Wales, one of the smallest nations in Europe will cut 10% of the emissions from the Welsh Government's estates in 2010 - that means a 10% cut from their offices, government buildings and so on.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/02/10-10-carbon-emissions
Bulgaria?
Monday, December 7, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
NGOs met Deputy Minsiter of Transport on Struma Motorway
Representatives of Green Policy Institute, Za Zemiata, CEIE, Balkani Wildlife Society and Bulgarian Society for Protection of Birds (BirdLife Bulgaria) met this afternoon with Ivaylo Moskovski, Deputy Minsiter of Transport, Information Technologies and Communications. The main topic was the development of Lot 3 of Struma Motorway which has to go trough Kresna gorge - one of the most valuable areas of Bulgarian nature.
The other issues discussed include Bulgaria's Transport sector strategy and construction of the Trakia Motorway.
Mr. Moskovski offered full support ot the initiatives of NGOs, which would speed up the process of foundation of a steering committee for Struma Motorway as agreed with the European Commission two years ago. The other initiatives would help to overcome some nature protection problems around Trakia Motorway and would support public participation in the development of the Transport sector strategy.
Petko Kovatchev of GPI took the responcibility to draft the founding principles of the steering committee and after a short discussion within "Save Kresna gorge" NGOs coalition they will be presented to the respective ministries and agencies for further development of the process.
The other issues discussed include Bulgaria's Transport sector strategy and construction of the Trakia Motorway.
Mr. Moskovski offered full support ot the initiatives of NGOs, which would speed up the process of foundation of a steering committee for Struma Motorway as agreed with the European Commission two years ago. The other initiatives would help to overcome some nature protection problems around Trakia Motorway and would support public participation in the development of the Transport sector strategy.
Petko Kovatchev of GPI took the responcibility to draft the founding principles of the steering committee and after a short discussion within "Save Kresna gorge" NGOs coalition they will be presented to the respective ministries and agencies for further development of the process.
Meeting on Copenhagen Summit in the British Embassy in Sofia
A group of climate activists from Bulgarian NGOs (GPI, WWF, Za Zemiata, UNECO, Climate Coalition, Bulgarian Scoool of Politics, etc.) and media met this moring for an informal talk with Stuart Peters from the British Embassy, who hosted the meeting. The Bulgarian Minsitry of Foreign Affairs was also presented by Maria Pavlova from UN and Global Issues Directorate.
The participants discussed potential outcomes from the meeting of UNCCC' countries in Copenhagen and the consequences for Bulgaria and CEE countries. Potential areas for coopereation between civil society and British Embassy in climate issues were also presented by some of the NGOs.
The participants discussed potential outcomes from the meeting of UNCCC' countries in Copenhagen and the consequences for Bulgaria and CEE countries. Potential areas for coopereation between civil society and British Embassy in climate issues were also presented by some of the NGOs.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
National Radio: Petko Kovachev does not expect a joint document to be signed in Copenhagen
The director of Green Policy Institute, Petko Kovachev, expects that there will be no agreed document ready for signatures by the world leaders during the Copenhagen Climate Summit. Kovachev made this forecast in “Saturday 150” live of “Horizont”, Bulgarian National Radio.
Nevertheless, according to him, the Summit will be successful if an agreement on concrete significant goals, such us GHG emmissions' reduction and deforestation would be reached.
“Actually this is the main goal of the EU – to reach exactly these binding engagements and to make clear the deadline within which the document that would replace Kyoto protocol would be ready. At the end of the day we must have a ratyfied document before Kyoto protocol expire”, Kovachev explained.
Here is the original text (in Bulgarian).
Nevertheless, according to him, the Summit will be successful if an agreement on concrete significant goals, such us GHG emmissions' reduction and deforestation would be reached.
“Actually this is the main goal of the EU – to reach exactly these binding engagements and to make clear the deadline within which the document that would replace Kyoto protocol would be ready. At the end of the day we must have a ratyfied document before Kyoto protocol expire”, Kovachev explained.
Here is the original text (in Bulgarian).
Friday, November 13, 2009
Next week: lobby trip to Brussels
A team of experts of the Coalition for Sustainable Use of EU Finds in Bulgaria is going to Brussles for a set of meetings with representatives of European Commission, European Parliament and other institutions. The discussions will focus on how EU money are used in Bulgaria, difficulties and possibilities for improvement. Special attention will be given to several OPs, among them Environment, Regional Development, Transport and Cross-Border Cooperation. Some concrete projects, such us Struma motorway will be also discussed.
The team includes representqtives of Green Policy Institute, EA Za Zemiata (For the Earth) and Public Environmental Center for Sustainable Development (Varna).
The team includes representqtives of Green Policy Institute, EA Za Zemiata (For the Earth) and Public Environmental Center for Sustainable Development (Varna).
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
SAC verdict in favour of citizens!
Dear friends,
It's a great pleasure to inform you that the Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) of Bulgaria has canseled the positive decision of the Minister of Environment on Chelopech Mining's EIA for introduction of cyanide leaching in gold extraction!
With its Decision No 13092 from November 04, 2009, SAC has canceled EIA Decision No 8 from July 30, 2008 г. of the Minister of Environment and Waters. The court sends the documents back to the Minsiter with a recommendation for a new ministerial decision to be prepared, in line with the Court's motives.
The case against the EIA Decision was opened by the following NGOs: Association for agricultural and environmental projects - Plovdiv, Centre for Environmental Information and Education - Sofia, Green Balkans - Plovdiv, Ecoforum - Sofia, For the Earth - Sofia, "Underground Values" Association - Sofia and Green Policy Institute.
The Court recognizes most of our arguments including:
1. The very ling period between the finalization of the EIA Report and the Decision (2 years and 4 months) which makes the information at the Report outdated, incl. the one for the level of pollution at the region.
2. The decision of the Ministry of Environment t oset up public hearings only at the villages of Chelopech and Chavdar is wrong.
3. The proposed cyanide technology cannot be described as Best Available Technique (BAT) because the concentration of the Arsenic at the Chelopech ore is very high and such a technology exist only at experimantal stage in Arozina, US.
Let's keep the hope,
Petko Kovachev, ED
It's a great pleasure to inform you that the Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) of Bulgaria has canseled the positive decision of the Minister of Environment on Chelopech Mining's EIA for introduction of cyanide leaching in gold extraction!
With its Decision No 13092 from November 04, 2009, SAC has canceled EIA Decision No 8 from July 30, 2008 г. of the Minister of Environment and Waters. The court sends the documents back to the Minsiter with a recommendation for a new ministerial decision to be prepared, in line with the Court's motives.
The case against the EIA Decision was opened by the following NGOs: Association for agricultural and environmental projects - Plovdiv, Centre for Environmental Information and Education - Sofia, Green Balkans - Plovdiv, Ecoforum - Sofia, For the Earth - Sofia, "Underground Values" Association - Sofia and Green Policy Institute.
The Court recognizes most of our arguments including:
1. The very ling period between the finalization of the EIA Report and the Decision (2 years and 4 months) which makes the information at the Report outdated, incl. the one for the level of pollution at the region.
2. The decision of the Ministry of Environment t oset up public hearings only at the villages of Chelopech and Chavdar is wrong.
3. The proposed cyanide technology cannot be described as Best Available Technique (BAT) because the concentration of the Arsenic at the Chelopech ore is very high and such a technology exist only at experimantal stage in Arozina, US.
Let's keep the hope,
Petko Kovachev, ED
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Green Policy Institute - who we are?
Founded: 2006
Statute: Foundation
Founders/Memebrs of the Board: Vasil Kadrinov (sociology/human rights), Dentza Petrova (sociology/eco-education, energy), Ivaylo Hlebarov (computers/waste management, EU funds), Neli Petrova, Petko Kovatchev (economist/energy, EU funds), Petko Tzvetkov (biology), Todor Todorov (history/climate change)
Other experts: Dragomir Konstantinov (economist/regional development, EU funds), Iordan Velikov (agribusiness/EU funds), Evgenia Avramova (lawyer)
Mission: The mission of the organisation is to change the development pattern of Bulgaria and region from business-as-usual to sustainable development.
Goals: The main goals of GPI are:
1.To work for generating and for the enforcement of various green policies in Bulgaria towards sustainable development, protection of the environment, strengthening of democracy, respect for human rights, and improvement of the welfare of Bulgaria's citizens.
2.To disseminate and work for enforcing, in Bulgaria, the various green policies generated within the international community.
Work:
1.Energy & Climate: new energy projects in Bulgaria (Belene NPP, oil pipelines), energy strategy for Bulgaria, promoting energy efficiency & renewables (alternative energy scenarios)
2.EU funds: monitoring of EU funds, civil mid-term report, campaigning on various projects
3.Regional Development: implementation of Rio Conventions on local and regional level
4.Sustainable Development: work on Bulgaria's SD strategy
GPI's work includes providing trainings and education, organising lectures, presentations of experts and debates, campaigning, doing research and publishing analyses and reports, providing media with its findings, etc.
Publications:
Citizens’ control on public funds for environmental protection (2006)
Bulgarian energy: 2006 and further (2006)
Analysis of the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation, the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Government of the Republic of Greece for co-operation in the construction and exploitation of “Bourgas – Alexandrupois” oil pipeline (2007)
Environmental Effects of the Closure of Uranium Mining in Bulgaria (2008)
Preliminary Analyses of the Impact of Bourgas – Alexandrupois Oil Pipeline on Natura 2000 Zones (2008)
Stimulating Public Participation for Integrating Global Environmental Issues into Strategies and Plans for Regional Development and Spatial Planning in Bulgaria (2009)
Membership in various NGO coalitions:
NO to Belene NPP! Coalition
Save Black Sea Coalition
Civil Coalition for Sustaianble Use of EU Funds in Bulgaria
Bulgaria – Zone, Free of Cyanides! Coalition
Statute: Foundation
Founders/Memebrs of the Board: Vasil Kadrinov (sociology/human rights), Dentza Petrova (sociology/eco-education, energy), Ivaylo Hlebarov (computers/waste management, EU funds), Neli Petrova, Petko Kovatchev (economist/energy, EU funds), Petko Tzvetkov (biology), Todor Todorov (history/climate change)
Other experts: Dragomir Konstantinov (economist/regional development, EU funds), Iordan Velikov (agribusiness/EU funds), Evgenia Avramova (lawyer)
Mission: The mission of the organisation is to change the development pattern of Bulgaria and region from business-as-usual to sustainable development.
Goals: The main goals of GPI are:
1.To work for generating and for the enforcement of various green policies in Bulgaria towards sustainable development, protection of the environment, strengthening of democracy, respect for human rights, and improvement of the welfare of Bulgaria's citizens.
2.To disseminate and work for enforcing, in Bulgaria, the various green policies generated within the international community.
Work:
1.Energy & Climate: new energy projects in Bulgaria (Belene NPP, oil pipelines), energy strategy for Bulgaria, promoting energy efficiency & renewables (alternative energy scenarios)
2.EU funds: monitoring of EU funds, civil mid-term report, campaigning on various projects
3.Regional Development: implementation of Rio Conventions on local and regional level
4.Sustainable Development: work on Bulgaria's SD strategy
GPI's work includes providing trainings and education, organising lectures, presentations of experts and debates, campaigning, doing research and publishing analyses and reports, providing media with its findings, etc.
Publications:
Citizens’ control on public funds for environmental protection (2006)
Bulgarian energy: 2006 and further (2006)
Analysis of the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation, the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Government of the Republic of Greece for co-operation in the construction and exploitation of “Bourgas – Alexandrupois” oil pipeline (2007)
Environmental Effects of the Closure of Uranium Mining in Bulgaria (2008)
Preliminary Analyses of the Impact of Bourgas – Alexandrupois Oil Pipeline on Natura 2000 Zones (2008)
Stimulating Public Participation for Integrating Global Environmental Issues into Strategies and Plans for Regional Development and Spatial Planning in Bulgaria (2009)
Membership in various NGO coalitions:
NO to Belene NPP! Coalition
Save Black Sea Coalition
Civil Coalition for Sustaianble Use of EU Funds in Bulgaria
Bulgaria – Zone, Free of Cyanides! Coalition
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Renowned Turkmen Environmentalist, Andrey Zatoka, Sentenced to Five Years in Prison
October 29, 20009
Contact: Kate Watters: 703-299-0854
kate@crudeaccountability.org
Andrey Zatoka, environmentalist and civil society leader from Turkmenistan, was convicted of assault and sentenced to five years in prison by a judge in Dashovuz, Turkmenistan on October 29, 2009.
On October 20, 2009, Andrey Zatoka was arrested by the police in a Dashovuz bazaar, after he was attacked by an unknown man while buying groceries for his birthday. When Andrey approached the police for help, they arrested him instead of protecting him. Following his arrest, Andrey’s wife, Evgeniia Zatoka, has been denied the right to see her husband.
“Andrey’s arrest is a miscarriage of justice,” said Kate Watters, Executive Director of Crude Accountability. “Andrey has committed no crime. We appeal to the international community, to the US and Russian governments and to the OSCE to raise Andrey’s case with the Turkmen authorities. If the US, Russia and OSCE had sent observers to Andrey’s trial, as the international human rights community appealed to them to do, perhaps the outcome would have been different. It appears that the west has traded away protection of human rights for access to hydrocarbons.”
Andrey’s arrest and sentencing are the culmination of a three year long exercise in intimidation and harassment by the Turkmen authorities. He was arrested in December 2006 and charged with hooliganism as he attempted to board a plane in Dashovuz, on his way to Moscow. That charge was then changed to possession of dangerous substances after a vial of snake venom was found in his apartment. Andrey spent 46 days in prison before he was let go on a suspended sentence. In September 2007, Andrey was amnestied by President Berdymukhammedov. However, he has been denied the right to leave Turkmenistan since his arrest. Andrey holds joint Russian and Turkmen citizenship.
Andrey is the founder of the Dashovuz Ecology Club, one of Turkmenistan’s oldest and most respected environmental nongovernmental organizations, which was shut down in 2003 when the Turkmen government cracked down on civil society, changing the NGO law and making it virtually impossible to register a public organization with the government.
For more information about Zatoka’s case see www.crudeaccountability.org/en or www.azatoka.org.
Contact: Kate Watters: 703-299-0854
kate@crudeaccountability.org
Andrey Zatoka, environmentalist and civil society leader from Turkmenistan, was convicted of assault and sentenced to five years in prison by a judge in Dashovuz, Turkmenistan on October 29, 2009.
On October 20, 2009, Andrey Zatoka was arrested by the police in a Dashovuz bazaar, after he was attacked by an unknown man while buying groceries for his birthday. When Andrey approached the police for help, they arrested him instead of protecting him. Following his arrest, Andrey’s wife, Evgeniia Zatoka, has been denied the right to see her husband.
“Andrey’s arrest is a miscarriage of justice,” said Kate Watters, Executive Director of Crude Accountability. “Andrey has committed no crime. We appeal to the international community, to the US and Russian governments and to the OSCE to raise Andrey’s case with the Turkmen authorities. If the US, Russia and OSCE had sent observers to Andrey’s trial, as the international human rights community appealed to them to do, perhaps the outcome would have been different. It appears that the west has traded away protection of human rights for access to hydrocarbons.”
Andrey’s arrest and sentencing are the culmination of a three year long exercise in intimidation and harassment by the Turkmen authorities. He was arrested in December 2006 and charged with hooliganism as he attempted to board a plane in Dashovuz, on his way to Moscow. That charge was then changed to possession of dangerous substances after a vial of snake venom was found in his apartment. Andrey spent 46 days in prison before he was let go on a suspended sentence. In September 2007, Andrey was amnestied by President Berdymukhammedov. However, he has been denied the right to leave Turkmenistan since his arrest. Andrey holds joint Russian and Turkmen citizenship.
Andrey is the founder of the Dashovuz Ecology Club, one of Turkmenistan’s oldest and most respected environmental nongovernmental organizations, which was shut down in 2003 when the Turkmen government cracked down on civil society, changing the NGO law and making it virtually impossible to register a public organization with the government.
For more information about Zatoka’s case see www.crudeaccountability.org/en or www.azatoka.org.
NO! to Belene coalition (BeleNE!) and urgewald
Press Release
28 October 2009
German Energy Giant RWE Withdraws from Bulgarian Nuclear Power Plant
Berlin / Sofia - In a letter to the Bulgarian Energy holding, the German company RWE today announced its withdrawal from the controversial Belene nuclear power plant (NPP) in northern Bulgaria. RWE cites doubts about the project’s profitability as the major reason for the company’s retreat.
“For the past 18 months, we’ve been pointing out to RWE that Belene is a high-risk project in terms of safety, economics, environment and corruption,” says Heffa Schücking from the German environment NGO Urgewald. “It sure took the company a long time to face up to the facts,” she comments. RWE’s decision comes in the wake of a broad grass-roots campaign of German environment organizations against RWE’s investment plans in Belene. Some 30,000 German citizens sent letters and petitions to RWE’s CEO asking him to withdraw from the project. Several of the company’s major investors also spoke out against the plan to invest into a NPP in an area of high seismicity in a country with low nuclear standards and high corruption.
“This is the beginning of the end of Belene,” says Petko Kovachev from the Bulgarian Green Policy Institute. “After 12 international banks decided to decline financing for the project in 2006 and 2007, RWE was Belene’s last hope,” explains Kovachev. RWE was slated to provide 49% of the project’s equity and its decision to withdraw sends out a clear signal to investors and banks regarding the project’s questionable economics.
“This is a huge success for civil society and nuclear safety in Europe,” says Albena Simeonova from the BeleNE! (No to Belene) Coalition in Bulgaria. Simeonova, who traveled to Germany last Spring to speak at RWE’s annual shareholder meeting, adds: “RWE never should have become involved in the crazy plan to build Russian nuclear reactors in an earthquake area. We are happy to hear that they have finally withdrawn from this dangerous project and hope that our own Government will now follow suit.”
Background:
Construction of the Belene nuclear power station started in 1985. From the beginning, there was controversy around the seismic risks as a large earthquake hit the region in 1977 and killed over 120 people only 14 km from the planned NPP site. The project was halted in 1991, and finally dropped in 1992 due to its environmental and economic risks. In 2003, however, the Bulgarian government restarted the project and in 2006, it decided to build two completely new reactors at the Belene site. The tender for construction was won by the Russian firm Atomstroyexport to build an AES-92 nuclear power station with two VVER 1000/466B reactors. This is a first of a kind reactor that has no operational record elsewhere in the world. The new Bulgarian government, which came to power in July 2009, is currently re-evaluating the project. Although it has also raised doubts concerning the project’s economic feasibility, the current government has nonetheless commissioned a consultant to help private investors for Belene.
Belene is estimated to cost around 10 billion Euros. In 2006, Deutsche Bank, UniCredit and 10 further large commercial banks all turned down applications to finance the project. In 2008 and 2009, several large energy companies also turned down invitations to become investors into the project.
For more information contact:
Heffa Schücking, heffa@urgewald.de , Tel: (49)-160-96761436
German Energy Giant RWE Withdraws from Bulgarian Nuclear Power Plant
Berlin / Sofia - In a letter to the Bulgarian Energy holding, the German company RWE today announced its withdrawal from the controversial Belene nuclear power plant (NPP) in northern Bulgaria. RWE cites doubts about the project’s profitability as the major reason for the company’s retreat.
“For the past 18 months, we’ve been pointing out to RWE that Belene is a high-risk project in terms of safety, economics, environment and corruption,” says Heffa Schücking from the German environment NGO Urgewald. “It sure took the company a long time to face up to the facts,” she comments. RWE’s decision comes in the wake of a broad grass-roots campaign of German environment organizations against RWE’s investment plans in Belene. Some 30,000 German citizens sent letters and petitions to RWE’s CEO asking him to withdraw from the project. Several of the company’s major investors also spoke out against the plan to invest into a NPP in an area of high seismicity in a country with low nuclear standards and high corruption.
“This is the beginning of the end of Belene,” says Petko Kovachev from the Bulgarian Green Policy Institute. “After 12 international banks decided to decline financing for the project in 2006 and 2007, RWE was Belene’s last hope,” explains Kovachev. RWE was slated to provide 49% of the project’s equity and its decision to withdraw sends out a clear signal to investors and banks regarding the project’s questionable economics.
“This is a huge success for civil society and nuclear safety in Europe,” says Albena Simeonova from the BeleNE! (No to Belene) Coalition in Bulgaria. Simeonova, who traveled to Germany last Spring to speak at RWE’s annual shareholder meeting, adds: “RWE never should have become involved in the crazy plan to build Russian nuclear reactors in an earthquake area. We are happy to hear that they have finally withdrawn from this dangerous project and hope that our own Government will now follow suit.”
Background:
Construction of the Belene nuclear power station started in 1985. From the beginning, there was controversy around the seismic risks as a large earthquake hit the region in 1977 and killed over 120 people only 14 km from the planned NPP site. The project was halted in 1991, and finally dropped in 1992 due to its environmental and economic risks. In 2003, however, the Bulgarian government restarted the project and in 2006, it decided to build two completely new reactors at the Belene site. The tender for construction was won by the Russian firm Atomstroyexport to build an AES-92 nuclear power station with two VVER 1000/466B reactors. This is a first of a kind reactor that has no operational record elsewhere in the world. The new Bulgarian government, which came to power in July 2009, is currently re-evaluating the project. Although it has also raised doubts concerning the project’s economic feasibility, the current government has nonetheless commissioned a consultant to help private investors for Belene.
Belene is estimated to cost around 10 billion Euros. In 2006, Deutsche Bank, UniCredit and 10 further large commercial banks all turned down applications to finance the project. In 2008 and 2009, several large energy companies also turned down invitations to become investors into the project.
For more information contact:
Heffa Schücking, heffa@urgewald.de , Tel: (49)-160-96761436
Albena Simeonova, tel.: +359.888 215 268
Petko Kovachev, petkok@bankwatch.org , +359.888 420 453
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Let's Celebrate!
We are happy to announce the birth of the first English language blog for the Green Policy Institute in Bulgaria.
We will keep you informed about developments in the 'Bulgarian Green Think Tank' as they occur.
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