EU neighbourhood

Coinciding with the beginning of international climate negotiations at the COP19/CMP9 in Warsaw and with many observers already questioning the Polish government's ambitions for the summit, Issue 57 of Bankwatch Mail introduces the country also known as Coal-land and finds (among many other things) people protesting (successfully) against the pervasive smell of coal in the air.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the last of three multilateral international financial institutions (IFIs) to undertake a revision of its energy lending this year, is scheduled to adopt a new energy policy on December 10. The EBRD’s policy review process follows similar reviews at both the European Investment Bank and the World Bank that have seen both institutions introduce conditions intended to restrict their respective lending to coal projects.

With coal power expansion booming in Turkey, a new Bankwatch report based on a recent field trip finds that the environmental impacts of coal power plants are inadequately assessed, while Turkey's viable, clean alternatives to coal are neither being analysed or discussed seriously by senior policy- and decision-makers.

A list of 35 regional priority energy projects selected on 24 October in Belgrade by the Energy Community's Ministerial Council has been greeted with dismay by civil society groups from across the western Balkans.

Since 2009 Turkey has experienced a boom in the construction of coal-fired power plants in response to growing energy demand, increasing gas prices and its abundant coal reserves. Based on a field trip to the Black Sea, this report finds that while environmental impacts of coal power plants are only inadequately assessed, alternatives to coal are neither analysed nor discussed at the policy or project levels. National authorities show a disregard of public concerns and offer only limited access to information for the public.