Designing a sound EU carbon market for buildings and transport

We can draw vital lessons from the functioning of the EU’s current Emissions Trading System to expand it to the building and transport sectors in a way that serves the climate and advances social justice. In its current shape, the EU’s Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) is far from perfect. It falls short on overall …

A carbon market for buildings must be constructed on solid foundations

The EU must fix its current Emissions Trading System (ETS) before it embarks on the second phase focusing on buildings, writes Elisa Martellucci. This eventual ETS2 must be built, with close stakeholder involvement, on fair and equitable foundations. Anna is a young trainee at the European Commission. She arrived in Brussels and looked for an …

Why bringing transport and buildings under the EU carbon market is not a good idea

Extending the EU carbon market to cover buildings and transport would not reduce emissions but could undermine existing legislation and risk instability on the market.  Last week, the European Commission published its proposal for a higher EU 2030 climate target of at least 55% along with a plan for getting there in practice. As a …