----- Original Message ----- From: "Greig Aitken" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "bwn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2005 5:55 PM Subject: [bwn] [bwn-press] MEDIA ADVISORY: EBRD Energy Policy Review - Timeto hold President Lemierre to his words > MEDIA ADVISORY: January 18, 2005 > > > EBRD Energy Policy Review: Time to hold President Lemierre to his > words > > The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Bank (EBRD), the > main development bank for eastern Europe and former Soviet states, > steps up its new Energy Policy preparations in London tomorrow with > the first of three public consultation workshops. [1] Non- > governmental organisations, including CEE Bankwatch Network, will be > participating and seeking to ensure that the EBRD's future energy > lending portfolio promotes and brings about a transition in the > energy sector in Eastern Europe and Central Asia from the current > dependency on fossil fuels and nuclear energy towards more > sustainable energy sources. > > > The new Energy Policy, a draft of which will be available following > the conclusion of this initial consultation period ending on January > 30, replaces two existing EBRD policies: the Natural resources > operations policy of March 1999, and the Energy operations policy of > May 2000. More than 80 percent of the energy lending currently being > provided by the EBRD contributes to climate change. > > > As the EBRD points out in its consultation notes, however, since the > two earlier policies were conceived the environmental debate > surrounding the energy sector has moved on significantly, a point > acknowledged by EBRD President Jean Lemierre writing in the > International Herald Tribune just over a year ago: "Put simply, > energy efficiency must go up and greenhouse gas emissions must go > down in the countries east of the EU." [2] > > > Chief among the NGOs' demands designed to bring about long term > benefits for the citizens of central and eastern Europe and to combat > global climate change are: > > - The EBRD should place much greater emphasis on renewable energy and > energy efficiency and, in line with other development banks, set up > gradually increasing targets for investments in both areas > > - Over the next five years the EBRD should phase out investments in > fossil fuels > > - The EBRD's new Energy Policy should include a set of requirements > in order to ensure proper revenue and contract transparency in > extractive industry projects > > - Rather than being the only development bank which supports nuclear > energy, the new EBRD Energy Policy should clearly state that the bank > will not support any projects that are aimed at the construction, > completion or upgrading of nuclear power stations > > - The new Energy Policy should include provisions to effectively > mitigate the possible negative institutional, social and > environmental impacts of energy privatisation actively promoted by > the EBRD. > > > For more information contact: > > Petr Hlobil (in London) > Tel: +420 274 78 22 08 > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Notes for editors: > > 1. The EBRD's three public consultation workshops will take place in: > > London on January 19 at Tanaka Business School, Imperial College > London, South Kensington campus, London SW7 2AZ > > Sofia on January 21 at Sofia Press Agency, 29 Slavjanska Street, 1000 > Sofia > > Moscow on January 26 at Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskii > prospect 32, 3rd floor, Room: Blue Hall, Moscow. > > 2. From 'Cutting pollution in east Europe', International Herald > Tribune, December 12, 2003. > > > > > Greig Aitken > Media coordinator > CEE Bankwatch Network > Bratislavska 31 > 602 00 Brno > Czech Republic > Tel: +420-545 214 431, ext 19 > > ================================ > Tired of big money paving the planet? > Become an Active Bankwatcher! > http://www.active.bankwatch.org > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Take a look at donorschoose.org, an excellent charitable web site for anyone who cares about public education! http://us.click.yahoo.com/_OLuKD/8WnJAA/cUmLAA/RR.olB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> EuroAtlantic Club: http://www.europe.org.ro/euroatlantic_club/ *** Birou de traduceri autorizate. Oana Gheorghiu - tel/fax: 252.8681 / [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/romania_eu_list/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
