Răstolița: Major destruction for minimal energy
January 20, 2025
Nestled at the foothills of Călimani National Park in eastern Romania, the Răstolița river, a tributary of the Mureș, flows through a pristine and biodiverse landscape. However, this idyllic setting is under threat from the Răstolița hydropower project, a relic of the communist era. Designed over 30 years ago, this outdated project is incompatible with modern environmental standards and poses a severe threat to the unique ecosystem of the Răstolița river, home to the endangered Danube salmon.
EU funds: Protecting or damaging nature? How to avoid harmful projects
October 21, 2024
The following recommendations how to prevent projects that damage nature from being financed in the future are based on the case studies from Croatia, Hungary, Latvia, Poland and Slovenia.
EU hails benefits of multi-billion-euro environmental action
August 2, 2024
Five major environmental NGOs – WWF, BirdLife, the European Environmental Bureau, Euronatur and CEE Bankwatch – proposed just such a fund earlier this week, saying it would need an annual budget of between €15bn and €25bn to implement the NRL and operate the Natura 2000 network effectively.
From theory to practice: A case-based analysis of the EU’s ‘do no significant harm’ principle
July 18, 2024
This report, through a series of case studies, analyses how the ‘do no significant harm’ principle has been applied in various EU Member States.
EU-funded project launches to scale private investment in biodiversity
July 10, 2024
Dubbed Bio-Capital and funded under the Horizon Europe scheme, the project will run until Dec. 2027 and see the collaboration of 17 …
Unlocking funds for nature: How the next EU budget must deliver for biodiversity
July 9, 2024
This joint statement offers three policy proposals to improve EU biodiversity financing.
Why and how the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development must improve its biodiversity standards
June 24, 2024
The EBRD’s Environmental and Social Policy is now undergoing revision and it needs not only to maintain the EBRD’s practices with regard to biodiversity, but also to significantly improve them.
Joint civil society comments on the EBRD biodiversity standards (ESR 6)
May 29, 2024
Ahead of the EBRD’s Annual Meeting, 12 civil society organisations submitted their collective input on the revised draft of the EBRD’s Environmental and Social Policy, focusing on standards related to biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of living natural resources.
From drainage to restoration: A new chapter for Estonia’s wetlands
May 28, 2024
In Estonia, drained peatlands are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and thus exacerbate climate change. Our case study highlights the success of a project aimed at restoring the water regime of a mire ecosystem, leading to a remarkable growth in vegetation and the recovery of multiple species.
Destroying while rebuilding: Flawed hydro project set for Polish just transition region needs a rethink
May 7, 2024
Eastern Wielkopolska, one of Poland’s just transition regions, urgently needs to repair the damage caused by decades of lignite mining. One controversial hydrological project slated for the region aims to flood open pits and stabilise water levels. But while these measures appear to be positive steps towards making amends, the environmental impacts of the project have not been assessed, which is likely to result in a number of unintended and damaging consequences.
