How the EBRD can seize the day in sustainable development
June 28, 2018 | Read more
To truly invest in changing lives and preventing human rights violations, the EBRD must ensure that its independent accountability office can conduct rigorous investigations into allegations of abuse in financed projects – and hold itself accountable.
In the Israeli Environmental Protection Ministry’s annual ranking, Israel Chemicals has been topping the lists of corporate environmental offenders. For the EIB, the company has “sound environmental policy” which justifies a quarter of billion euros for supporting R&D of specialty chemicals. Ahead of the first anniversary of the Ashalim spill, which originated from an ICL subsidiary’s chemicals plant, a new Bankwatch analysis questions the EIB’s engagement with the company.
This story represents one of the few successful examples in Romania but should serve as an inspiration for all the mayors and representatives of the Romanian authorities. Nobody says it’s going to be a smooth sailing when dealing with accessing European funds, but it is important to have well-prepared personnel, a vision for sustainable development and last, but not least, a desire to make positive changes in your community.
The closure of the largest underground mine in Bulgaria, Bobov Dol in the southwest of the country, means Bulgarian authorities are finally forced to think about Just Transition.
China, the Western Balkans and the EU: Can three tango?
May 17, 2018 | Read more
With China pouring loans into the Western Balkans, the EU must step in to ensure this money benefits the region, writes Wawa Wang.
The loan that made sense until it didn’t
May 11, 2018 | Read more
During the annual meetings of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the bank is the subject of a complaint for policy violations via a EUR 200 million loan to Serbia’s state-owned energy utility: money earmarked to prepare the fossil fuels-based company for the realities of adhering to stricter EU legislation will instead enable it to extract and burn even more fossil fuels.
