A new nature impact assessment of the proposed Ombla hydropower plant showed that the project could harm many of the 68 identified cave species, including the endemic ones. Based on these findings, civil society groups are calling on the EBRD to pull out from the project for which it has approved a EUR 123 million loan.

“Community energy projects” are energy projects providing for direct benefits to a group of local shareholders. The opportunity for residents to develop and own green energy infrastructure or to jointly leverage untapped energy saving potential, represents a range of economic and social opportunities such as job creation, business opportunities, lowering energy bills and acceptance of sustainable energy production.

A USD 3.7 billion refinery expansion project inside urban Cairo attracting international public development finance, including potentially from the EBRD, is also attracting major controversy as a result of forced evictions, pollution and concerns about the involvement of financial entities linked to the deposed Mubarak regime.