In this podcast episode, we focus on one of the EU’s most pressing social challenges: ensuring that the green transition leaves no one behind. As the EU prepares to roll out the Social Climate Fund and introduce the new EU Emissions Trading System (ETS2), we explore what these changes mean for housing, energy poverty and the fight against homelessness.   Bringing insights both from EU-wide and national perspectives, our guests Eva Schwab and Juraj…

This podcast episode explores the EU’s Social Climate Fund and development of the national social climate plans in central and eastern Europe. Drawing on recent publications by Bankwatch, E3G, Rescoop.eu and Oeko-Institut, our guests discuss the design of the plans and the extent of civil society involvement.     Join our guests Chris Vrettos, Kristina Zindulková and Zuzanna Sasiak for a discussion moderated by Maris Pedaja, in which they assess stakeholder participation, identify risks and good practices, and consider how early lessons can strengthen national spending plans and guide…

Cohesion policy is at a crossroads. While the mid-term review of the next EU budget was meant to give clarity to long-term funding priorities, the European Commission’s April communication on a modernised cohesion policy marks a fundamental shift in direction.  In our latest podcast episode, we explore whether the mid-term review of the EU budget…

Partizánske may be a small town in Slovakia, but it has major potential to cut emissions. In collaboration with the town’s local authority and other stakeholders, CEPA–Friends of the Earth Slovakia have begun collecting data and laying the groundwork for a modernised district heating system.  In the latest episode of our ‘decarbonisation roadmap’ podcast series,…

Petroșani, a town in Romania’s Jiu Valley, located in one of the country’s six just transition regions, suffers from high energy poverty. Despite a lack of national data, recent research by Bankwatch – conducted in close collaboration with local stakeholders – shows that Petroșani could become a prime example of a place-based solution – one…

What does the future hold for the just transition in the Western Balkans? How can the next EU budget support the process? And what are the opportunities and challenges for coal regions?  In the latest episode of our ‘decarbonisation roadmap’ podcast series, we answer these questions with the help of our guest, Nevena Smilevska, Bankwatch’s…

Over the past seven years, the extraction of peat in Latvia has increased significantly. The two main uses of peat worldwide are in the production of soil substrates and energy, with Latvia’s exports accounting for around 95% of all the peat extracted within its borders. But despite the significant climate impacts of peat extraction, Latvia…

In this anniversary episode, we celebrate 30 years of Bankwatch – a network founded in 1995 to push for public investments that truly benefit people and the environment in central and eastern Europe.   Fidanka Bacheva-McGrath, Mark Martin and Petr Hlobil look back at the early days and what inspired them to become Bankwatchers, the challenges…

Miskolc, a city in northeastern Hungary, has already made huge strides towards decarbonisation. Now, with the help of the Friends of the Earth Hungary, the city is developing various community energy projects to build on this momentum. In the latest episode of our ‘decarbonisation roadmap’ podcast series, we speak with our just transition campaigner, Alexa…

Tsarkva, a neighbourhood in the just transition city of Pernik, Bulgaria, has a unique opportunity to realise the full potential of renewable energy for heating and cooling. In the latest episode of our ‘decarbonisation roadmap’ podcast series, we speak with our just transition campaigner, Ventzeslava Kojouharova, about the most viable solutions and how Pernik can…