EBRD soldiering on in Egypt
Blog entry | 25 November, 2013Adding to the ongoing febrile atmosphere in the country, Egypt’s military-backed authorities just yesterday passed a controversial new law that imposes draconian restrictions on public protest. Meanwhile, in recent weeks the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has reconfirmed its intention to remain active in the country – despite a number of serious doubts still hanging over its potential impact.
Read moreSouth Ukrainian nuclear power plants – not ready for a safe operation in over-design period
Publication | 25 November, 2013The licence for unit 1 of the South Ukrainian nuclear power plant is going to expire on December 2, 2013. The unit has been stopped already in March 2013 for necessary maintenance and safety upgrade works. The State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU) conditioned the possibility of the unit’s re-start and lifetime extension to a list of measures that need to be implemented.
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PPPs a threat to national security, says Czech national security service BIS
Blog entry | 21 November, 2013The complicated nature, hidden future debts and other characteristics of public-private partnerships have led the Czech Republic’s national security service to consider them a potential threat to public interests.
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United Kingdom’s retreat from coal increases pressure on EBRD
Blog entry | 21 November, 2013With the United Kingdom, another major shareholder of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is divesting from coal overseas. What does this mean for the upcoming decision on the EBRD’s energy strategy?
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Protests target European bank as it champions coal from the side lines of Warsaw climate conference
Press release | 18 November, 2013Warsaw – Actions are being organised today in several European capitals to protest the attendance of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development at the International Coal and Climate Summit, organised by the World Coal Association in parallel to the United Nation’s climate conference in Poland.
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Information is crucial – Villagers in the way of infrastructure in Ukraine need early support
Blog entry | 15 November, 2013The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development helped solve conflicts between locals and Ukrainian state company Ukrenergo about an EBRD financed transmission line. On close inspection, the case illustrates that without close monitoring and support for local communities, it is left to chance and locals’ dedication that conflicts are being noticed in the first place.
Read moreBankwatch Mail 57
Publication | 11 November, 2013Coinciding with the beginning of international climate negotiations at the COP19/CMP9 in Warsaw and with many observers already questioning the Polish government’s ambitions for the summit, Issue 57 of Bankwatch Mail introduces the country also known as Coal-land and finds (among many other things) people protesting (successfully) against the pervasive smell of coal in the air.
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Shackled to coal: EBRD set to buck positive global investment trends
Publication | 11 November, 2013The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the last of three multilateral international financial institutions (IFIs) to undertake a revision of its energy lending this year, is scheduled to adopt a new energy policy on December 10. The EBRD’s policy review process follows similar reviews at both the European Investment Bank and the World Bank that have seen both institutions introduce conditions intended to restrict their respective lending to coal projects.
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New report – How Turkey’s coal boom threatens local economies on the Black Sea
Publication | 11 November, 2013With coal power expansion booming in Turkey, a new Bankwatch report based on a recent field trip finds that the environmental impacts of coal power plants are inadequately assessed, while Turkey’s viable, clean alternatives to coal are neither being analysed or discussed seriously by senior policy- and decision-makers.
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EU-backed western Balkans priority energy projects conflict with EU goals
Publication | 11 November, 2013A list of 35 regional priority energy projects selected on 24 October in Belgrade by the Energy Community’s Ministerial Council has been greeted with dismay by civil society groups from across the western Balkans.
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