsel.org/client-case/panama-pando-and-monte-lirio-dams/#overview.
  3. “Russia: Sakhalin Oil and Gas.” Accountability Counsel. Accessed June 13, 2021. https://www.accountabilitycounsel.org/client-case/russia-sakhalin-oil-and-gas/#overview.
  4. “Mexico: Oaxaca Hydroelectric.” Accountability Counsel. Accessed June 13, 2021. https://www.accountabilitycounsel.org/client-case/mexico-oaxaca-hydroelectric/#overview.
  5. Orsi, Peter and Ronnie Green. “US-backed Mexico dam project triggered protest, rare defeat.” Associated Press. January 30, 2015. https://apnews.com/article/a4c6b094ea3e4e3e851841a0cc1a88f6.
  6. Orsi, Peter and Ronnie Green. “US-backed Mexico dam project triggered protest, rare defeat.” Associated Press. January 30, 2015. https://apnews.com/article/a4c6b094ea3e4e3e851841a0cc1a88f6.
  7. “Mexico: Oaxaca Hydroelectric.” Accountability Counsel. Accessed June 13, 2021. https://www.accountabilitycounsel.org/client-case/mexico-oaxaca-hydroelectric/#overview.
  8. “Panama: Pando and Monte Lirio Dams.” Accountability Counsel. Accessed June 13, 2021. https://www.accountabilitycounsel.org/client-case/panama-pando-and-monte-lirio-dams/#overview.
  9. Karch, Gregory M. “Panama’s Pando and Monte Lirio Dams: Proactive Engagement in Environmental Human Rights Through Project Due Diligence Leads to Improved Risk Management and Cost Controls.” 9 Fla. A&M U. L. Rev. (2014). https://commons.law.famu.edu/famulawreview/vol9/iss2/11/.
  10. “Panama: Pando and Monte Lirio Dams.” Accountability Counsel. Accessed June 13, 2021. https://www.accountabilitycounsel.org/client-case/panama-pando-and-monte-lirio-dams/#overview.
  11. “Russia: Sakhalin Oil and Gas.” Accountability Counsel. Accessed June 13, 2021. https://www.accountabilitycounsel.org/client-case/russia-sakhalin-oil-and-gas/#overview.
  12. “Complaint Seeks Resettlement and Just Compensation from Royal Dutch Shell and UK Banks for damage caused by Sakhalin II Oil and Gas Project.” Accountability Counsel. July 31, 2012. https://www.accountabilitycounsel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/7.31.12-Sakhalin-Complaint-Press-Release.pdf.
  13. “INITIAL ASSESSMENT: Notification and request for mediation to the Dutch and UK National Contact points for the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.” Netherlands National Contact Point. March 20, 2013. https://www.accountabilitycounsel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/3.20.13-nl_ncp_initial_assessment_stroitel_sakhalinenvironmentwatch_shell.pdf.
  14. “Natalie Bridgeman Fields.” Accountability Counsel. Accessed May 31, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-bridgeman-fields/.
  15. “Natalie Bridgeman Fields.” Accountability Counsel. Accessed May 31, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-bridgeman-fields/.
  16. “About Us.” Accountability Counsel. Accessed May 31, 2021. https://www.accountabilitycounsel.org/about-us/.
  17. “Financials.” Accountability Counsel. Accessed May 31, 2021. https://www.accountabilitycounsel.org/about-us/financials/.
  18. “Financials.” Accountability Counsel. Accessed May 31, 2021. https://www.accountabilitycounsel.org/about-us/financials/.
  19. “Financials.” Accountability Counsel. Accessed May 31, 2021. https://www.accountabilitycounsel.org/about-us/financials/.
  20. Natalie Bridgeman Fields. Twitter Post. May 15, 2021. 8:35 PM. https://twitter.com/nataliebfields/status/1393726765093199875.
  21. Natalie Bridgeman Fields. Twitter Post. March 16, 2017. 3:07 PM.  https://twitter.com/nataliebfields/status/842452305391706112.
  22. Natalie Bridgeman Fields. Twitter Post. December 11, 2019. https://twitter.com/nataliebfields/status/1204645180973842432.
  23. Fields, Natalie Bridgeman. “This is America. Where is Accountability?” Accountability Counsel. January 8, 2021. https://www.accountabilitycounsel.org/2021/01/this-is-america-where-is-accountability/.
  24. Center for Responsive Politics. “Search: Natalie Fields.” Opensecrets.org. Accessed June 13, 2021.
  25. “Jason Higgins.” Accountability Counsel. Accessed April 16, 2021. https://www.accountabilitycounsel.org/person/jason-haggins/.
  26. “Andrew Dickson.” Accountability Counsel. Accessed April 16, 2021. https://www.accountabilitycounsel.org/person/andrew-dickson/.
  27. “Andrew Dickson.” Accountability Counsel. Accessed April 16, 2021. https://www.accountabilitycounsel.org/person/andrew-dickson/.
  28. “2019-2020 Annual Report.” Accountability Counsel. Accessed May 31, 2021. https://www.accountabilitycounsel.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/2020-annual-report-web.pdf.
  29. “2018-2019 Annual Report.” Accountability Counsel. Accessed May 31, 2021. https://www.accountabilitycounsel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/2019-ac-annual-report.pdf.
  30. “2017-2018 Annual Report.” Accountability Counsel. Accessed May 31, 2021. https://www.accountabilitycounsel.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/2017-2018-annual-report.pdf.
  31. “2019-2020 Annual Report.” Accountability Counsel. Accessed May 31, 2021. https://www.accountabilitycounsel.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/2020-annual-report-web.pdf.
  32. “2019-2020 Annual Report.” Accountability Counsel. Accessed May 31, 2021. https://www.accountabilitycounsel.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/2020-annual-report-web.pdf.
  33. “2019-2020 Annual Report.” Accountability Counsel. Accessed May 31, 2021. https://www.accountabilitycounsel.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/2020-annual-report-web.pdf.
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