Plans to drill for fossil gas off the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria are being advanced by a subsidiary of Austrian energy giant OMV, threatening to slow down Europe’s energy transition.
This week, 30 civil society groups have written to the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and European Commission, asking for meaningful consultations on the update of the Action Plan for the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, planned to take place this year.
On 10 May, 25 dedicated municipality employees from the city of Daugavpils in Latvia took part in a transformative seminar aimed at integrating zero-emission technologies and renewable energy solutions into public infrastructure.
With the recent adoption of the “foreign representatives” law in Kyrgyzstan and a similar “foreign influence” bill awaiting final approval in the Georgian parliament, civic space continues to shrink in the EBRD’s countries of operations.
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.
Latvia considers a risky nuclear energy development path
April 24, 2024 | Read more
Latvia already has a relatively high level of renewable energy production and, with many new wind and solar energy projects on the way, the country is not far from providing all the energy needed for its local consumption in annual terms. The greatest challenge remains ensuring a stable, balanced energy system. However, instead of planning for a 100 per cent renewables-based energy mix, the government has sparked a controversy by considering nuclear energy, a costly solution that would delay the transition.