EBRD’s potential support for electricity utilities in the Western Balkans as part of its COVID-19 response
May 7, 2020
CEE Bankwatch Network’s letter to the EBRD for its potential support for electricity utilities in the Western Balkans as part of its COVID-19 response.
New Gas Projects in the Western Balkans – A Move in The wrong Direction
May 5, 2020
Additional investment in gas infrastructure, even when it is only for diversification of supply sources, is more likely to serve as a direction from investments in renewable energy, energy savings and solutions such as heat pumps rather than supporting
A herd of white elephants is approaching the EU’s neighbours
April 30, 2020
Over three quarters of the energy projects proposed by the EU’s neighbours for priority status, including privileged access to public funds, are fossil fuels projects.
In An Age Of Climate Change, What Natural Resources Should We Save?
April 22, 2020
Activists across the Balkans are advocating for areas to be protected from development.
Why the Balkans is struggling to kick coal
April 20, 2020
Local politicians and Chinese companies are slowing the transition to renewable energy underway in the rest of Europe
No Limits: Serbia Fails to Rein in Coal-Fired Polluters
April 15, 2020
Every year, thousands of people die prematurely in Serbia due to the quality of the air they breathe. Yet the country is still in breach of obligations to control harmful emissions from its coal-fired power plants.
Green Agenda for the Western Balkans – time to plan for a resilient and protective future
April 3, 2020
The Green Agenda must be based on sustainable decarbonisation of the Western Balkans’ economies by 2050, in line with the Paris Climate Agreement and EU climate and energy policies. All countries need to commit to climate and energy targets by 2030, in line with the EU’s ambition.
Joint NGO proposals on the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans
April 3, 2020
The Western Balkans has the necessary resources not only for sustainable renewable energy and energy savings, but also for the production of healthy food, while nurturing its exceptional biodiversity. With only 18 million inhabitants, change in the region should not be as daunting a task as in larger economies, if carried out efficiently, with true political commitment and regional cooperation.
Croatian hydropower plant highlights loopholes in EIB environmental policies
April 2, 2020
The EIB-financed Ilovac hydropower plant was built on the river Kupa in north-west Croatia at around the same time as scientists established the existence of a new fish species there – Alburnus sava. Since the dam’s construction, the species has not been found at the site. Has Alburnus sava’s habitat been degraded for just 1.4 MW of installed power?
Gone with the Flow, A case study of biodiversity loss caused by Ilovac Hydropower plant, Croatia
April 2, 2020
This case study aims to demonstrate that the EIB’s environmental and social (E&S) and transparency policies are insufficiently equipped to prevent the negative impacts of hydropower plants on sensitive ecosystems, in particular when the hydropower project (1) is financed via an intermediary bank and/or (2) is located outside of the EU.