Source: Garine Katcherian, Naharnet

Four Arab countries are expected this year to start witnessing major foreign investments after the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development established a one billion euro ($1.28 billion) fund, excluding Lebanon from the process for allegedly failing to ask the lending body to carry out a technical assessment on the country.

Source: Loubna Flah, Morocco World News

At the current conjuncture, the lack of job opportunities in Morocco can be a lurking threat to the government’s viability and, eventually, to the country’s stability. Those who believe that Morocco is out of the danger zone may have to reconsider their appraisal of the situation. Faced with all sorts of hurdles ranging from financial to infrastructural ones, the government is still pondering how to fulfill their promises. The domestic growth seems entrapped in a status quo due to the budget deficit and the consecutive seasons of drought that paralyze agriculture, one of the key sectors in the Moroccan economy. The public sector burdened with public expenses can no longer lift the weight of job demands among Moroccan youth.

Source: Chris Cundy, Environmental Finance

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has announced a greenhouse gas emissions reduction target for the investments made in the 2012-14 phase of its sustainable energy initiative (SEI).

Source: Phil Thornton, Emerging Markets

Almost half of EBRD funding for energy projects in the six years to 2011 was devoted to fossil fuels despite its commitment to tackling climate change, a campaign group has claimed.

Source: Sujata Rao, Reuters

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is lending excessively to polluting fossil fuel projects, especially coal, undermining its own sustainable energy strategy, NGO Bankwatch said in a report released on Thursday.