Defusing a Russian carbon bomb
European media partners launch multimedia investigations into Arctic LNG 2
Today, after months of hard work, Data Desk’s media partners — Le Monde, Der Spiegel, Der Standard and ZDF — published in-depth investigations revealing how engineering, construction and shipping firms across Europe have continued to enable a massive carbon bomb gas project in the Russian Arctic, in direct contradiction to EU policy since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
This work was produced with our partners at the Anti-Corruption Data Collective, Aria and the Business4Ukraine coalition, and supported by a generous grant from the IJ4EU cross-border investigations fund — a vital catalyst for this type of work. To get up to speed quickly, check out the incredible video by Le Monde’s Décodeurs team below (automated English captions available) and a lightning summary by German TV channel ZDF.
These new investigations build on stories we’ve been publishing since we set up Data Desk a year ago, and we hope show the power of our supply chain forensics methodology:
find and acquire the highest quality industry data and satellite imagery;
add our own technical expertise and data analysis;
and get it into the hands of investigative journalists and campaigners who can really make use of it.
Back in January, we worked with The Ferret and The Herald to reveal shipments to this same gas project, Arctic LNG 2, from a construction yard in Montrose, which caused a scandal in Scotland and threats from the Scottish Government to withdraw funding from Baker Hughes, the U.S.-based firm in question.
In April, assisted by ReCommon, Il Fatto Quotidiano took up the Italian angle, using our data to reveal the central role played by engineering firm Saipem. And in July, our piece on exports of specialist oil hoses by Dunlop and cryogenic pipe supports by FTSE 250 engineering firm Hill & Smith led the business pages of The Times.
For the rest of this year and next, we’ll keep on trucking, providing intelligence on the supply chains driving climate change and global conflict wherever and however we can. If that sounds like something that your organisation could benefit from, get in touch!