Environmental standards in hydro power projects in Georgia
May 9, 2012
In recent years Georgia’s government has sought to position the country as a future regional renewable energy hub. Governmental plans include the construction of transmission lines and numerous hydropower plants (HPPs), in order to ensure electricity exports to Turkey and subsequently to gain access to the south-east European market by 2015-2017. The number and technical design of the planned HPPs do not comply with the principles of sustainable development, and they are bound to have serious negative impacts on the environment.
Comments on the EIB’s Draft Greenhouse Gas Accounting Methodology
May 7, 2012
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has developed draft methodologies in order to assess project greenhouse gas emissions from its projects. Bankwatch’s comments provide recommendations on how to improve the methodology used in order to support the EU’s climate goals. Our comments primarily focus on how baselines are set and the treatment of scope 3 emissions. The document also discusses the way in which we believe the bank needs to use the outcomes from its GHG calculations.
Comments on the EBRD’s Municipal and Environmental Infrastructure Strategy
May 6, 2012
One of Bankwatch’s main concerns with the EBRD’s municipal and environmental infrastructure strategy is the bank’s approach towards public-private partnerships, which one the one hand is more cautious than before. On the other hand however, while the bank’s analysis recognises some of the drawbacks, it still too openly promotes them.
Public participation – experiences from IPA countries
April 30, 2012
In light of the new proposed Regulation for the Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA), Bankwatch has compiled case studies from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia and Serbia to illustrate the lack of political will to properly implement EU principles on public participation. This represents a significant problem in the implementation of the IPA funds in these countries.
Project briefing: Gabrovo bypass and Shipka mountain tunnel, Bulgaria
April 28, 2012
If implemented as currently planned, the road bypass of the town of Gabrovo, and the tunnel under the Shipka mountain – a project supported by EU funding – will harm a Natura 2000 zone and national biodiversity protected area. This briefing paper gives details on the project and calls on the European Commission to remind Bulgarian authorities of the need to allow for public participation and conduct an environmental assessment that takes alternatives into consideration.
NGO comments on transport programming for EU funds in Bulgaria
April 28, 2012
These comments from the Bulgarian Civic Coalition for sustainable use of EU funds identifies problematic issues and discrepancies between transport policy documents at EU and Bulgarian level. It offers concrete suggestions to overcome those problems and to improve the decision making process of the Bulgaria Operational Programme for Transport for the period 2014-2020.
Expert comment on cutback in production at Kumtor gold mine due to massive flow of ice and waste rock into the mine
April 25, 2012
Centerra Gold’s announcement that the February 2012 ice and waste fall into the Kumtor pit will result in a cutback in gold production indicates that the measures the company has put in place to address the causes of past pit wall failures have been ineffective since those measures were not effective at preventing Davidov ice and waste from falling into the open pit and causing the current production cutback.
Photo report from Kiev Chop road rehabilitation – dangers and hardships for local communities
April 13, 2012
The rehabilitation of the Kiev-Chop road, financed with the help of EBRD and EIB loans, was part of the preparations for the Euro 2012 championships in Poland and Ukraine. Due to a negligent implementation, the project resulted in local people having to face dangerous, even life threatening situations every day.
Kolubara independent Union request to withold credit for Kolubara
April 10, 2012
In its letter, the independent union at the Kolubara mine points at extremely difficult and inhumane working conditions and their employer’s reckless attitude toward employees. The union calls on the EBRD to not extend a loan to the Kolubara lignite mine before workers’ rights are being respected.
Letter to EBRD: Request for update on Centerra Gold Revolving Debt Facility
April 6, 2012
With the letter Bankwatch requests information about the status of the Centerra Gold Revolving Debt Facility and raises issues and findings from the recent reports on the company’s performance.
