July 23, 2025 | Read more Only EUR 163 million of the European Commission’s EUR 1 billion emergency funding can be shown to have contributed to tackling the root causes of the energy crisis and advancing the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, according to a new report by CEE Bankwatch Network, published today (1). More than two years after the lion’s share of the funds were disbursed, most spending and results still cannot be traced using publicly available sources.
July 16, 2025 | Read more Despite bold rhetoric on climate and environmental leadership, the European Commission’s proposal for the next long-term EU budget, published today, falls short of aligning future EU spending with the needs of a climate-neutral EU. It fails to provide a clear, enforceable vision for beneficiaries of EU funds to tackle today’s multiple challenges by directing public funds towards building a more resilient, just, and environmentally sustainable economy.
July 15, 2025 | Read more The Clean Industrial Deal envisions an expansion of both hydrogen and carbon capture throughout the EU. The experts’ prevailing view is that hydrogen can only advance the energy transition in a few hard-to-abate sectors, and there are serious concerns over the very viability of carbon capture, especially at scale. Yet our latest analysis reveals that a little-known EU infrastructure fund has been handing out hundreds of millions to these dubious technologies.
July 14, 2025 | Read more In April, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) signed a Mutual Reliance and Cooperation Agreement, founding their future cooperation on jointly financed projects. Yet concerns have already emerged about potential risks to environmental and social safeguards as well as accountability under the new partnership.
July 10, 2025 | Read more As our energy systems shift towards decentralisation and renewable energy sources, it’s becoming increasingly important for energy markets to be open, understandable, and accessible to everyone, including large companies, local communities, and individuals. Transparency and easy access to energy data play a key role in this transition. In Estonia, the Estonian Green Movement is working to raise public awareness and capacity around this topic.
July 10, 2025 | Read more In May 2025, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) released its first-ever Impact Report. With EUR 16.6 billion invested in 584 projects in 2024, the report highlights ambitious claims: reductions in emissions, boosts to human capital, and support for inclusive economies. But as we dig deeper, a familiar issue re-emerges: the gap between institutional ambition and on-the-ground reality.
July 4, 2025 | Read more In its largest investment round to date, the EU’’s Modernisation Fund extended support to multiple schemes and projects to advance the energy transition, but damaging projects still get a slice.
July 1, 2025 | Read more Serbia’s district heating sector is facing an unprecedented crisis, driven by an overreliance on imported fossil fuels – particularly fossil gas – and an inability to control energy prices. This dependence puts the sector at a significant risk of collapse in the coming years, threatening the basic heating needs of millions of citizens. It also underscores the urgent need for the Serbian government to diversify the district heating system by integrating sustainable renewable energy sources.
July 1, 2025 | Read more The critical task of protecting and preserving Ukraine’s water resources presents significant challenges. To address these issues, the environmental community has initiated discussions on implementing effective water management across the country, with a particular focus on rehabilitating its principal waterway – the Dnipro River.
June 27, 2025 | Read more This article was published as an opinion piece in EUobserver on 26 June 2025. The EU’s new priorities are at a major crossroads. The once cutting-edge European Green Deal is now ditched in favour of defence, security and competitiveness. These discuss
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