‘Changing lives’ in Bishkek: The cost of a green transport failure
July 16, 2026
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) failed to trigger its environmental and social safeguards as the City of Bishkek got rid of 131 trolleybuses purchased with loans from the Bank. Will any lessons be learned from this fiasco?
North Macedonia’s waste reform: Two steps forward, one step back
May 27, 2026
This briefing summarises the findings of a fact-finding mission conducted by CEE Bankwatch Network in February 2026 in Skopje and Novaci to assess waste management reform in North Macedonia.
More buses, but is the system better? Evaluating Bishkek’s public transport network
April 29, 2026
Over the past few years, the public transport fleet in Bishkek – Kyrgyzstan’s capital city – has changed visibly. In a city where privately operated minibuses, known as marshrutkas, dominated for years, new gas-powered buses and electric buses are now in service.
Advancing sustainable municipal waste management in Ukraine: Lviv agglomeration case study
April 21, 2026
As Ukraine moves forward on its path towards EU integration and post-war recovery, the need to replace outdated waste disposal practices with modern, inclusive and financially sustainable systems is growing. This makes municipal waste management a key area of reform.
Inclusive waste governance in practice: Report from a fact-finding mission in Berat, Albania
March 18, 2026
This report presents the pilot as a successful initiative and a transferable case study that can inform policy and donor programming, as well as future replication in other Albanian municipalities and beyond.
Sofia’s burned lesson: Why the Western Balkans must ditch waste incineration
November 25, 2025
While Western Balkan governments scramble to solve their energy and waste crises by turning to incineration, a clear lesson is emerging from the EU: burning waste is a dead end.
From cost to value: How EU funds can boost biowaste circularity in central and eastern Europe from 2027
November 11, 2025
Biowaste, the largest component of municipal waste, is the second-biggest source of methane – a gas 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over 20 years.
Bishkek residents seek mediation to restore trolleybus service
August 19, 2025
Residents of Bishkek have asked the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)’s Independent Project Accountability Mechanism (IPAM) to facilitate dialogue with urban authorities over concerns about the city’s trolleybus services.
Europe’s big trash-burning experiment has become a dirty headache
July 27, 2025
“Many of these installation plans would turn out to be obsolete,” says Anelia Stefanova, energy transformation area leader for CEE Bankwatch, since EU countries are expected to meet waste reduction and recycling targets enforced by EU laws.
Rethinking urban mobility: Why green vehicles are no fix for broken transport systems
May 26, 2025
The EBRD’s new Infrastructure Sector Strategy represents a significant step towards sustainable urban transport investments. However, it remains to be seen whether the implementation of the strategy will strike the much-needed balance between infrastructure investments and policy actions.
