Western Balkan coal power plants polluted twice as much as those in the EU in 2019
July 12, 2021
The non-compliance of Western Balkan coal power plants with the emission limits enshrined in the Energy Community Treaty is reflected in the region’s high sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOX) and dust emissions. This briefing looks mainly at th
Status of the Territorial Just Transition Plans in central and eastern Europe: July 2021 update
July 8, 2021
This briefing is the third in our series of updates on the Territorial Just Transition Plan (TJTP) preparation process in seven central and eastern European (CEE) countries: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.
NGOs letter on the EIB’s review process of the Environmental and Social Sustainability Framework
June 24, 2021
This joint advocacy letter, endorsed by 35 environmental CSOs, urge the European Investment Bank (EIB) to ensure a meaningful public consultation process during the ongoing Bank’s Environmental and Social Sustainability Framework review. We call on Ban
It is time for EBRD to become the lighthouse for fossil-free development banks
June 24, 2021
On the occasion of its 30th anniversary, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has the opportunity to help avert climate breakdown by putting itself at the heart of the global transition to a carbon-free economy. This joint state
No time to celebrate: a breakthrough for human rights is needed after 30 years of the EBRD
June 21, 2021
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) stands out among multilateral development banks with the commitment of its shareholding countries to the fundamental principles of democracy and respect for human rights. As the EBRD celebrate
New beginnings at 30: can the EBRD leave behind fossil gas to become a bank fit for our future?
June 16, 2021
This report analyses the EBRD’s energy-related operations across the first two years of the Bank’s new Energy Sector Strategy (ESS) (2019-2020). This initial period of the ESS’s implementation is also compared to the previous ESS implementation period
Problematic measures to be addressed during the ongoing assessment of Recovery and Resilience Plans
June 9, 2021
This briefing provides a compilation of assessments of recovery plans submitted to the Recovery and Resilience Facility. The document was prepared in cooperation with Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe, EuroNatur and the European Environmental Bureau
Joint CSO letter on the TEN-E regulation: Stop the expansion of fossil gas
June 1, 2021
This advocacy letter aims to express civil society organisations’ concerns on the reintroduction of fossil gas in the revised trans-European infrastructure energy (TEN-E) regulation. Bankwatch and 53 other CSOs ask governments to vote against the incl
The role of gas in the recovery and resilience plans
May 31, 2021
This briefing analyses plans for gas investments in the recovery plans of eight central and eastern European countries (Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania and Slovakia). It reveals that most contain gas investments,
Heating in the Western Balkans. Overview and recommendations for clean solutions
May 27, 2021
This report makes the case for the urgent need to decarbonise heating in the Western Balkans. Heating in the region is still predominantly reliant on fossil fuels and other unsustainable heating sources, like wood biomass burnt in inefficient stoves. T
