Steel, cement and chemicals industries key to the clean transition 

by Agnese RuggieroDecarbonising European industryPosted on Comments are Disabled

The International Energy Agency outlines a path to a fossil-free future The International Energy Agency calls for an immediate stop to investments in and production of fossil fuels. For heavy industry decarbonisation, the “Net Zero by 2050” report relies too much on unproven technologies like carbon capture and storage. But it nevertheless sends a strong …

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Four key issues to watch in the EU’s carbon market reform

by Agnese RuggieroEU carbon marketPosted on Comments are Disabled

This opinion piece was first published on Euractiv on 15 April 2021 EU carbon market emissions experienced a record fall last year, but when it comes to heavy industry, the effect is likely to be short-lived, writes Agnese Ruggiero. The latest EU carbon market emissions data released by European Commission on April 1 was not …

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Making the industrial pollution law fit for the EU Green Deal

by Agnese RuggieroDecarbonising European industry, EU carbon market, The EU Green Deal and Climate LawPosted on Comments are Disabled

A recent Carbon Market Watch webinar discussed the upcoming revision of the Industrial Emissions Directive in the framework of the European Green Deal. Achieving the goals of the European Green Deal (EGD) will entail driving down greenhouse gas emissions as well as achieving zero pollution and a non-toxic environment by 2050. The upcoming revisions of …

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EU carbon market report underlines the need to end pollution handouts

by Agnese RuggieroAviation, EU carbon marketPosted on Comments are Disabled

While the EU carbon market is helping to clean up Europe’s power sector, industrial CO2 pollution remained stubbornly high, and that from aviation kept growing in 2019. This is partly due to overly generous handouts of pollution permits. These subsidies must be phased out to incentivise cleaner production and more sustainable transport as the scheme …

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How the EU carbon market’s lesser-known cousin could help drive industrial transformation

by Agnese RuggieroDecarbonising European industryPosted on Comments are Disabled

As the EU carbon market is failing to drive down industrial carbon pollution, other rules are needed to provide an extra push. The upcoming revision of the industrial emissions directive should include greenhouse gases within the law’s scope. This way, limits on carbon emissions would be included within the criteria that an industrial plant must …

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Climate strikes: people do not want to be left behind, and governments should listen to them

by Agnese RuggieroNational Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs)Posted on Comments are Disabled

People from all walks of life took to the streets on Friday 20 September demanding urgent climate action from their governments. But so far our leaders are not only failing to deliver the kind of emission cuts needed to stop the climate crisis but also to involve citizens in their climate decision-making.  More and more …

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Do Europe’s powerful and clean live up to the expectations to lead on climate?

by Agnese RuggieroNational Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs)Posted on Comments are Disabled

Following the publication of the European Commission’s recommendations on EU countries’ draft energy and climate plans, LIFE PlanUp has analysed the plans of Finland, Sweden, Portugal, Germany and France. While the plans include ambitious goals, they lack concrete policies and measures to deliver on the promises. On 18 June 2019, the European Commission released its …

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Why we need more than just the EU carbon market to tackle industrial pollution

by Agnese RuggieroDecarbonising European industryPosted on Comments are Disabled

First published on Euractiv on 2 May 2019 Latest data shows that the market-based solution alone is not enough to cut carbon pollution from heavy industry in line with the Paris Agreement goals. A new industrial policy mix is needed to ensure Europe is on a pathway to net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, writes Agnese Ruggiero. …

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Making Horizon Europe a tool to truly achieve the Paris Agreement goals – OpEd

by Agnese Ruggiero2050 climate strategiesPosted on Comments are Disabled

The EU’s Horizon Europe for research and innovation provides an opportunity to unleash the potential of low-carbon technologies that will help Europe in the transition to a carbon neutral economy. This, however, is contingent on its design, writes Agnese Ruggiero. Published in Euractiv.com Agnese Ruggiero is a Policy Officer at Carbon Market Watch, an NGO …

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National Energy and Climate Plans: a strong tool to implement the Paris Agreement but only if participative and ambitious

by Agnese Ruggiero2050 climate strategies, National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs)Posted on Comments are Disabled

Engaging in a dialogue with all stakeholders is imperative for effective policy making, to ensure that the measures put forward can count on public support, and guarantee proper implementation. In the coming months, a particularly important opportunity for the active engagement of multi-level stakeholders will be the development and implementation of National Energy and Climate …

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