Media advisory: Integrity of Europe’s 2030 climate target in limbo over choice of flexibility options

Scroll down for French and German Brussels, 20 October. This week EU Heads of State are expected to agree on new headline targets for the EU’s 2030 climate and energy framework, including a target to reduce the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% by 2030 within the EU’s territory. Flexibility options to make …

Europe’s leaders must protect the 2030 climate target from loopholes

On 23 and 24 October 2014, EU’s Heads of State will determine Europe’s future action to avoid dangerous global temperature rise. It is expected that they will propose to reduce Europe’s domestic greenhouse gas emissions by merely 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. While this target is not nearly enough to combat climate change, some governments …

EU carbon market reforms must go further and arrive sooner

For the last couple of years, the European carbon market has failed to provide a signal for decarbonisation with carbon prices hovering around 5 euros for a tonne of CO2. To address this, earlier this year, the European Commission proposed to reform the EU’s Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) in order to provide a more …

Capping the Dragon: prospects for Chinese and European emissions trading linkage

While Europe is trying to get its emissions trading system (ETS) out of the doldrums, China is busily preparing to launch its national carbon market. By 2020, China’s carbon market will have surpassed the EU ETS as the world’s largest carbon market, covering around 3 to 4 billion tonnes of CO2. South Korea, which in …

Carbon leakage: a blank cheque to industry

On 24 September the European Parliament’s Environment committee, voted down an objection to the European Commission’s new carbon leakage list, 34 to 30. The objection was lodged by Green MEP Bas Eickhout and argued that the proposed €30 per tonne carbon price, used in determining which sectors are placed on the list, was grossly inflated. …

Members of the European Parliament’s ENVI Committee (Climate Issues)

Find MEPs by country: Belgium Bulgaria Czech Republic  Denmark Germany  Estonia Ireland Greece  Spain  France  Croatia  Italy Cyprus  Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg  Hungary  Malta  Netherlands  Austria  Poland  Portugal Romania Slovenia Slovakia Finland Sweden  United Kingdom Belgium Ivo BELET Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) Belgium Christen-Democratisch & Vlaams Mark DEMESMAEKEREuropean Conservatives and Reformists Group Belgium …

4 billion tonnes of hot air in the EU could turn the proposed 40% climate target into merely 26%

On 23 and 24 October 2014, EU’s Heads of State will determine Europe’s future action to avoid dangerous global temperature rise. At this important date, it is expected that they will propose to reduce Europe’s domestic greenhouse gas emissions by 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. Of course, this proposed target is not nearly enough …

Reducing aviation emission in EU

Since 1997, ICAO, the UN organization for air travel has dragged its feet to implement binding climate targets (learn more). For many years, the European Union had signalled to the international community that it would place unilateral restrictions on aviation emissions if ICAO would not take stronger action and commit to a plan to reduce …