Two more weeks left for comments on EU-backed principles, list of sustainable hydropower projects in Western Balkans

The extended deadline to provide comments on the draft Principles for Sustainable Hydropower in the Western Balkans and on the draft Indicative List of Projects associated with the Regional Strategy for Sustainable Hydropower in the Western Balkans, an EU-funded study, expires on August 31. The draft list contains the existing and potential greenfield hydropower projects that may receive financial […]

Aarhus Centre lodges court complaints against environmental permits for HPPs Buk Bijela, Foča

The Aarhus Resource Centre Sarajevo has submitted two complaints to the District Court in Banja Luka against the environmental permits for the Buk Bijela and Foča hydropower plants (HPPs) on the river Drina in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) near the border with Montenegro, CEE Bankwatch Network, one of the largest networks of environmental civil society […]

Piloting Global Biodiversity Information Facility – GIZ collaboration on biodiversity data mobilization: Case of Open Regional Fund – Biodiversity in South-East Europe

Author: Tim Hirsch, Deputy Director, Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) In September 2017, a chance connection made Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) aware of the “Regional Network for Biodiversity Information Management and Reporting” (BIMR) sub-project managed by GIZ under the Open Regional Fund for South-East Europe – Biodiversity (ORF-BD). Learning of the details of this […]

Returns on green investments are down, but so are costs

On the sidelines of the Green for Growth Fund’s (GGF) recently held Sustainable Future Forum and the grand finale of the clim@ pitching competition for startups, Christopher Knowles, who at the time served as chairman of the GGF, spoke to Balkan Green Energy News about the impact of innovative solutions, return on green investments, and […]

Study on Bosut Forests’ ecosystem services: How to achieve better flood protection, income from wood production, traditional animal husbandry

If environmental flooding of the forest complex of the Bosut Forests and an increase of traditional animal husbandry are implemented along with the joint management and establishment of a protected area, the value of four ecosystem services selected as the most important for the area, which lays between Serbia, BiH, and Croatia – wood production, […]

EIB provides EUR 15 million to HBOR for biodiversity improvement

European Investment Bank (EIB) has provided EUR 15 million to Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development (HBOR) under the Natural Capital Financing Facility in order to improve conservation of existing biodiversity, improve green infrastructure and strengthen climate change resilience. The Natural Capital Financial Facility, founded 3 years ago by the EIB and the European Commission, has […]