Balkan energy projects with Chinese involvement – state of play June 2017
June 1, 2017
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Romania all plan new lignite power plants during the next few years. In contrast, most EU countries are giving up building new coal plants and seven EU states are already coal-free. Since the European Inve
The Runcurel expropriations, Europe’s second most harmful subsidy
May 22, 2017
The Romanian Government has been named and shamed today in a public fossil fuel subsidies awards ceremony in Brussels for fostering land expropriations required for expanding a coal mine, displacing families and destroying nature.
[Campaign update] Environmentalists take planned Montenegrin coal plant to court
May 16, 2017
Green Home, a Montenegrin environmental non-governmental organisation, on Friday submitted a complaint to the Administrative Court of Montenegro requesting the cancellation of the environmental approval for the controversial Pljevlja II coal power plant the government seeks to build.
The dirty secret in Sofia’s backyard – the coal dust that only comes at night
May 10, 2017
Brussels may fine Bulgaria for its excessive air pollution. But living in Pernik, the most polluted town in Europe, remains a hazard to peoples’ health as the results of Bankwatch’s independent dust monitoring show.
Serbian mining company ignores desperate calls for compensation while Kolubara mine is reaching family houses
May 8, 2017
Life is a living hell for families in Vreoci, Serbia, where lignite excavators have almost reached their houses. As the mine’s financier, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development must not allow Serbian state utility EPS to create a fait accompli that leaves locals with scraps and without home.
The development of Mongolia’s energy sector: Going beyond coal
May 5, 2017
Mongolia’s fragile economic situation, with its high deficit and increasing foreign debt, is putting the country on a risk map for foreign investment. Even so, the government and international financial institutions show no sign of adjusting their plan
EPS: What does ‘restructuring’ mean?
May 5, 2017
Serbia’s national electricity company (EPS) – despite its long-standing relationship with the EBRD, and despite Serbia‘s obligation to align its legislation to the EU’s environmental, competition, human rights and climate policies – does not plan to re
Asian Development Bank projects in Mongolia
May 5, 2017
With a dominance of coal in its energy sector, the Mongolian government is planning more than six new coal power plants over the next decade, despite already severe air pollution and public protests against the government’s inaction. The Asian Developm
Doing the same thing and expecting different results: Mongolia plans to curb air pollution with more coal
May 3, 2017
A new law on air pollution recently adopted by the Mongolian government is in part the result of massive demonstrations against air pollution in the capital. The new policy, however, involves even more reliance on coal.
Planned power plants in the Balkans need review as EU adopts tougher pollution standards
April 28, 2017
The European Union has today approved an updated set of binding standards for power plants, which include new, stricter pollution limits. In the Western Balkans, planned new coal capacities are most likely to be affected by the updated regulations.
