The economic viability of coal is ever decreasing. Without public financial support many coal investments are doomed to fail. Yet several institutions are still willing to finance an energy source that wrecks our climate, damages our health and wastes our money.
To help bring about a world beyond coal, we investigate and promote a socially responsible transition while exposing the economic, legal, social and environmental risks of coal power.
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We provide updates in English from the Balkans and other coal regions.
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Just transition
No one should be left behind when we reconstruct our world into one driven by clean energy. Working on just transition brings all actors who believe in fair regional redevelopment to the same table: unions, industry, public administration, governments, civil society and others sharing this goal.
Coal projects
Kostolac B3 lignite power plant, Serbia
Serbia’s state-owned utility Elektroprivreda Srbije is planning a new 350 MW lignite plant at Kostolac in the country’s north-east. In spite of high level support and Chinese financing, the project is plagued by concerns over pollution, state aid and legal challenges.
Kosova e Re lignite power plant, Kosovo
Kosovo currently wastes much of the electricity it produces in its two highly polluting lignite plants: In 2016, nearly 30 percent was lost from the distribution system through technical losses and non-payment (around half each), and much more is wasted through lack of energy efficiency measures. Yet the Kosovo government, heavily backed by the US government, plans to build a new 500 MW lignite plant, Kosova e Re or New Kosovo.
Plomin coal power plant, Croatia
Croatian plans to more than double the capacity of the Plomin coal power plant would have resulted in increased carbon-emissions for several decades. The project’s profitability was questionable and the plans were facing local opposition and conflicting regional legislation.
Latest news
Independent data highlights air pollution crisis in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Press release | 25 June, 2019Dust pollution in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, has been twice the legal limit on two thirds of monitored days in 2018 and caused over one hundred premature deaths in adults during the year, according to independent new data published today in the report Lifting the Smog [1] by CEE Bankwatch Network, the Health and Environment Alliance – HEAL and the Center for Ecology and Energy in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Read moreV4’s Just Transition without Transition
Bankwatch in the media | 17 June, 2019Coal phase-out is inevitable if the world wants to limit global warming to 1.5°C. The question therefore arises not whether to shift to the low-emission economy but when. And how to do that without leaving the people from coal-abundant regions behind.
Read moreJust Transition plan for Slovak coal region Upper Nitra to be aproved today
Press release | 12 June, 2019The Upper Nitra regional parliament is today approving a plan for the region’s transition away from coal, which was created by the Slovak government based on inputs from the local community.
Read moreRelated publications
Kako se riješiti smoga
Study | 25 June, 2019 | Download PDFKoliko bi javno zdravlje Tuzle imalo koristi od provedbe zakonodavstva o kvalitetu zraka CEE Bankwatch Network i Centar za ekologiju i energiju su u Tuzli proveli neovisni monitoring čestica prašine poznate kao PM10. Pored toga smo, na osnovu zvaničnih
Lifting the smog
Study | 25 June, 2019 | Download PDFHow much Tuzla’s public health would benefit from enforcement of air quality legislation CEE Bankwatch Network and the Center for Ecology and Energy have therefore undertaken independent monitoring in Tuzla of coarse dust particles known as PM10. Toget
Policy on corporate loans based on PCM CRR on the EPS Restructuring project
Advocacy letter | 6 May, 2019 | Download PDFThe PCM has finalised the Compliance Review Report (CRR) of the EPS Restructuring project and has closed the case without further monitoring. We welcome the recommendation that clarification of the policy framework and strategic guidance are urgently r
