European Development Bank: Backward Step on Rights – Draft Policy Would Weaken Protection
March 5, 2014
(London) – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s (EBRD) new draft Environment and Social Policy would fail to weed out abusive development projects, seven human rights and bank watchdog organizations said today in a joint statement. The bank’s consultation on the draft policy closes on March 5, 2014. It then has an opportunity to revise the policy before sending it to the bank’s board for approval in the coming months.
Promoters of mega-dam in Georgia use front group and PR campaign and discredit local community
February 27, 2014
Georgian public opinion backs the village of Kaishi in the Georgian mountains that defiantly defends its land and tradition against the planned Khudoni dam. The project promoters have now embarked on an all-out promotion campaign including a fake non-governmental organisation.
Georgian hydro projects are a test case for the EBRD’s good governance policies
February 12, 2014
As activists pointed out at a consultation meeting in Tbilisi, Georgia’s hydropower sector has plenty of lessons to be learned by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
[Campaign update*] Georgian government and investors reject Ombudsman’s offer to mediate in controversy over Khudoni mega dam
February 6, 2014
The growing antagonism between promoters of the Khudoni hydropower plant project in Georgia and their local opponents from Kaishi is unlikely to ease when the investor and the Georgian Ministry of Energy boycott mediation by Georgia’s Ombudsman.
Sounding out the EBRD’s energy strategy: little ambition besides scrapping coal
December 13, 2013
At a closer look the EBRD’s new energy strategy, complimented for the restrictions it places on coal lending, reveals a shocking lack of operational knowledge to implement the ambitions outlined in its executive summary.
UPDATED: Six months and counting… EBRD silent on investigations into its own operations
December 3, 2013
Is the EBRD deliberately dragging its feet on publishing investigation reports on large hydropower plants in Georgia, Macedonia and Croatia?
How embarrassing: EBRD transparency ranked ‘poorest’ among multilaterals
October 29, 2013
As the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development revises its safeguard policies, the Aid Transparency Index ranks its commitment to openness and transparency as the weakest in comparison with similar institutions.
Letter to Commissioner Potocnik: NGO concerns over the Transitional National Plans pursuant to the Industrial Emissions Directive 2010/75/EU
October 10, 2013
This letter to Commissioner Janez Potocnik outlines serious concerns regarding the optional “Transitional National Plan” (TNP) derogation of the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED). The TNPs provide an opportunity for the coal industry and governments to pollute more compared to the general pollution limits set by the IED. In some cases using this derogation makes retrofitting plants economically viable, because thanks to the derogation they are given more time to meet the IED pollution limits.
[Campaign update] Growing solidarity with local communities in Georgia puts Khudoni dam in spotlight
October 4, 2013
Protests against the Khudoni mega-dam in Georgia are spreading beyond the local communities affected by the dam. [*]
Leading green NGOs in Europe tell the EBRD to step out of coal
September 30, 2013
Brussels – As the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development today closes the public consultation period on its upcoming energy strategy, a coalition of the ten largest environmental organisations working at the European level, the Green 10, is calling on the bank to phase out fossil fuels from its future lending, beginning with coal, and to rule out lending to risky energy sources, such as nuclear and shale gas.