In June, Bankwatch and Patagonia delivered an unprecedented petition with over 120,000 signatures to the EBRD, urging an end to hydropower financing in the Balkans – the largest energy-related petition ever targeting the bank.  

In October, Bankwatch participated in the Human Rights Defenders World Summit in Paris, bringing together over 150 activists to strengthen their advocacy with development banks. 

Throughout the year, Bankwatch advanced the concept of a just transition for coal regions, engaging EU policymakers and featuring prominently at the UN climate talks in Katowice in December.  

For instance, in Slovakia, Bankwatch supported the development of an action plan for the Upper Nitra region, a pilot area in the EU’s Initiative for Coal Regions in Transition, aiming for a coal phase-out by 2023.