Steelmaking is one of the most carbon-intensive industries in the European Union. The sector emits 221 megatonnes of carbon dioxide each year. To ensure the EU achieves climate neutrality well before 2050, it is necessary to drastically reduce emissions in the steel sector. The EU’s Emissions Trading System is the key instrument for incentivising emissions …
Read more “Decarbonising Steel: Options for reforming the EU’s Emissions Trading System”
In this joint statement, Carbon Market Watch and 12 other NGOs urge EU member states to link the proposed Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to the reform of the EU’s Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). This includes abolishing free pollution permits under the EU ETS.
The EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) is often referred to as a cornerstone of EU climate policy. It aims to reduce emissions by pricing greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution from the power, industry and aviation sectors. It not only seeks to promote investments in emission reductions by making energy-intensive business as usual expensive, but it …
Read more “EU ETS 101- A beginner’s guide to the EU’s Emissions Trading System”
The horror playing out in Ukraine disturbs and distresses the Carbon Market Watch team. We have discussed it amongst ourselves. We have expressed our solidarity with those who are affected. We share their anger at the Russian regime’s unwarranted aggression, senseless bloodshed and escalating destruction. We have joined Ukrainian activists in asking for the international …
Read more “March newsletter editorial: The Ukraine tragedy and the heavy price of war”
The higher carbon prices on the EU’s Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) of the last three months have caused cross-sectoral concern. Many are placing unsubstantiated blame on speculative trading. But with speculation a minor problem at best, is flooding the market with more carbon allowances a solution or a dangerously reckless move? In the EU, …
Read more “Higher carbon prices: Is speculation truly to blame?”
As the EU steps up its efforts to introduce a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, it is crucial that policymakers design the CBAM to support deep emission reductions while safeguarding the right of less-privileged countries to develop, writes CMW policy officer Agnese Ruggiero. French President Emmanuel Macron aims to prioritise the completion of the Carbon Border …
Read more “How to make the EU’s carbon border tax effective and fair”
The European Parliament’s draft report by MEP Peter Liese on revising the EU’s Emissions Trading System fails to strengthen the scheme’s climate targets while opening up multiple routes to hand out more free emission allowances and offer offsets, enabling heavy industries to profit from their pollution. German Christian Democrat MEP Peter Liese has released his …
Read more “European Parliament’s proposed carbon market revamp a licence for industry to pollute”
Our FAQ document on the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) explaining its objectives, how it will work in practice, which sectors are covered, what happens during the transition phase, and more. This is a downloadable PDF. The text is also available as a webpage: A brief explanation of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
Even though the European Union’s Emissions Trading System has already issued over €200 billions in free emissions permits, the European Commission is proposing hundreds of billions of euros of additional free allowances for polluting industries. Europe must scrap these pollution subsidies and make polluters pay the true price of their pollution, environmental NGOs urge EU …
Read more “EU must stop subsidising polluters with hundreds of billions in free emissions allowances, green groups demand”
Sent to EU environment ministers ahead of the Environment Council meeting of 20 December 2021, this joint letter demands that EU member states end the damaging practice of issuing free permits to energy-intensive industries under the Emissions Trading System (ETS). The signatories to the letter are partners in Life ETX, a project led by Carbon …
Read more “Letter to Envi Council: Stop subsidising polluters through the ETS”
