Environment

Sea of Azov: Mariupol's iron dust

27/07/2021 -  Claudia Bettiol Mariupol

Despite the proximity to the Donbass conflict, there is an air of normalcy in Mariupol, Ukraine. But that very air is heavily polluted by the historic Metinvest metallurgical complex

Climate: is the EU plan ambitious enough?

03/08/2021 -  Giulia Bassetto

The European Commission has presented the new package of climate proposals to the European Parliament: the goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels and achieve full climate neutrality by 2050

Slovenia: water has won

14/07/2021 -  Marco Ranocchiari

On Sunday 11 July, with an overwhelming majority — and a high turnout — the Slovenes rejected the new law on water, which would have made it easier to build along the banks of rivers and on the coasts. A heavy defeat for right-wing prime minister Janez Jansa

North Macedonia: DUI, from ethnic party to ecological movement?

07/07/2021 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

Born as a political expression of the armed struggle of the Albanians in North Macedonia, DUI today surprisingly tries to reposition itself as a green movement. A turning point that, however, puzzles many

EU and climate change: a lot of funds, few results

06/07/2021 -  Gianluca De Feo

As part of the Common Agricultural Policy, the European Union spent 100 billion Euros to combat climate change between 2014 and 2020. But these funds, which make up half of the entire EU budget earmarked for the fight against climate change, have not led to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions

Georgia: the wounds of the dams

15/06/2021 -  Marilisa Lorusso

During 2020, the preparatory work began for what should be one of the most important infrastructure projects in Georgia's history: the Namakhvani dams. Local associations and communities report a tragic environmental impact and a significant safety risk

North Macedonia, recycling remains a mirage

04/06/2021 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

Despite some success stories, recycling remains at extremely low levels in North Macedonia. According to experts and observers, the country needs to quickly develop a waste management strategy

Kanal Istanbul, Erdogan's dream of a new Bosphorus

25/05/2021 -  Filippo Cicciù Istanbul

Turkish President Erdogan seems ready to launch the "crazy" project of Kanal Istanbul – the artificial canal that should "double" the Bosphorus – despite concerns about the possible environmental and geopolitical impact. The report by our correspondent

North Macedonia, expanding protected areas

03/05/2021 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

North Macedonia is set to protect some of its main mountain ranges, such as Shar, Osogovo and Vodno, which are now increasingly threatened by exploitation of soil, water, and forests

Covid-19: the plastic pandemic

28/04/2021 -  Marco Ranocchiari

In Europe, the period 2020-2021 was to mark the turning point in the fight against plastic waste, one of the most urgent problems of our century. Then came the new Coronavirus: with masks, gloves, and anti-contagion packaging, the risk of a step back is increasingly concrete

Serbia, the citizens' ecological revolt

20/04/2021 -  Vukašin Obradović Belgrade

Last April 10, thousands of citizens took to the streets of Belgrade for what has been called the "Ecological Revolt". The environmental issue was brought to the political level. Will the opposition be able to intercept this civic momentum?

Plastic waste: Europe is not recycling enough

05/02/2021 -  Antoine de Ravignan

As a result of more stringent standards, recycling of plastic packaging is set to fall in the EU. Without better industrial capacity, the EU will not reach its 50% target in five years' time. And illegal exports are likely to increase

Co2: the EU disincentives are not working

04/02/2021 -  Ornaldo Gjergji

The EU Emission Trading System, the EU’s main mechanism to disincentivise CO2 emissions, seems not to have had the desired results. Major industrial groups, often with the support of their own governments, profit from systemic weaknesses while continuing to produce energy using fossil fuels

A Grand Tour of global warming in south-east Europe

26/02/2021 -  Antoine Laurent

Drawing inspiration from the long voyages taken by well-off European youths in centuries past, Antoine Laurent takes us on a tour of global warming hotspots in south-east Europe

From Brazil to Bulgaria: the giants we ignore at our peril

09/02/2021 -  Marco Ranocchiari

Tailing ponds are among the largest and most dangerous structures engineered by humanity, but their operation is virtually unknown to those who don’t live in their vicinity. Europe is no less at risk from incidents than the rest of the world

Ornaldo Gjergji: Climate Change Down to the Local Level

27/01/2021

Ornaldo Gjergji, data analyst at OBC Transeuropa, presents the investigation on rising temperatures in Europe that he carried out in the framework of the European Data Journalism Network (climatechange.europeandatajournalism.eu)

European banks are still major backers of the fossil fuel industry

25/01/2021 -  Gianluca De Feo

As public institutions struggle to implement their plans effectively, private banks are still not pulling their weight. With the slowness and mounting obstacles facing public finances, combined with the unreliability of the private system, how secure is the future of energy transition?

Environment in Southeast Europe: lockdown abuses

23/12/2020 -  Marco Ranocchiari

As the eyes of the whole world are fixed on the pandemic, vigilance over environmental abuse is loosening. A study by the NGO Arnika documents the situation between Central-Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and the Balkans

Matteo Moretti: Design and European Data Journalism

22/12/2020

Matteo Moretti, designer and founder of Sheldon.studio, explains his approach to journalism, with a special attention to visual journalism, interactive and responsive products, and informative experiences. He reflects upon the potential and challenges of data journalism in covering issues such as COVID-19 and the climate crisis.

MEPs call for an end to illegal logging in Romania

21/12/2020

Illegal logging is deforesting vast areas in Romania and the environmental degradation in Europe's last primary forests has reached unimaginable proportions in recent years

Emissions in Europe: how much CO2 does energy cost us?

15/01/2021 -  Ornaldo Gjergji

In terms of CO2, energy production is the human activity with the worst impact on the environment in Europe. Emissions in the EU may be falling, but there are still major obstacles to achieving climate neutrality. Meanwhile, to the east, dozens of new coal plants will be built in the near future.

Habitats, species, ecosystems: the state of nature in south-east Europe

10/12/2020 -  Pietro Stefani

The latest report from the European Environment Agency (EEA) paints a grave picture of the EU’s environmental situation, which requires urgent attention from member states if current trends are to be reversed. A look at south-east Europe

Battle for “Košutnjak”, Belgrade's green lung

06/11/2020 -  Nicola Dotto Belgrade

The possible destruction of almost 35 hectares of forest and green areas of "Košutnjak", a protected natural asset regarded by many as the "lung of Belgrade", has given way to a new environmental battle in the Serbian capital

It's time for Croatia to embrace the European Green Deal

29/10/2020 -  Toni Gabrić

Average temperatures are rising more and more in the Zagreb region, while snow cover is decreasing year after year. However, Jagoda Munić, Director of Friends of the Earth Europe says that “Croatia is a very passive observer of developments around the European Green Deal”

Investors: Georgia’s Nenskra Dam violates Svan rights

25/09/2020 -  Tamuna Chkareuli

For now, the EBRD and the EIB have suspended their financing for the construction of a dam in Georgia. Pending further assessments on the violation of the rights of the local Svan community

Albania: the ranger of the natural park

13/08/2020 -  Christian Elia

"This is my place, there is no other place I could be". Shahin, like his father and his grandfather before him, takes care of the woods. We met him in Borockë, southern Albania

How agriculture changes in Serbia

05/08/2020

Temperatures are rising, winds are blowing the humus away and extreme weather events are increasing: a problem for agriculture in Serbia. A video report

Hydroelectric power in Bosnia: between moratorium and abuse during lockdown

28/07/2020 -  Marco Ranocchiari

To defend the Balkan rivers, it was first necessary to make people aware that they were in danger. An interview with Ulrich Eichelmann, founder of the NGO RiverWatch and one of the coordinators of the campaign Save the Blue Heart of Europe

Greece: air, water, and democracy

16/07/2020 -  Elvira Krithari Volos

In Volos, central Greece, people are struggling for the quality of air – threatened by incinerators – and for public ownership of water, but also and above all for a transparent, democratic administration

Albania: wave after wave

15/07/2020

The coasts of Albania are getting narrower. Coastal erosion is in fact one of its main environmental problems: a phenomenon caused not only by the rising sea level but also by the wild exploitation of the soil in favor of large tourist structures. A video report