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How Ukraine can turn community needs into bankable projects

18 August, 2026

Ukraine’s public investment management (PIM) system faces a fundamental challenge: communities and ministries often know what they need, but lack the time, data, expertise and money to turn those needs into strong investment projects. 

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Death by a thousand transmission lines

6 August, 2026

The EBRD-backed development of the 400/110/35 kV Brezna substation for Montenegro’s transmission grid is opening several crucial questions – where is the red line beyond which a project’s impact on local communities makes it unacceptable? Can this even be assessed when all the institutions and financiers involved fail to identify even the obvious impacts? And why are the project’s backers so reluctant to provide environmental documentation to the affected people?

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Before the money arrives, the work begins: how Kolašin in Montenegro is preparing for renewable district heating

4 August, 2026

Located below the Bjelasica mountain in northern Montenegro, the town of Kolašin is experiencing a rapid transformation. The expansion of the local ski resort, which attracted around 80,000 visitors during the 2025/2026 winter season, is accelerating tourism growth and new construction. As the town grows, local authorities face a critical challenge – ensuring that new heating infrastructure supports sustainable renewable solutions and avoids locking the town into fossil fuel-based systems for decades.

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Signs of trouble: Drainage pipe near the pristine Bunica river spring causes outcry as Corridor Vc construction affects Mostar communities

30 July, 2026

A large drainage pipe has been recently installed next to the spring of the Bunica River as part of the construction of the European Corridor Vc motorway in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Local residents became increasingly concerned and the issue gained public attention on 3 July 2026 when photographs of the works were widely shared and questions were raised about the purpose of the pipe and its potential impact on the river.

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‘Changing lives’ in Bishkek: The cost of a green transport failure

16 July, 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?

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