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Resavica: Serbia's canary in the coal mine
July 13, 2015
 | by Nikola Perusic

After decades of powering Serbia it seems the coal business in the country is on life support. Yet policymakers in Belgrade refuse to consider alternative sources of energy.

BalkanCoal, coal, resavica, Serbia
Energy & climate
After Slovenia's Sostanj coal power plant debacle, is any bank going to finance Croatia's Plomin C?
June 12, 2015
 | by Pippa Gallop (Bankwatch) and Yann Louvel (BankTrack)

Slovenia's newly built Sostanj 6 is expected to generate losses of around EUR 200 million over the next 3-4 years. Given that Croatia's Plomin C project shares some of Sostanj 6's features could Croatia be about to repeat its neighbour's mistakes?

coal, Crédit Agricole, financial risk, Marubeni, Plomin C, Sostanj, stranded assets
Commercial banks, EIB
Energy & climate, Social & economic impacts
Azeri regime stifles criticism ahead of European Games. European lender must finally take measures.
June 10, 2015
 | by Fidanka Bacheva McGrath

UPDATE 1 12h CET 12 June 2015

Platform have taken to the streets of London to protest the opening of the European Games. See a video of the action below, and read more in their book published Friday, All that glitters, which explores how the European Games belong to the Aliyev regime and the British oil company BP and how sport is being co-opted in the service of a dynasty and fossil fuels.

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Aliyev, Azerbaijan, development, Emma Hughes, Energy Union, fossil fuels, highlight, human rights, natural gas, Platform London, Rasul Jafarov, Shah Deniz, Southern Gas Corridor
EBRD
Energy & climate, Social & economic impacts, Development
Italian mayor stands up against EU priority gas pipeline
June 8, 2015
 | by Xavier Sol

Local opposition against the Trans-Adriatic gas pipeline (TAP) is growing as an Italian mayor made clear in an open letter to the European Commission and European public banks.

development, infrastructure, local communities, Melundugno, natural gas, South Italy, Southern Gas Corridor, TAP
EBRD, EIB
Energy & climate, Social & economic impacts, Development
Will energy efficiency be sidelined in the Energy Union's implementation?
June 8, 2015
 | by Petr Hlobil

EU energy ministers are meeting in Brussels today to discuss the implementation of the Energy Union. Looking at what has been discussed so far, the strategy may not prioritise energy efficiency enough to help Europe become climate-friendly.

energy efficiency, energy security, Energy Union, Maroš Šefčovič, natural gas, Southern Gas Corridor
EU Funds, EIB
Energy & climate, Social & economic impacts, Development
Transforming development finance? Europe's multilateral lenders fail on aid transparency
June 4, 2015
 | by Anna Roggenbuck and Fidanka Bacheva McGrath

The recently published 2015 Aid Transparency Review concludes that the European Union is off track from meeting its aid transparency commitments. Europe’s two multilateral development banks are indicative of the altogether rather disappointing outcome.

accountability, aid, aid effectiveness, development finance, IATI, Mopani, open data, transparency
EBRD, EIB
Development
Europe's Caspian gas dreams - a nightmare come true for human rights in Azerbaijan
May 14, 2015
 | by Fidanka Bacheva-McGrath

As investors and officials are promoting a gas pipeline project from the Caspian Sea to Italy, the systematic repression of human rights in Azerbaijan is hardly on the official agenda. The Aliyev regime’s weakly veiled attempts to muzzle dissent illustrate how even the most repressive governments are acceptable partners for Europe’s pet energy projects.

energy, Energy Union, human rights, Intigam Aliyev, Khadija Ismayilova, Leyla Yunus, natural gas, Rasul Jafarov, repression, Shah Deniz, Southern Gas Corridor
EBRD
Energy & climate, Social & economic impacts, Development
Guest post: Plight of locals at Kumtor mine brought to Centerra Gold's general meeting in Toronto
May 11, 2015
 | by Ryskeldi Satke

Journalist and researcher Ryskeldi Satke reports on Centerra Gold’s annual general meeting where mining activists presented shareholders with information on human rights violations and the negative environmental and social impacts of the Kumtor Gold mine.

glaciers, human rights, MISN, Pascua Lama, pollution, protest, toxics
EBRD
Social & economic impacts, Other harmful projects, Development, Mining
Battles against cyanide continue in Romania
April 30, 2015
 | by Pippa Gallop

After the epic battle against the Rosia Montana gold mine in Romania ended in success, many people still don't know that Romania and other countries in the region such as Bulgaria are still threatened by several gold mining proposals, some of which would involve the use of cyanide leaching.

Certej, cyanide, local impacts, mining, protests, risks, Rosia Montana
Social & economic impacts, Other harmful projects, Development, Mining
Ukraine's Other Chernobyls
April 30, 2015
 | by Iryna Holovko

For safety reasons, Europe must help the Ukrainian government retire, not revive, its nuclear reactors. (This commentary originally appeared on Project Syndicate.)

Chernobyl, consultation, Espoo Convention, highlight, nulcear safety
EBRD
Energy & climate, Development

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