Publications

The banks have a responsibility to ensure that when they make an investment, they mitigate and avoid situations that put persons at risk. The Nenskra dam in Georgia is one example where the lack of proper environmental and social assessment can potentially unfold into a cris…

While it is positive that banks want to finance the much-needed transition away from coal towards renewable energy in the Balkans, it is crucial to ensure that the cure is not worse than the disease. Most of the projects planned in the Balkans are small. But their impacts ar…

Despite its commitments to increase the share of renewables under the Energy Community and reduce greenhouse gas emissions within the process of EU accession, the Serbian government seems determined to remain locked-in to a carbon intensive energy system, with several coal p…

Changes in the approach to governance put forward by the President Shavkat Mirziyoyev deserve to be encouraged by the international community. It is natural that the EBRD is ready to provide support to a country willing to accelerate reforms. However, the situation in Uzbeki…

These written comments on MHP stakeholder engagement follow a meeting between Bankwatch/NECU and MHP on 7 April 2017. Bankwatch and NECU welcomed the opportunity to meet MHP, as well as the company’s stated intention to improve the way it conducts impact assessments and enga…

Relying on its experience in monitoring EBRD projects in recent years, Bankwatch re-assessed the EBRD Public Information Policy (PIP) and Environmental and Social Policy (ESP). EBRD Public Information Policy (PIP) 2014 General comments Specific comments Annex Environmental a…

1. The EFSI regulation lists seven general objectives (sectors) open to funding: energy transport infrastructure and equipment research, development and innovation small, medium and small mid-cap companies information and telecommunication technology environment and resource…

The EU is facing unprecedented challenges right now, but the future Cohesion Policy can make a contribution to strengthening the rule of law, fundamental rights and the principles of democracy, while also enabling ordinary citizens and local communities to participate in the…

Multilateral development banks have supported no fewer than 82 hydropower projects across southeast Europe, including in protected areas. The study finds that the number of hydropower projects in the region that enjoy financial support from multilateral development banks and…

One of the five closely related and mutually reinforcing dimensions of the Energy Union is represented by energy efficiency, whose importance has also been underlined in the ambitious Paris Agreement. As the Climate and Energy Framework has set an indicative energy savings t…

We share Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank’s genuine interest and vision that access to information holds the key to ensuring that stakeholders, project-affected people and the general public can provide meaningful inputs into the design and implementation of the project….

Bankwatch reviewed the EBRD’s energy lending during the strategy period and used this lens to look at the text of the bank’s 2013 Energy Strategy: what needs to be continued and strengthened and what needs to be changed. The focus is on priority issues – fossil fuel financin…