Southeast Europe Energy Policy Officer
Email: pippa.gallop AT bankwatch.orgTel.: +385 99 755 97 87
Pippa works as Bankwatch Southeast Europe energy advisor, with a specialisation in coal and hydropower in the Western Balkans. She is based in Zagreb, Croatia and speaks English, Croatian and rusty German.
More from Pippa Gallop
The long-running controversy about the planned southern gas interconnector between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has dramatically reignited this month. After fervent lobbying by the US Ambassador to BiH, a special law on the project was adopted by the first of two houses of the Federation of BiH entity parliament on 12 December. But political controversies have monopolized the debate, with hardly a word on its energy, economic or climate implications.
This year’s COP29 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Baku never looked like a serious attempt to tackle the global climate emergency. After all, its hosts plan to increase oil and gas production by a third over the next decade – hardly a sign of climate leadership.
The EBRD has made significant investments in solar, wind and energy efficiency in recent years. But these have been undermined by its continued support for fossil fuels. This April, a EUR 98 million loan for the Greece to North Macedonia pipeline was approved, despite major leaks in the Bank’s rationale for supporting it. Recent delays have further exposed the flawed assumptions behind the project, as our new briefing shows.
The EU’s Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) has spent billions of euros on infrastructure, mainly in transport and energy. But our new analysis, examining how countries choose projects to nominate for funding, finds a chaotic situation vulnerable to politically-driven decision-making. Clearer rules, public participation and earlier information disclosure are urgently needed.
Even with hard work, a just transition needs long-term support
August 8, 2024 | Read more
The small town of Turceni in southwest Romania has long been a lignite stronghold. But its enormous coal power plant is gradually being closed. A team from Bankwatch recently visited and spoke to the deputy mayor about the town’s efforts to ensure a just transition.
