The Balkans may become the achilles heel of EU-China climate leadership
June 1, 2017
The European Union’s and China’s joint commitment to climate action is tarnished by Chinese support for and the EU’s neglect of coal projects in the Balkans, as a new briefing explains. But it is still not too late to change course.
Balkan energy projects with Chinese involvement – state of play June 2017
June 1, 2017
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Romania all plan new lignite power plants during the next few years. In contrast, most EU countries are giving up building new coal plants and seven EU states are already coal-free. Since the European Inve
[Campaign update] Environmentalists take planned Montenegrin coal plant to court
May 16, 2017
Green Home, a Montenegrin environmental non-governmental organisation, on Friday submitted a complaint to the Administrative Court of Montenegro requesting the cancellation of the environmental approval for the controversial Pljevlja II coal power plant the government seeks to build.
Planned power plants in the Balkans need review as EU adopts tougher pollution standards
April 28, 2017
The European Union has today approved an updated set of binding standards for power plants, which include new, stricter pollution limits. In the Western Balkans, planned new coal capacities are most likely to be affected by the updated regulations.
Western Balkans are massively expanding coal power – but the new plants may have to be closed again soon
March 29, 2017
Plans for new lignite power plants in Western Balkan countries do not take into account the effect of CO2 prices, according to a new Bankwatch study. As a result, the plants risk becoming uncompetitive in the future, with taxpayers footing the bill.
Overlooked carbon costs could turn Western Balkans’ new coal power plants into white elephants – analysis
March 29, 2017
A new Bankwatch analysis examining ten coal-fired power plant projects across the Western Balkans finds that, once the cost of carbon emissions allowances are factored in, they could become a serious liability for both the companies involved and the public. Moreover, only a few feasibility assessments for coal power plants in the region are publicly available, and most of those have failed to properly take carbon costs into account, the briefing authors note.
Carbon costs for planned coal power plants in the Western Balkans and the risk of stranded assets
March 29, 2017
This briefing analyses ten coal-fired power plant projects across the Western Balkans and finds that, once the cost of carbon emissions allowances are factored in, they could become a serious liability for both the companies involved and the public.
Under heavy skies: dire results from first independent pollution monitoring in Montenegro
February 23, 2017
It was ten in the evening on 17 December when my colleague and I arrived in Pljevlja, Montenegro. Although we could feel the smell of burnt coal already while driving there, the minute we set foot out of the car, the air was stifling. “This place remin
[Campaign update] Pljevlja residents protest against air pollution
December 23, 2016
Once again people from Pljevlja in northern Montenegro have taken to the streets to protest against the awful pollution that has been plaguing the town for years. Supported by NGOs Ozon and Green Home, the protest aimed to put pressure on the authoriti
Why coal is not the way forward – facts versus myths
November 14, 2016
Coal is the single biggest contributor to global climate change. But governments and investors planning new coal capacities have a range of flimsy arguments why coal would be the best or the only alternative. This briefing busts a number of myths surrounding coal, such as “coal is cheap”, “alleviates poverty” or “coal is clean”.
