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Case Study

WestLB (A): In the pipeline - responsible financing

By Michael Yaziji, Heidi Strebel and Aileen Ionescu-Somers

8 pages

November 2011

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Reference: IMD-1-0315

The A-case opens with Greenpeace activists dangling in mountaineering harnesses from the facade of WestLB headquarters in Düsseldorf. WestLB was one of the largest banks in Germany and the public bank for the federal state of North-Rhine Westphalia. The activists were protesting against the bank’s financing for the construction of the second oil pipeline in Ecuador. The case provides the background story on oil production in Ecuador, the protests against the pipeline and its financiers, and the decision by the bank to close on the loan despite the protests in Ecuador, Germany and other countries around the world.

Learning Objective

Assessing the risks from a negative NGO campaign and understanding how clients manage their triple bottom line.

Keywords

Project Financing, Non-Governmental Organization Campaign, Sustainability, Financial Services, Finance

Settings

World/global
2001-2011

Type

Field Research

Available Languages

English

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This case study is part of a series

WestLB (A): In the pipeline - responsible financing
WestLB (B): Going with the flow
WestLB (C): A change in direction

This case study is part of a series

WestLB (A): In the pipeline - responsible financing
WestLB (B): Going with the flow
WestLB (C): A change in direction

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