Civil society letter to EBRD president: Energy Sector Strategy and consultations
Publication | 13 September, 2013After a week of consultation meetings in Istanbul, Belgrade and Moscow to discuss the EBRD energy sector strategy with EBRD staff, civil society groups turn to the bank’s president Suma Chakrabarti as we believe that some of our concerns deserve his attention.
Read more
New arrests link corruption with land expropriation at Serbian Kolubara mine
Blog entry | 11 September, 2013Land expropriation and corruption have been two recurring themes at the Kolubara mine. This week’s arrests indicate that they are closely connected.
Read more
Of horses and roads – protests in Ukraine highlight lack of safety
Blog entry | 11 September, 2013Demonstrations in Kiev have shown that road safety is not only for cars but also pedestrians and other traffic participants – a lesson that the Ukrainian road company still needs to learn and that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development should be teaching more actively.
Read moreEBRD gives up Kolubara B lignite power plant project in Serbia
Press release | 9 September, 2013Subotica, Serbia — The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) confirmed Friday September 6 that it is no longer interested in financing the 750 MW Kolubara B lignite power plant project near Belgrade in Serbia. The project is proposed by Serbian electricity company Elektroprivreda Srbija, with Italy’s Edison as a strategic partner.
Read more
Energy consultations reveal lack of strategic thinking at the EBRD
Blog entry | 6 September, 2013With another public action, colleagues in Moscow are today bringing to a close a week that has seen the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development having to listen to a lot of uncomfortable truths.
Read more
Nordic countries ‘no’ to coal is a glimmer of hope for EBRD energy lending
Blog entry | 5 September, 2013The global campaign to make the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development restrict its coal lending may have found new allies in Nordic countries after their declaration yesterday to seize overseas coal investments.
Read more
Thousands remind the EBRD that coal is not an option
Blog entry | 4 September, 2013The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development received a little surprise visit this week from 16 000 voices against coal.
Read morePressure builds on EBRD to quit coal lending
Press release | 4 September, 2013The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development lags behind other major international financial institutions that are moving away from supporting dirty energy projects.
Read more
Reality, climate change and global attention is catching up on the ‘sustainable energy’ bank (EBRD)
Blog entry | 28 August, 2013As part of the consultation on its energy sector strategy the EBRD next week hosts public meetings in Istanbul, Belgrade and Moscow to discuss with civil society from its countries of operation. While public pressure is increasing to end coal financing it is important to note that restrictions to carbon-intensive investments must be strictly and clearly defined in the strategy document if they are to improve the EBRD’s climate impact. An article from Bankwatch’s 2012 annual report (pdf) illustrates how a too flexible approach allows the EBRD to greenwash also very dirty investments.
Read moreOpen letter asking EBRD to take consultation on lending policy review seriously
Publication | 28 August, 2013Given the seriousness of the upcoming consultation meeting on the EBRD’s energy lending policy in Belgrade (September 4) and the concern that this should be more than a pro forma exercise, a range of organisations are asking the EBRD in this letter to show genuine commitment to dialogue.
Read more
