Poland’s Just Transition declaration is a fata morgana
December 1, 2018
Katowice – At the UN climate summit (COP 24) it is hosting, Poland has invited heads of state to adopt a ministerial Solidarity and Just Transition Declaration [1], calling for a fair deal to coal workers and communities affected by the energy transition. But the Polish government has no plans for any such transition – instead it remains keen to keep the country’s reliance on coal for decades to come. The Declaration is therefore nothing more than a mirage.
Just transition in Bulgaria – mission possible for Maritsa Iztok energy complex?
November 23, 2018
Reflecting the European trend for phasing out highly polluting fuels like coal, this preliminary analysis outlines options for a just energy transition in the broad region surrounding the heart of Bulgarian coal energy – Maritsa Iztok energy complex in
Lessons learned from Germany’s 20-year experiment in energy transformation
November 19, 2018
Germany pioneered broad support measures for renewable energy by the late 1990s. These measures, referred to as Energiewende or ‘energy transformation’, offer a valuable insight for other countries, which introduced support mechanisms for renewable energy later or have not done so yet.
Leaked World Bank report depicts Georgia’s Nenskra hydropower project as major liability
November 14, 2018
Successive international analyses have cast serious doubts over the financial viability of the planned Nenskra plant. While the Georgian government keeps the project’s contract confidential, a leaked World Bank report offers a scathing account of the fiscal implications of this hydropower development.
Carbon sleight of hand continues at Czech coal giant
November 12, 2018
The quasi state-owned Czech energy company ČEZ is up to its old tricks again. It celebrates a 30 % reduction in emissions, praising the public free allowances, and conveniently forgets to link the drop in emissions with the sale of some of its largest power plants.
Romania’s energy transition: to be or not to be
November 1, 2018
Facing numerous economic and environmental challenges, Romania’s energy industry needs a coherent, sustainable and stable action plan that prioritises transparency in decision-making and consultation of all involved. On 17 October, to identify the necessary measures, Bankwatch Romania organised a workshop titled Opportunities for transition to clean energy in Romania.
EBRD renewable investments finally matched its fossil fuel investments in 2017 – So why is the bank’s draft Energy Strategy still fixated with gas?
October 15, 2018
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has recently issued a new draft Energy Strategy for public consultation that will define its activities in the energy sector from 2019-2023. It clearly commits to halt all direct financing for coal p
EBRD – still fixated on gas despite IPCC warnings
October 15, 2018
In its new draft strategy for the energy sector, meant to guide the bank’s lending between 2019-2023, the EBRD gives too much prominence to gas as a so-called “bridging fuel” on the way to decarbonisation – much more prominence than is given to energy savings and even to sustainable renewables.
European public banks continue financing coal bonanza
October 1, 2018
The EIB and EBRD have been channelling billions of euros in public money to fossil fuels dependent companies, hampering the international community’s efforts to tackle climate change.
European public funding for fossil fuel-dependent companies
September 27, 2018
CEE Bankwatch Network follows closely the EBRD’s ‘sister institutions’ and actively advocates for improvement of their lending policies. As the European Investment Bank (EIB) is expected to review its 2013 ‘Screening and Assessment Criteria for Energy