Supported by international development banks and promoted as a strategic corridor linking Asia to Europe, Georgia’s East-West highway is central to the country’s ambitions of becoming a regional transit hub. With a price tag of EUR 1.2 billion, much of which is financed through loans from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), European Investment Bank (EIB), and the World Bank (WB), the highway construction project was framed as a symbol of progress, promising speed, connectivity and economic growth.
The most significant uses of peat in the world are for the creation of soil substrates and the production of energy. In 2022, the peat sector was responsible for 10.7 per cent of Latvia’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Peatlands store twice as much carbon as forests worldwide.
The most significant uses of peat in the world are for the creation of soil substrates and the production of energy. In 2022, the peat sector was responsible for 10.7 per cent of Latvia’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Peatlands store twice as much carbon as forests worldwide.
This story explores the changes that the EBRD has made to its revised safeguards, with a particular focus on human rights due diligence. Strengthening this aspect, particularly the EBRD’s weak enforcement of client requirements, has long been a key priority for Bankwatch and has informed the collective advocacy efforts of many other civil society organisations.
Răstolița: Major destruction for minimal energy
January 20, 2025 | Read more
Nestled at the foothills of Călimani National Park in eastern Romania, the Răstolița river, a tributary of the Mureș, flows through a pristine and biodiverse landscape. However, this idyllic setting is under threat from the Răstolița hydropower project, a relic of the communist era. Designed over 30 years ago, this outdated project is incompatible with modern environmental standards and poses a severe threat to the unique ecosystem of the Răstolița river, home to the endangered Danube salmon.
Georgia’s East-West Highway construction project, once heralded as a symbol of progress and splendour, has been marred by controversies.
