EU ETS 101 A beginner’s guide to the EU’s Emissions Trading System
April 27, 2022
The guide is a product of the Life ETX project, led by Carbon Market Watch, and has received funding from the LIFE programme of the European Union.
How can the EIB and the EU financial mechanisms support the decarbonisation of district heating?: Exemplary cases in central and eastern Europe
April 27, 2022
The heating and cooling sector accounts for half of the EU’s energy consumption, and both district heating and individual heating are still dominated by fossil fuels and inefficiently burned biomass. According to Eurostat data, only 22 per cent of heating and cooling is generated from renewable energy. Decarbonisation of this sector, through increasing its efficiency and use of renewable energy sources, is key to the success of the EU’s climate neutrality strategy.
Breaking down the ‘do no significant harm’ principle
April 7, 2022
This briefing aims to explain the ‘do no significant harm’ principle and how it has been used in the Recovery and Resilience Facility. It also raises concerns over the long-term risks and implications of applying the ‘do no significant harm’ principle
Air pollution and associated health impacts in Novaci, North Macedonia
April 6, 2022
For the last forty years, the municipality of Novaci has been home to North Macedonia’s REK Bitola complex, which consists of a 675 MW lignite power plant, open-cast mines and ash disposal sites. Its inhabitants have been breathing pollution emitted at
The EU must promote sustainable energy – not gas dependence – in the Western Balkans
April 5, 2022
This joint letter to President von der Leyen by 36 civil society organisations working in the region therefore asks the European Commission to stop promoting fossil gas and instead to pay attention to much-needed but currently neglected initiatives on energy efficiency and sustainable forms of renewable energy.
Efficient district heating in CEE-countries
March 28, 2022
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has revealed Europe’s dependency on fossil fuels. The European Commission recently presented a Communication called Repower EU with the aim to make Europe independent from Russian fossil fuels well before 2030, starting with fossil gas. Energy efficiency measures that bring energy savings, like switching from inefficient to more efficient district heating networks that are based on exclusively renewable energy, are part of the solution and can structurally help solve EU dependency from energy imports.
Flagships or red flags? Risks of proposed flagship infrastructure projects under the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans
March 24, 2022
Under the European Commission’s October 2020 Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans, the Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA) is set to provide grants worth EUR 9 billion, with up to EUR 20 billion more in investments leveraged through the Western Balkans Guarantee Facility. Western Balkan governments have proposed projects for financing in ten Flagship areas for investment. The list of these proposed projects contains many which appear reasonable and much-needed, but many others are not in line with EU policy and/or legislation and must not be funded with EU money. This briefing provides an overview of selected projects that have been nominated by governments but which are not in line with EU policy and/or legislation.
Status of the Territorial Just Transition Plans in central and eastern Europe: December 2021 update – Annex: Slovakia.
March 10, 2022
This annex to the December 2021 update on the status of the Territorial Just Transition Plans in central and eastern Europe provides additional data for Slovakia.
Applying the ‘do no significant harm’ principle in practice: examples of reforms and investments under national recovery plans that will cause harm to the environment
March 8, 2022
This joint letter, prepared by CEE Bankwatch Network, EuroNatur, WWF and ReCommon, raises concern about the application of the EU’s ‘do no significant harm’ principle under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). The letter is accompanied by a seri
Balancing gender opportunities and risks: Gender impacts of the EBRD’s investments in Uzbekistan
March 2, 2022
This report analyses the gender impact of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s (EBRD) portfolio in Uzbekistan.
