EBRD Energy policy review – no more excuses, rhetoric or finessing
May 10, 2013
Energy is the watchword of the day, as we keep increasing the need for it, no matter the costs, apparently. Well, the costs do matter but they are distorted by subsidies old and new, for fossil fuels and for renewable energy sources, while the global business world is made to feel increasingly insecure by the price of carbon emissions.
A black future for the Black Sea and its people – is the rest of Europe funding Turkey’s huge coal power plans?
May 10, 2013
Amasra, situated on the south coast of the Black Sea, is an ancient city that these days bases its economy on tourism and fishing. It’s the beginning of April and the women’s market is welcoming the first tourists of the year with fresh cheese, home-made pasta and vegetables. On the wall in a nearby cafe hangs a large poster with the slogan: “Amasra does not need a power plant”.
Kolubara B: a project of the previous century
May 10, 2013
The energy sector in Serbia is reminiscent of the industrial development strategy of the former socialist Yugoslavia, with thousands of megawatts of power plant capacities planned, and much of that production to be wasted, while people remain unable to afford their energy bills. The EBRD is set to fund this scenario with its support for a lignite-based, inefficient economy in Serbia. This briefing outlines arguments against financing the Kolubara B lignite power plant in Serbia.
EBRD financing new small hydro power projects in Ukraine: off on the wrong foot
May 10, 2013
In 2009 the EBRD established the EUR 50 million facility to support the development of small-scale projects in all renewable energy generation sectors, including hydro, wind, biomass and solar power. While the initiative is welcomed and timely, the first projects to be developed were not transparent practices in the project development, jeopardising the whole notion of renewable energy as sustainable and socially-acceptable.
EBRD support for a new lignite power plant in Kosovo: Against EU objectives
May 10, 2013
The briefing outlines arguments against the 600 MW Kosovo e Re project that involved the construction of a new coal plant close to Prishtina. The project has been heavily promoted by the World Bank and by the US, and now also looks set for funding by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The bank’s new draft Country Strategy for Kosovo, which was approved by the EBRD’s Board of Directors on 1 May, clearly shows the bank’s interest in the project.
Case study: The Boskov Most hydropower plant in Macedonia and the EBRD’s Project Complaint Mechanism
May 10, 2013
The Boskov Most project involves the construction of a 33 metres-high accumulation dam and hydropower plant. It is mostly located in the territory of the Mavrovo National Park, one of the oldest and most valuable protected areas in the country. The EBRD approved the project in November 2011 and signed the finance contract the same year. The civil society organisation Eko-svest from Macedonia submitted a complaint to the EBRD’s Project Complaint Mechanism (PCM). This briefing outlines the problematic communication with the bank during the investigation.
Guest post: Development banks and the Arab Spring, new report takes stock
May 6, 2013
A new report takes a critical look at the engagement of European development banks in Egypt after the popular uprisings in the Middle East and North African region. This article appeared originally on the Counter Balance blog and has been shortened and slightly edited.
Input for online questionnaire on Projects of Energy Community Interest
April 29, 2013
Our input expresses our main concern relating to the need to develop an energy sector in southeast and eastern Europe that is in line with EU environmental and climate policies and legislation, as well as one which addresses the increasing problem of energy poverty through sparing and efficient energy use. We underline the need for the PECIs projects to be in line with current and forthcoming EU legislation and policies on climate, environment, renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Ukraine’s Nukes Are in Breach of UN Convention
April 22, 2013
Kiev – Ukraine’s expansion of the lifetime of its old nuclear reactors is in breach of the UN Espoo Convention, ruled the body monitoring the implementation of this international agreement, because Kiev went ahead with the prolongation of the use of its old reactors without assessing the impact this may have on neighbouring countries.
Letter to EBRD: Espoo Convention confirms Ukraine’s non-compliance with Ukraine’s international obligations regarding nuclear reactors’ lifetime-extensions
April 22, 2013
The Implementation Committee under the Espoo Convention concluded in March 2013 that the extension of the life-times of two nuclear reactor units at the Rivne NPP are a case of non-compliance with Ukraine’s international obligations. The two units are part of a, EBRD financed project and got their life-time extensions in 2010 without preparing an environmental impact assessment (EIA) and with no information provided to potentially affected neighbouring states.