A new report by Crude Accountability highlights the limits of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s (EBRD) engagement with civil society in its most recent Azerbaijan Country Strategy consultations. It also raises questions about the EBRD’s commitment to green and sustainable investments, particularly in light of its role in financing Azerbaijan’s extractive industries. 

A key shortcoming of the Country Strategy is the lack of transparent public engagement in drafting the strategy. While the EBRD touts its efforts to include comments from civil society organizations and experts in the Strategy, the consultation process has not been fully disclosed. Given the severe restrictions placed on independent media and nonprofit organizations in Azerbaijan by the authorities, meaningful public engagement requires greater effort than ever before. 

Read more.

Azerbaijan has been contradicting its climate pledges since it hosted COP29 in November 2024. Specifically, the country has been increasing its oil and gas investments and, earlier this year, looked into the possibility of replacing Russian gas to European markets.

Dr. Gubad Ibadoghlu has been following Azerbaijan's actions in his blog series on our website, which we have recently adapted into 60-second reels.

Watch the latest uploads on our YouTube channel:

Azerbaijan's Broken Climate Pledges

Can Azerbaijan Replace Russian Gas to Europe?

The latest video from our colleagues at Save The Caspian Sea shines a light on the Caspian seal, a rare mammal found only in the Caspian Sea. Once abundant, their population has been declining due to industrial pollution and environmental degradation. But it's not too late to take action to protect them.

Watch the reel on our Instagram.

Our colleague Timur Idrisov of Little Earth sounds the alarm: extreme weather is threatening the health and future of Tajikistan’s children.

In a recent article, ”How Climate Change Is Stealing Children's Childhood in Tajikistan,” Idrisov notes that children's bodies and immune systems are still developing, making them more susceptible to illness, heat, air pollution, and other effects of climate change.

The climate crisis also exacerbates social and economic inequalities, particularly for children in developing countries, writes Idrisov, highlighting the urgent need for youth engagement in the climate negotiation processes.

Read more.

Our colleagues at FracTracker, Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR), and Colorado Sierra Club launched a new report that reveals the that Colorado oil and gas companies have pumped at least 30 million pounds of undisclosed chemicals into the ground over the past 18 months—despite a state law requiring full disclosure and a ban on toxic "forever chemicals." Since the law took effect in July 2023, over 60% of fracked sites have failed to report the chemicals used. Chevron alone is responsible for more than half of these non-compliant wells.

The report was recently featured in The Guardian, "US oil firms pumping secret chemicals into ground and not fully reporting it."

Read the report.

Crude Accountability earned the Gold Seal of Transparency with Candid! Find us and learn about our mission on our Candid profile.

To contribute to the continuation of our work in protecting the Caspian and Black Sea regions and beyond, visit our Support Page.