March 8, 2021 | Read more Promoting gender rights and women’s empowerment has become a trend among multilateral development banks (MDBs). Organising discussions on best practices and promoting gender-related issues is welcome, but it is crucial that banks ensure meaningful protection and support to the women most affected by international public investments.
March 5, 2021 | Read more District Heating is an efficient way to heat homes, particularly in a country like Latvia where 58% of its primary energy consumption is used for heating. But Selīna Vancāne at Riga City Council is very concerned that the draft EU Recovery plans do not include any support under the climate goals for district heating projects. Perhaps it’s because of a blind spot: most of Europe is prioritising individual heating units powered by electricity. Meanwhile, Latvia is tacking the issue of fuel sources for district heating. There’s gas (not clean, must be imported from Russia), woodchips (plenty of local supply, but has sustainability limits), and much better solutions like solar. Vancāne offers the case study of Salaspils Siltums, built in 6 months, which provides solar district heating to 85% of a town of 18,000 people. She urges the EU to fund both district heating and the new clean solutions it can use. The results can be cost effective, sustainable, efficient and curb emissions.
March 3, 2021 | Read more The EIB’s lending through intermediary banks is often claimed to be confidential. But this is public money, and the bank’s peers are increasingly doing better. As the EIB reviews its Transparency Policy, it’s high time to up its game.
March 3, 2021 | Read more Territorial Just Transition Plans (TJTPs) are a precondition for European Union Member States to access the EUR 17.5 billion Just Transition Fund (JTF). The plans must outline the expected process of transitioning away from a coal-based economy; the most affected territories and all types of impacts; what operations are envisaged; and how the process will ensure participation, monitoring and evaluation. TJTPs are developed at the sub-regional level; therefore, countries must produce documents for each territory where they plan to spend money from the Just Transition Fund.
February 24, 2021 | Read more Publish What You Fund’s DFI Transparency Initiative is finalising its latest working paper on environmental, social and governance (ESG) and accountability to communities. Ahead of its publication, Fran Witt (Economic Justice and Climate Change Consultant) and Fidanka Bacheva-McGrath (EBRD Policy Officer, Bankwatch) provide a CSO perspective on the transparency and accountability challenges for public development banks (PDBs). They argue that PDBs have much work to do in order to meet their commitments to the rights of project-affected communities.
February 22, 2021 | Read more Citizens from South Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, will be waiting with their whole hearts for the results of the upcoming EBRD Board meeting on 25 February. The meeting agenda has an item that will affect the lives of people in that area – Corridor Vc in FBH – Part 3 – Operation Change Report. In the week before the decision the EBRD client, JP Autoceste, in collaboration with the bank, has attempted to demonstrate support for the currently selected valley route, while excluding and marginalising local opponents.
February 18, 2021 | Read more With less than three months to go before national recovery and resilience plans must be submitted, Member States still refuse to consult with stakeholders about how they plan to spend nearly EUR 700 billion to deliver a green and sustainable recovery. Meanwhile, the European Commission has provided little clarity on its commitment to enforce strong consultation standards when assessing each recovery plan.
February 16, 2021 | Read more Upgrades to the coal power plants in the Western Balkans that would bring down sulphur dioxide emissions are rare. But even where investments have been made, they have so far failed to deliver the much-needed results.
February 10, 2021 | Read more With EUR 57 billion at stake, a letter from environmental CSOs urges the Polish Prime Minister to open the planning process for the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) to the public.
February 10, 2021 | Read more Bankwatch is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Vujadin Berberović, president of the Serb returnee association in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, who played a key role in mobilising his community to ensure the local residents are equal stakeholders in the development of the Corridor Vc project.
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