369 million euros of North Macedonia’s public money going up in smoke
January 30, 2023
North Macedonia’s government, through the state-owned energy production company AD ESM, has spent hundreds of millions of euros on imports of coal, heavy oil and fossil gas to keep the country’s fragile energy system going during the energy crisis. The result is a significant increase in emissions of air pollutants and serious damage to the environment and public health.
Replacing coal with forest biomass for heating is a dangerous green mirage
July 21, 2022
With the energy transition well underway, and the end of the era of coal clearly on the horizon, biomass for heating is gradually becoming a favorite for governments in the Western Balkans and their financial partners. ‘Tree power’ might sound like the greenest kind of energy, but burning timber from forests to heat homes is anything but sustainable.
Western Balkan coal pollution still massive, illegal and deadly – new report
June 21, 2022
In 2021, Western Balkan coal plants flagrantly breached air pollution legislation under the Energy Community Treaty for the fourth year in a row, emitting five times as much sulphur dioxide and 1.8 times as much dust as allowed, according to a report released today by CEE Bankwatch Network.
CBAM’s coming, it’s time to put a price on carbon!
June 15, 2022
Electricity* traded between Western Balkan countries** and the EU will need to embed the cost of CO2 in its final price, potentially from as early as 2025.
EU complicity in colossal, lawless air pollution from Balkan coal plants must prompt swift action – new report
September 7, 2021
Around 19,000 people are estimated to have died over the past three years as a result of air pollution from Western Balkan coal-fired power plants, according to a report released today by CEE Bankwatch Network and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
