Skeletons are hiding in the closet of Europe’s energy policy – letter to Maroš Šefčovič on the EU’s support for nuclear energy
December 1, 2016
Accompanied by a public action, Bankwatch and Global 2000 presented European Commission vice-president Maroš Šefčovič with this open letter. The letter points out the inconsistencies behind European public money supporting lifetime extension of soviet era nuclear reactors in Ukraine, which are made in violation of international environmental conventions and with insufficient implementation of safety requirements. So far, the EU’s support for Ukraine is a bad precedent for nuclear decision-making across Europe. It is time to set things straight!
Azerbaijan: Crackdown on critics undermines sustainable development – Human Rights Watch letter to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
November 29, 2016
In this letter, Human Rights Watch and Bankwatch highlight the ongoing repression of independent civil society in Azerbaijan and its impact on sustainable develpoment and urge the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to limit its engagement in the country, specifically to not provide financing for projects related to the country’s extractives sector such as the Trans-Anatolian Gas Pipeline (TANAP) and the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP).
Azerbaijan: Crackdown on critics undermines sustainable development – Human Rights Watch letter to the European Investment Bank
November 23, 2016
In this letter, Human Rights Watch and Bankwatch highlight the ongoing repression of independent civil society in Azerbaijan and its impact on sustainable develpoment and urge the European Investment Bank to not provide financing for projects related to the country’s extractives sector such as the Trans-Anatolian Gas Pipeline (TANAP) and the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP).
Going abroad – a critique of the European Investment Bank’s External Lending Mandate
November 18, 2016
This report analyses how and if the European Investment Bank (EIB) is fulfilling its development role under the so-called External Lending Mandate (ELM) for the period 2014-2020. It sheds light on the more questionable quality and effectiveness of EIB operations and on the neglected areas of the bank’s performance outside Europe, such as transparency and access to information practices, its attitude towardstax evasion and tax dodging, human rights due diligence.
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”.
The great coal jobs fraud – unrealistic employment claims in southeast Europe
November 14, 2016
This report reveals how and why promises for new jobs in south-east Europe’s coal sector are exaggerated. Hardly any coal operations across the region are economically viable, and as a result many coal workers, especially in the mines, are set to lose their jobs, even if the plans for countless new power plants materialise. Governments, coal workers and their wider communities need to work together towards a just transition.
Comments to AIIB’s Energy Strategy
November 8, 2016
We welcome the AIIB’s decision to open the Energy Issues Note for public comment and the disclosure of the draft document under ‘Operational Policies’ on its website. However, to date, it is not clear whether the final product – the AIIB’s Energy Secto
Sustainable energy: How far has South East Europe come in the last five years?
November 8, 2016
Countries of south-east Europe have outdated, polluting and wasteful energy systems. Change to this situation has been slow in coming. But are there signs of hope? This scorecard report seeks to answer this question by giving a glimpse into changes in the energy sector between 2010 and now.
Tavan Tolgoi coal power plant
November 7, 2016
Mongolia’s plans to build a 600 megawatt (MW) coal power plant at Tavan Tolgoi in the South Gobi Desert appear at odds with international commitments on climate change and with local realities.
Gender impacts of the Shuakhevi hydropower project in Georgia and its compliance with EBRD requirements
October 31, 2016
A majority of the local population protests against the construction of the Shuakhevi HPP for various reasons, including issues related to land and water “grabbing”, geological risks posed by construction works, employment problems, etc. The purpose of
