Bankwatch comments to the EIB draft energy policy
July 9, 2013
The EU’s global leadership on climate change is set to take another blow if the European Investment Bank, the EU house bank and one of the world’s largest public lenders, adopts a future energy lending policy as presented yesterday to the public. The draft policy includes weaker standards for lending to coal plants than currently proposed in both the US and Canada.
Is the Latvian success story over? Good public participation practices in EU funds planning in Latvia turns sour
July 8, 2013
So far the planning for Latvia’s use of the EU funds for the 2014-2020 period has been a reasonably positive experience from a partnership perspective. Yet the process that has, until recently, been notable for its transparency and high level of public participation is now in danger of being derailed.
Hedegaard urges development banks to divest from fossil fuels
July 8, 2013
Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard has called for development banks with a combined annual lending pot of €130 billion to end support for fossil fuels in their energy lending policy reviews.
The EU’s bank is less ambitious than the US in restricting energy from coal
July 5, 2013
It may have been easy in the past for Europeans to bash the US for being retrograde when it comes to climate policies, but after last week it will get more difficult to do that.
EIB cleans up its energy lending policy
July 4, 2013
The European Investment Bank (EIB) intends to place stricter CO2 emission standards on coal power plants that it finances, but not as strict as the standards president Obama recently proposed in the US. The EIB is also considering investing in shale gas projects, according to a draft of its new energy lending policy. NGOs accuse the EIB of a “missed opportunity to politically reject coal”. With the EBRD and World Bank also mulling new investment criteria, the battle to “green up” Big Energy Money is heating up.
EU budget: green jobs to be found amidst disappointing deal
July 3, 2013
Brussels, July 3, 2013 – Following today’s approval by the European Parliament of Europe’s €960 billion budget for 2014-2020, Bankwatch and Friends of the Earth Europe are calling on individual member states to make the most of a disappointing deal by respecting green spending commitments – thereby boosting green jobs and truly sustainable investments.
As Croatia accedes to the EU, questions remain over whether EU billions can succeed for Croats
July 1, 2013
Croatia’s new Law on Strategic Investments does not bode well for the sustainable use of EU funds in Croatia now that the country has become an EU member state.
New EIB policy against EU principles, say climate activists
June 26, 2013
Environmentalists have reacted angrily to the European Investment Bank (EIB)’s draft energy lending policy, the result of a review process launched last year.
Green agriculture spending culled in Estonia – NGOs demand proper use of future EU money
June 26, 2013
While the EU’s future common agricultural policy is taking shape in Brussels, it’s not just there that major agri-business interests are flexing their muscles to take the ‘green-ness’ out of EU agricultural spending.
New EIB Energy Policy: A Missed Opportunity
June 25, 2013
Brussels — The EU’s global leadership on climate change is set to take another blow if the European Investment Bank, the EU house bank and one of the world’s largest public lenders, adopts a future energy lending policy as presented yesterday to the public. The draft policy includes weaker standards for lending to coal plants than currently proposed in both the US and Canada.
