Funding the right incentives for the just transition
Blog entry | 14 January, 2020The Commission’s proposal for a Just Transition Fund is encouraging as fossil fuels have been excluded. Special attention should be given though to key elements such as its mode of governance, geographical scope, and the types of activities eligible for funding.
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EU Just Transition Mechanism needs local ownership and concrete steps to decarbonisation
Press release | 10 January, 2020The 7.5 billion euros revealed today in a leak of the EU’s proposed Just Transition Mechanism can lead a sustainable and economically-fair move away from fossil fuels in Europe’s carbon-dependent regions, but only if local stakeholders are involved in planning the transformation and the funding is consistent with climate targets.
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A breath of fresh air: How Latvia can increase wind power capacity tenfold by 2030
Blog entry | 16 December, 2019When it comes to wind energy, Latvia lags far behind its neighbours.
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Bern Convention mission will investigate violations along the Struma motorway
Blog entry | 11 December, 2019On Friday 6 December, the Standing Committee of the Berne Convention decided to strengthen the monitoring of the Struma highway construction through the Kresna Gorge by sending an expert mission to the project. The decision followed a European Commission report identifying violations of European environmental legislation in the EIA procedure and in the application form for EU financing for the project.
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Just Transition funding needs to support real transitions
Press release | 17 October, 2019According to draft conclusions of the European Council, EU leaders meeting today and tomorrow look forward to a proposal from the European Commission to establish a Just Transition Fund.
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Climate neutrality or annihilation?
Blog entry | 3 October, 2019Today’s announcement by Estonia to reach climate neutrality by 2050 rings hollow given the country’s plans to increase shale oil production.
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First large-scale solar district heating plant in the Baltics opens in Latvia
Blog entry | 24 September, 2019In the town of Salaspils, Latvia, the sun will now provide most of the energy for heating water during warm months.
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Bankwatch statement on the EU’s 2050 climate neutrality goal and central and eastern European country positions
Press release | 20 June, 2019“With Germany now backing the EU’s 2050 carbon neutrality goal, all eyes are on Poland and other countries of central and eastern Europe that have to date refused to back this target because of their reliance on coal.
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A false solution to a real problem?
Blog entry | 14 June, 2019New research by Bankwatch shows energy and climate plans (NECPs) in 7 CEE countries over-rely on unsustainable biomass to reach their renewable energy objectives.
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Protests at pan-European motorway project as time runs out for key wildlife site
Press release | 5 June, 2019Dozens of activists from across Europe have protested and dropped a banner at an international road in Kresna gorge, Bulgaria, to protest against the lack of action from the European Commission and the Bulgarian government to save the key EU-protected wildlife site.
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