Petrochemical production pollutes communities, worsens the climate crisis, and deepens environmental injustice— and financial institutions are helping fund their expansion. From plastics and fertilizers to ammonia and synthetic chemicals, the petrochemical industry relies on billions in loans, underwriting, and investment to build new facilities across the United States, often in regions already overburdened by toxic pollution.
The report, Toxic Finance: The Banks and Investors Funding the Expansion of Petrochemicals in the US, follows the money behind the US petrochemical boom. It identifies the banks and investors financing the companies behind the largest proposed expansion projects, quantifies the scale of financial exposure, and examines the growing market, legal, and climate risks facing the sector. The findings reveal a troubling disconnect between financial institutions’ climate and human rights commitments and their continued support for polluting, high-risk infrastructure.
This report published by CIEL, Break Free from Plastic US (BFFP), Friends of the Earth (FOE) U.S., Gulf South Fossil Finance Hub, Texas Campaign for the Environment (TCE), and The People Over Petro Coalition (POPCO), sends a clear message: petrochemical expansion is not only harmful to people and the planet — it is an escalating financial liability. Banks, investors, and regulators must act now to end financing for new petrochemical projects and align capital with a just and sustainable future.
Use our interactive tool to trace the money behind petrochemical expansion and see who is funding new projects: http://www.toxicfinance.org.
Published on March 24, 2026