Sustainable renewables incentives – how are the Western Balkans doing?
June 29, 2023
In the decade leading up to 2020, the Western Balkans’ energy transition got off to a poor start, with governments limiting wind and solar investments and instead incentivising a small hydropower boom, which has damaged pristine rivers and streams across the region.
Hydrogen in the EIB’s reviewed energy lending policy
June 28, 2023
As the EIB reviews its Energy Lending Policy, Bankwatch and 33 other civil society groups, sent a joint letter o EIB Vice Presidents, to voice our concern about the over-emphasis on hydrogen which risks, among others, diverting renewable energy capacity – existing and planned – from the electricity grid and into the production of hydrogen for sectors that might not be playing a significant role in the energy transition.
Comply or Close 2023: five years of deadly legal breaches by Western Balkan coal plants
June 28, 2023
The end of 2022 marked five years since new air pollution standards entered into force in the Western Balkans on 1 January 2018. Yet the deadly air pollution from the region’s mostly antiquated coal power plants has hardly decreased at all. In fact, in 2022 it increased compared to 2021 for all three regulated pollutants
Agriculture: priorities for sustainable investments to aid Ukraine’s recovery
June 20, 2023
In this issue paper, we argue that the recovery of the agricultural sector should not solely focus on production growth goals but also prioritise the long-term sustainability of Ukraine as it progresses towards EU membership.
No recovery without citizens: why public involvement is key to Europe’s green transformation
June 20, 2023
The report has been written in the frame of the Citizens Observatory for Green Deal Financing project. It brings together the direct experience of nine different civil society organisations and includes seven individual case studies providing information from the ground.
EBRD urban projects in Ukraine must drive national recovery efforts
June 19, 2023
A year and four months after the start of Russia’s large-scale war, Ukraine is on the verge of large-scale reconstruction. The country requires significant investments to reconstruct territorial communities in order to restore life, return residents, recover economic activity and respond to new challenges.
Ukraine’s reconstruction should prioritise a distributed, low-carbon energy system
June 16, 2023
Ukraine aims to transition to 100 per cent renewable energy sources and safely decommission its nuclear power plants by 2050. To achieve these goals, future investments in the energy sector must be underpinned by a policy of zero tolerance toward fossil fuels.
Ukraine’s reconstruction must ensure transparency, environmental standards and public participation
June 16, 2023
Ahead of the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2023, Bankwatch has prepared a short guide with key issues and recommendations for the international community and international financial institutions to ensure a successful reconstruction of Ukraine.
REPowerEU: a closing window for energy democratisation
June 9, 2023
This briefing calls on policymakers to strengthen citizen participation in the energy transition through the ongoing revision of the recovery and resilience plans and drafting of the REPowerEU chapters.
The forgotten annex in the EBRD Sustainability Report 2022: human rights
June 9, 2023
In 2022, Bankwatch and its partner civil society organisations provided the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) with over twelve reports highlighting human rights concerns related to investment projects in the Bank’s countries of operation. However, none of these concerns are mentioned in the EBRD Sustainability Report 2022.
