Financing the post-2015 agenda – the problematic role of development banks
September 24, 2015 | Read more
The heavy involvement of international financial institutions in the post-2015 development agenda raises serious questions for civil society around the world on whether the SDGs will manage to address the root causes of inequality, poverty and environmental degradation.
Guest post: Italian mayors protest against the Trans Adriatic Pipeline
September 22, 2015 | Read more
Local opposition in Italy to the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) is mounting. During a business event organised last week, a dozen mayors staged a protest against the government’s support for the project, who together with civil society and local authorities fear that the pipeline will destroy the environment and the safety of their communities. Instead they are demanding that EU drop the project.
A leaked document, published here for the first time, that outlines the Slovenian government’s priorities for the EU’s Energy Union reveals a potential conflict with what the European Commission has on offer. Yet, neither promises ambitious strides towards more renewables.
Images and graphs: Large-scale agribusiness in Ukraine and local communities
September 14, 2015 | Read more
Ukraine’s agriculture was the only sector in the country to grow in 2014. International investors are happy to point this out – and the role they are playing in financing these investments. Our investigation, however, shows that cheap Ukrainian food products are coming at the expense of severe impacts on local communities.
Slovakia and the Energy Union: Financing for fossil fuels
September 10, 2015 | Read more
Similar to what we have seen in other countries, when it comes to concrete projects in Slovakia the Energy Union proposals are so far to a much larger extent aiming at security of (gas) supply than they are at decarbonisation.
Bankwatch’s Romanian chapter has been granted access to environmental information included in a letter sent by Romania’s Ministry of Economy in support of a loan from the Euoprean Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to Oltenia Energy Complex (OEC), Bucharest’s administrative court ruled yesterday. The letter will shed light on the nature and extent of the government’s support for the project, and whether it was in line with EU regulations.
