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Oxfam France

Website:

www.oxfamfrance.org/
Type:

Anti-Poverty Organization
Founded:

1988
Executive Director:

Cécile Duflot
Location:

Paris, France

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Oxfam France, alongside Friends of the Earth France and Notre Affaire à Tous, sued the multinational bank BNP Paribas in February 2023 due to its “massive support to fossil fuels and for its substantial contribution to climate change.” 1

The organization was one of 61 organizations that launched a “cry of alarm” before the second round of the French presidential election between liberal Emmanuel Macron and nationalist Marine Le Pen in 2017. 2

Background

Oxfam France is the French nonprofit arm of the worldwide group Oxfam International, which advocates for expanded international aid programs worldwide.

Oxfam France was initially created in 1988 under the name “Agir ici pour un monde solidaire,” which roughly translates to “Act here for a united world,” an association of citizens that wanted to promote fairer “North-South” relations. 3

The association took operational inspiration from left-of-center organizations such as Amnesty International, a non-governmental organization focused on human rights that claims to have over 7 million members and supporters around the world. 4

The association became Oxfam France in 2006 after it joined Oxfam International, becoming part of the confederation. Oxfam International was created in 1995 as a confederation of independent non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Currently, the international organization has 21 member organizations around the world, including Oxfam America. 5 6

The organization focuses on left-of-center issues such as tax inequality, environmentalism, agriculture, and immigration. 7

Political Activities

BNP Paribas Lawsuit

Oxfam France, alongside Friends of the Earth France and Notre Affaire à Tous, sued the multinational bank BNP Paribas in February 2023 due to its “massive support to fossil fuels and for its substantial contribution to climate change.” 8

BNP Paribas, one of Europe’s largest financial institutions, is accused of financially supporting companies that develop new gas and oil fields. The lawsuit was filed in February 2023 under the corporate duty of vigilance law in France, which requires large businesses headquartered in the country to set measures to mitigate environmental damage. 9

BNP Paribas joined the United Nations Net Zero Banking Alliance in 2021 and began to divest from coal in 2019. After being served a notice by the NGOs involved in the lawsuit, BNP Paribas pledged to cut financing for the extraction of oil by 80 percent and gas by 30 percent by 2030 and would focus on low-emission gas power plants that are in line with European Union investment rules. 10

BNP Paribas stated it regretted that the NGOs chose litigation rather than dialogue as it could not halt all funding for fossil fuels immediately. According to the bank in January 2023, it had ceased financing for oil projects in 2016 and aimed to reduce outstanding financing for oil extraction by a quarter by 2025. The bank also stated that it had approximately, as of the end of September 2022, €23.7 billion (around $25.8 billion) in outstanding loans for fossil fuels. 11

2019 Government Lawsuit

Oxfam France, Greenpeace France, and Notre Affaire à Tous, wrote a formal letter of notice to Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and 12 members of the French government in 2018. The letter was part of a legal proceeding known as an action for failure to act. 12

The NGOs alleged that the French government failed to implement effective measures that address left-of-center environmentalist principles including increasing renewable energy, limiting energy consumption, and reducing emissions. 13

The letter was rejected by the French government, which led to a lawsuit at the Administrative Court of Paris in 2019. The court ruled in favor of the NGOs in February 2021 that the inaction by the French government caused ecological damage. 14

2017 French Election

Oxfam France was one of 61 organizations that launched a “cry of alarm” before the second round of the French presidential election between liberal candidate Emmanuel Macron and nationalist candidate Marine Le Pen in 2017. 15

Although the “cry of alarm” did not mention the names of the candidates, it called for mobilization “in the face of those who advocate the rejection of the other and the withdrawal into oneself. It is about the defense of our most universal values, a major issue of this election.” 16

Other signatories included Greenpeace France, the Climate Action Network, and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). 17

Affiliated Organizations

Oxfam France partnered with the European Climate Foundation in 2018. The organization is a left-of-center nonprofit that funds climate change-orientated advocacy organizations in Europe. Its governing body contains high-ranking members of large foundations and organizations including the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation (also known as the Hewlett Foundation), the Bloomberg Family Foundation (Bloomberg Philanthropies), and the ClimateWorks Foundation. 18 19

References

  1. “French NGOs take BNP Paribas to court in world’s first climate lawsuit against a commercial bank.” Oxfam International. February 23, 2023. Accessed August 21, 2023. https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/french-ngos-take-bnp-paribas-court-worlds-first-climate-lawsuit-against-commercial.
  2. “”Le pire est malheureusement possible!” : l’appel de 61 associations et ONG avant le second tour.” Lejdd.fr. December 20, 2022. Accessed August 21, 2023. https://www.lejdd.fr/Politique/le-pire-est-malheureusement-possible-lappel-de-61-associations-et-ong-avant-le-second-tour-3315047.
  3. “Oxfam France : 30 ans d’actions pour un monde plus juste.” Oxfam France. Accessed August 21, 2023. https://www.oxfamfrance.org/notre-histoire/.
  4. “Oxfam France : 30 ans d’actions pour un monde plus juste.” Oxfam France. Accessed August 21, 2023. https://www.oxfamfrance.org/notre-histoire/.
  5. “Oxfam France : 30 ans d’actions pour un monde plus juste.” Oxfam France. Accessed August 21, 2023. https://www.oxfamfrance.org/notre-histoire/.
  6. “How we are organized.” Oxfam International. May 8, 2023. Accessed August 21, 2023. https://www.oxfam.org/en/what-we-do/about/how-we-are-organized.
  7. “Campagnes.” Oxfam France. Accessed August 21, 2023. https://www.oxfamfrance.org/nos-campagnes/.
  8. “French NGOs take BNP Paribas to court in world’s first climate lawsuit against a commercial bank.” Oxfam International. February 23, 2023. Accessed August 21, 2023. https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/french-ngos-take-bnp-paribas-court-worlds-first-climate-lawsuit-against-commercial.
  9. Kaminski, Isabella. “Climate campaigners sue BNP Paribas over fossil fuel finance.” The Guardian. February 27, 2023. Accessed August 21, 2023. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/feb/27/climate-campaigners-sue-bnp-paribas-over-fossil-fuel-finance.
  10. Kaminski, Isabella. “Climate campaigners sue BNP Paribas over fossil fuel finance.” The Guardian. February 27, 2023. Accessed August 21, 2023. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/feb/27/climate-campaigners-sue-bnp-paribas-over-fossil-fuel-finance.
  11. Rosemain, Mathieu. “Activists sue BNP over energy loans, TotalEnergies over human rights.” Reuters. February 23, 2023. Accessed August 21, 2023. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/bnp-paribas-sued-france-over-fossil-fuel-financing-2023-02-23/.
  12. Justice, Natural. “Notre Affaire à Tous and Others v. France.” March 1, 2022. Accessed August 21, 2023. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Notre-Affaire-a-Tous-and-Others-v.-France.pdf.
  13. Justice, Natural. “Notre Affaire à Tous and Others v. France.” March 1, 2022. Accessed August 21, 2023. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Notre-Affaire-a-Tous-and-Others-v.-France.pdf.
  14. Justice, Natural. “Notre Affaire à Tous and Others v. France.” March 1, 2022. Accessed August 21, 2023. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Notre-Affaire-a-Tous-and-Others-v.-France.pdf.
  15. “Le pire est malheureusement possible!” : l’appel de 61 associations et ONG avant le second tour.” Lejdd.fr. December 20, 2022. Accessed August 21, 2023. https://www.lejdd.fr/Politique/le-pire-est-malheureusement-possible-lappel-de-61-associations-et-ong-avant-le-second-tour-3315047.
  16. [1] “Le pire est malheureusement possible!” : l’appel de 61 associations et ONG avant le second tour.” Lejdd.fr. December 20, 2022. Accessed August 21, 2023. https://www.lejdd.fr/Politique/le-pire-est-malheureusement-possible-lappel-de-61-associations-et-ong-avant-le-second-tour-3315047.
  17. “Le pire est malheureusement possible!” : l’appel de 61 associations et ONG avant le second tour.” Lejdd.fr. December 20, 2022. Accessed August 21, 2023. https://www.lejdd.fr/Politique/le-pire-est-malheureusement-possible-lappel-de-61-associations-et-ong-avant-le-second-tour-3315047.
  18. “Governance.” European Climate Foundation. Accessed August 21, 2023. https://europeanclimate.org/governance/.
  19. “2018 Annual Repor.” European Climate Foundation. Accessed August 21, 2023. https://europeanclimate.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/ecf-2018-ar-web-final.pdf.
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