From a grassroots to the international level …
We investigate the impacts of public finance, work with affected communities and local organisations across the world and help them protect their rights and livelihoods. We make sure their stories are being told in Europe’s power centers.
We regularly meet representatives of the institutions we monitor and we’re in Brussels, too, doing our bit to make Europe a fairer, cleaner and sustainable place.
Alternative news
We expose the risks of international public finance and bring critical updates from the ground.
We believe that the billions of public money should work for people and the environment.
FOCUS AREAS
INSTITUTIONS WE MONITOR
OUR PROJECTS
Make ICT Fair – improving electronics supply chain
Make ICT Fair is an initiative to improve labour rights in the electronics supply chain, established by eleven European non-governmental organisations and academic institutions: Swedwatch, University of Edinburgh, CATAPA, Le Monde Diplomatic, Towards Sustainability Association, CEE Bankwatch Network, People and Planet, Electronic Watch, SETEM Catalunya, Südwind, and ICLEI.
Read more
Amulsar gold mine, Armenia
Armenia’s largest foreign investor, an international mining company Lydian, is developing the controversial Amulsar gold mine near the touristic spa town of Jermuk. In 2018 locals blocked access to the mine, having long contested that it posed a threat
Read more
Just transition
Working on just transition brings all actors who believe in fair regional redevelopment to the same table: unions, industry, public administration, governments, civil society and others sharing this goal. They should be working together to find what is best for their regions and communities, from creating good quality jobs to identifying sustainable alternatives.
Read morePublications
Letter: It’s time to stand firm and go Fossil Free
Advocacy letter | 7 October, 2019 | Download PDFBankwatch and over 70 other civil society groups have written to President of the European Investment Bank Werner Hoyer, members of the bank’s board of directors as well as the incoming President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and its
Why we need to MakeICT fair
Briefing | 1 October, 2019 | Download PDFSmartphones, laptops and other electronic devices have become omnipresent in our society. With an expected annual growth of 9.6 % between 2017 and 2022, Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) is one of the fastest growing industries. While eve
Western Balkans hydropower: who pays, who profits?
Study | 25 September, 2019 | Download PDFIn the last decade, a wave of hydropower construction in the Western Balkans has caused ever-increasing public outcry. Large hydropower projects have long caused public resistance, but the mushrooming of smaller plants of less than 10 megawatts (MW) in
The transformation action plan for the Slovakia’s Upper Nitra coal region
Study | 24 September, 2019 | Download PDFThe aim of this study is to describe the process by which local communities participated in the Transformation Action Plan of Coal Region Upper Nitra and to propose concrete steps towards the better integration of the local communities in order to achi
Just transition in Hunedoara: economic diversification in a fair and sustainable manner
Study | 23 September, 2019 | Download PDFNGOs Greenpeace and Bankwatch Romania launched a new report outlining scenarios for the post-coal development of Romania’s best known coal region, Jiu Valley, highlighting job growth and economic development without coal is very much possible in the re
