EBRD Policy officer
Email: ninalesikhina [at] bankwatch.orgTel.: +420 777 995 515
Nina joined Bankwatch in 2019 as a Community Support Coordinator. She holds Master’s degrees in Environmental Science (Murmansk State Humanitarian University, Russia) and Environmental Policy (Central European University, Hungary). She has extensive experience in public advocacy campaigning on energy, climate change, waste, and chemicals management in Russia and globally.
More from Nina Lesikhina
Information on public participation practices reported by the EBRD is lacking. This briefing illustrates the importance of regular and effective monitoring of project-level participation to inform the EBRD’s corrective actions and enhance management strategies.
Civil society organisations and accountability mechanisms have repeatedly highlighted EBRD-financed projects in which the people affected have been marginalised, consultations have been superficial, and grievances have been ignored. These are not isolated missteps or the work of a few bad apples, but rather recurring problems that result in serious harm to people and the environment. Our latest research identifies 38 such cases, raising a pressing question: How can the EBRD ensure meaningful public participation if it doesn’t identify and learn from its failures?
In May 2025, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) released its first-ever Impact Report. With EUR 16.6 billion invested in 584 projects in 2024, the report highlights ambitious claims: reductions in emissions, boosts to human capital, and support for inclusive economies. But as we dig deeper, a familiar issue re-emerges: the gap between institutional ambition and on-the-ground reality.
In May 2025, the EBRD published its first-ever Impact Report, showcasing the impact of EUR 16.6 billion invested across 584 projects on real-world change. Although shifting the focus from activities to impacts is important, the report falls short in several key areas.
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.
