December editorial: Greenwashing fossil fuels in Sharm el-Sheikh and Brussels

At a time when we need to shift our collective climate action up a gear, the influence of the fossil fuels lobby is succeeding in slowing down ambition both at COP27 and in the EU. COP27 produced one significant breakthrough – the agreement on a fund to compensate vulnerable and poorer countries for the loss …

November editorial: COP 27 – Make or break time for putting the brakes on the climate crisis

Under the shadow of the worsening climate crisis, COP27 kicks off early next week. We’ll be there to influence the conversations on global carbon markets as much as we can, guided by our vision of a socially just and decarbonised future. Two years into the make or break decade for the climate, COP27 is a …

Abandoned factory in Liege, Belgium.

October newsletter editorial: Decarbonisation is not deindustrialisation

At Carbon Market Watch, we seek to decarbonise society, not to deindustrialise it, out of a conviction that our future prosperity depends on our ability to live within the planet’s limits, for the good of society, for the good of nature and, ultimately, for the long-term good of businesses themselves. We went on a tour …

September newsletter editorial: Tackling the climate crisis and the energy crunch

As the signs of climate breakdown become unmissable, we must not sacrifice our carbon ambitions in favour of damaging short-term fixes. We must tackle the energy crunch in a way that is compatible with our climate goals. During the summer break, many of us observed signs of climate breakdown. I cycled about 500 km, many …

July newsletter editorial: Keeping hope alive for 1.5

The EU’s recent failure to rise to the unprecedented challenge presented by the climate emergency should not lead us down the path to cynicism but must prod us to redouble our efforts to bring about meaningful change, writes Sabine Frank. “So, how do you know Y (the host)?” I asked at a recent party.  “We …

June newsletter editorial: Dramatic week in climate politics shows undercutting ambition is unacceptable

Events followed by more than one member of the CMW team at a time are rare. On the occasion of the European Parliament’s vote on the reform of the EU Emissions Trading System on 8 June, several of us were glued to our screens following the parliamentary proceedings and sharing reactions in an online chat. …

May newsletter editorial: Revamping carbon market can help wean EU off fossil fuels

Slovakia’s Deputy Prime Minister Richard Sulík has a surreal idea for emptying Vladimir Putin’s war chest. “We should lower energy prices… We should suspend CO2 trading, because that drives up energy prices,” he opined in a 5 May interview on the EU’s oil embargo on Russia with German public broadcaster Deutschlandfunk.  Moreover, the centre-right politician …

April newsletter editorial: Panel debate on ETS comes straight from polluter’s pocket

In a democratic debate, should everyone get an equal say or should those with money be given a soapbox and loudhailer? The answer to this question is obvious, yet it appears to have eluded Politico Europe, one of the main players on the Brussels media stage. On 28 March 2022, Politico organised a virtual debate …