Secret negotiations and fossil fuels plague planning of EU’s just transition away from coal
December 15, 2021
The public has largely been kept in the dark by Member State governments in central and eastern Europe about their plans to move EU regions away from a dependency on coal, leaving the door open for other funding schemes to support fossil fuels projects.
Status of the Territorial Just Transition Plans in central and eastern Europe: December 2021 update
December 13, 2021
This briefing, the fifth in our series on the Territorial Just Transition Plans (TJTPs), provides an overview of the general Territorial Just Transition Plan progress in seven CEE countries: Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slov
Tashlyk pumped storage plant, Ukraine
December 7, 2021
The Tashlyk pumped storage plant is a massive hydropower project. Its operation extends to protected areas with peculiar microclimate features that are rich in biodiversity and endemic flora. These unique landscapes create a spectacular tourist attraction. The territory is also of great historical and archaeological significance. However, all of this would be flooded if the Tashlyk pumped storage plant expansion project is completed.
Náklady a benefity zelenej transformácie
November 29, 2021
Legislatívny balík „Fit for 55” má pomôcť dosiahnuť klimatické ciele a znížiť emisie v priemysle, doprave, sektore budov a ďalších. Aké …
At Bulgarian coal mine, a climate and human rights crisis unfolds
November 18, 2021
People abandoned at the edge of Bulgaria’s largest coal basin expect accountability from the multilateral development bank that financed the mine expansion.
Want to make cities climate neutral? Engage residents!
November 11, 2021
As multilateral development banks and national governments in Glasgow debate how cities should reach climate neutrality, they should not overlook the role of effective citizen participation in shaping cities’ future. Activists from Kyiv who successfully fought to protect unique wetlands are an example of how important it is to involve citizens in creating a better future.
Lithuania – where ‘biodiversity funding’ is cutting down trees
October 22, 2021
The wooded picturesque old town of Trakai in Lithuania is part of the Trakai Historic National Park (Photo: Žygimantas Abromavičius)nListen …
Radio silence on gas allegations: European Commission breaks another deadline to respond to Bankwatch’s complaint
October 21, 2021
The European Commission’s Directorate General for Energy is dragging its feet in answering allegations on its role in the selection of priority gas pipelines in the Western Balkans and Caucasus region. The delays threaten to diminish the chances of the Ombudsman’s findings being taken into account while developing new EU energy rules.
New report: European Investment Bank hydropower failures necessitate tighter rules
October 21, 2021
The European Investment Bank has financed a series of damaging hydropower projects since 2010 which underline the need to tighten its environmental and social standards, according to a new report published today by CEE Bankwatch Network and EuroNatur.
Public money vs. pristine rivers
October 21, 2021
As the EIB revises its Environmental and Social Standards, this report presents eight hydropower schemes in central and eastern Europe either financed or under consideration by the Bank. The projects – some financed directly and others via intermediari
