Boost for Cohesion funding can speed EU recovery with concrete guidance on how to spend it
Press release | 27 May, 2020Brussels – The European Commission’s pandemic recovery package is a welcomed boost for cohesion and the energy transformation in countries that need it most, but progress will only come with clear guidance for how this money is spent.
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Uphill battle for Commission to bring Member States in line with new Biodiversity Strategy
Press release | 20 May, 2020The European Commission’s new Biodiversity Strategy 2030 published today has the right tools in place to safeguard nature but only if it can enforce the laws that Member States have at times skirted with impunity in the past, says CEE Bankwatch Network.
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Assessment of waste incineration capacities in the Upper Nitra region
Blog entry | 26 March, 2020A new study commissioned by Friends of the Earth-CEPA and Bankwatch estimates that a planned waste incinerator in Novaky, Slovakia will not solve energy, climate or waste issues. According to the analysis, it will be almost impossible for the plant to meet supply quotas and new recycling targets. Considering the high level of CO2 emissions from waste incineration, this solution will furthermore continue to pollute the environment while also preventing Slovakia from investing in renewables.
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The ‘smart’ transformation of a Black Sea metropolis
Blog entry | 25 March, 2020Burgas has recently been named the ‘Best city to live in Bulgaria’ – which may just have something to do with its strategy of transforming itself into a climate-friendly city without leaving any of its residents behind.
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Just Transition Fund needs stronger safeguards on inclusion and decarbonisation
Blog entry | 20 March, 2020Last week, the feedback period on the EU’s proposed regulation for the Just Transition Fund (JTF) closed. CEE Bankwatch Network was among over 150 organisations and individuals that submitted comments.
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Will Europe’s just transition pilot support locals in Slovakia?
Blog entry | 20 February, 2020A just transition for Slovakia’s Upper Nitra is already underway. But turning plans into projects which can actually bring about this transition will be no easy feat. One of the challenges ahead will be to ensure that there is both enough money invested in the region and a sufficient number of good quality projects–projects that don’t lock in carbon-intensive technologies–that support local people.
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Irrespective of the size, the EU budget must serve higher climate ambition
Press release | 20 February, 2020EU leaders hold today a special European Council meeting where they will discuss and maybe agree on the size and structure of the EU budget for the period 2021-2027. Regardless of the size, current proposals for the EU budget of the next decade fall short of ambitious climate action.
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The Czech coal commission and its planned fossil fuels phase-out
Blog entry | 19 February, 2020In 2018, the average temperature in the Czech Republic was 1.7 degrees higher than the average in 1981-2010. The summer was the hottest since 1961 and the drought was extreme – as described in the Czech Republic 2018 Report on the Environment prepared by the Ministry of the Environment. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said that the Czech Republic is doing everything it can to protect the climate.
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Funding the right incentives for the just transition
Blog entry | 14 January, 2020The Commission’s proposal for a Just Transition Fund is encouraging as fossil fuels have been excluded. Special attention should be given though to key elements such as its mode of governance, geographical scope, and the types of activities eligible for funding.
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EU Just Transition Mechanism needs local ownership and concrete steps to decarbonisation
Press release | 10 January, 2020The 7.5 billion euros revealed today in a leak of the EU’s proposed Just Transition Mechanism can lead a sustainable and economically-fair move away from fossil fuels in Europe’s carbon-dependent regions, but only if local stakeholders are involved in planning the transformation and the funding is consistent with climate targets.
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