Carbon Market Watch is campaigning alongside eight EU and national civil society organisations for the imminent Emissions Trading System for road transport and buildings and the Social Climate Fund to deliver a fair and effective decarbonisation transition. CMW’s Eleanor Scott gives us the low down

At the end of October, a consortium, led by Carbon Market Watch, kicked off the ‘Effective and Fair European Carbon Trading: Ensuring EU carbon pricing and revenue use serves the climate and society’ (LIFE Effect). 

This project is primarily supported by the EU’s LIFE programme, which awards projects that advance the EU’s 2050 climate goals. Co-funding is delivered by the European Climate Foundation, Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt and the Portuguese Environment Fund. 

Life EFFECT aims to improve the knowledge, capacity and networking reach of civil society organisations in preparation for the forthcoming emissions trading system for buildings and road transport (ETS2), which will become fully operational in 2027, and the Social Climate Fund, to be launched in 2026. Project members will engage with national and EU policy processes to ensure that these climate policies are adequately implemented by member states and that the polluter pays principle is properly applied.   

Leave nobody behind

Ensuring a just transition is at the heart of this campaign. 

The project will connect with EU citizens by raising awareness and understanding of how emissions trading can deliver for people and the planet. 

Currently, buildings contribute 36% of the EU’s annual CO2 emissions and road transport, roughly 24%. LIFE Effect promotes rapid decarbonisation of these everyday sectors, and advocates for governments to uphold social justice by safeguarding vulnerable households and making sure that nobody is left behind during decarbonisation transitions. 

Reporting for duty

On 24 and 25 October, the nine project partners located across seven EU member states; the European Environmental Bureau, ZERO – Associacao Sistema Terrestre Sustentavel, Asociace Pro Mezinarodni Otazky Zs (AMO), the Green Tank, GermanWatch, Polish Green Network, Fondazione Think Tank ECCO and Bond Beter Leefmilieu joined the project coordinator, Carbon Market Watch, in Brussels, to officially launch the project which will run until July 2027. 

Many of the organisations worked together previously on the successful Life ETX project which focused on improving the equity and effectiveness of the EU Emissions Trading System, which covers emissions in heavy industries, power and was recently expanded to cover aviation and shipping. 

By harnessing the knowledge and experience of an expert consortium of partners from across Europe, the LIFE Effect consortium will generate new knowledge, enhance its international network of stakeholders, build civil society capacity and run highly captivating and engaging communications and advocacy campaigns.

Laying the groundwork

At the kick off event, the group held strategic policy discussions focusing on how to build coalitions between climate and social actors, and began to develop powerful narratives that will hold policymakers to account as they deliver and defend climate action that is both just and equitable.

Watch this space for more…