Net-zero pipe dreams: Carbon-neutral fossil fuel claims amount to greenwashing

by Khaled Diab2050 climate strategies, Carbon dioxide removals, Climate finance, Decarbonising European industry, Global markets, Land use and forestryPosted on Comments are Disabled

A new Carbon Market Watch report thoroughly investigates the growing number of fossil fuels that are being marketed as “carbon neutral” and concludes that they amount to brazen greenwashing. Published ahead of the COP26, the document challenges governments and industry to halt greenwashing practices and commit to binding fossil fuel phaseouts. Today, Carbon Market Watch …

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September editorial: Seeking common ground on the climate crisis

by Sabine FrankCarbon dioxide removals, Decarbonising European industry, EU carbon market, Global markets, Human rights in climate action, The EU Green Deal and Climate LawPosted on Comments are Disabled

The European Emissions Trading System covers almost half of Europe’s climate problem, but it occupies only a fraction of the public mind. We’ve teamed up with a dozen other NGOs in Europe for the Emissions Trading eXtra (ETX) project to shine a floodlight on the ETS and its future, as well as to tilt up …

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Penetrating the carbon removal smokescreen

by Wijnand StoefsCarbon dioxide removals, Decarbonising European industry, Land use and forestryPosted on Comments are Disabled

Carbon dioxide removal, or carbon removal for short, is a controversial and widely misunderstood topic. Harnessed properly, it can help cool our planet and combat global heating. Misused, it can be reduced to an exercise in greenwashing and creative climate bookkeeping that enables polluters to continue polluting with impunity. Wijnand Stoefs explains. Carbon removal means …

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There is no cheating the atmosphere

by Wijnand StoefsCarbon dioxide removals, Climate finance, Decarbonising European industry, EU carbon market, Global markets, Land use and forestryPosted on Comments are Disabled

Simply throwing public money at misleading climate solutions, such as carbon capture and storage/utilisation, would be a huge mistake. Although books can be cooked, the atmosphere cannot be cheated. Back in June, fifteen Members of the European Parliament sent an open letter to European  Commisson Vice-President Frans Timmermans and Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson, Internal Market Commissioner …

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Why Europe cannot rely on forests to meet its climate targets

by Kaisa AmaralCarbon dioxide removals, The EU Green Deal and Climate LawPosted on Comments are Disabled

EU Climate Law negotiators must keep emission reductions and forest protection as separate targets and agree to cut pollution by 65% over the next ten years.    Forests play a vital role as carbon sinks in efforts to avoid catastrophic climate change. They are essential for all life on Earth. They need protection so that they …

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Carbon Market Watch Newsletter – February 2021

by Kaisa AmaralCarbon dioxide removals, EU carbon market, Global markets, National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs)Posted on Comments are Disabled

Gearing up for the EU carbon market rules revision The deadline for public consultation on the EU carbon market rules review passed earlier this month. A look at the input from industry is revealing. For example, the cement sector wants to be rewarded for using uncertain (taxpayer-funded) carbon capture and storage or utilisation to deal …

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Concrete ideas to divert attention

by Wijnand StoefsCarbon dioxide removalsPosted on Comments are Disabled

Debunking industrial carbon removal claims: Cembureau Removing carbon from the atmosphere as a concept is gaining traction around the world. While some form of it will likely be needed to keep global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees, cutting pollution must remain the immediate priority.  As industry struggles to imagine or operationalise net-zero emissions plans by …

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Low carbon agriculture – the next conundrum

by Andrew CoileyCarbon dioxide removals, Land use and forestryPosted on Comments are Disabled

Scroll down for French and Spanish When I began to think about a suitable article to pen as my last contribution to this newsletter, the obvious choice was low carbon agriculture. This is of personal interest to me as I  switch my focus to sustainable agriculture at my organic farm just outside Salzburg, Austria. We …

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Carbon Market Watch Newsletter – November 2020

by Kaisa AmaralAviation, Carbon dioxide removals, Decarbonising European industry, EU carbon market, Shipping, The EU Green Deal and Climate LawPosted on Comments are Disabled

‘Carbon removals’ must be approached with caution Carbon removals are becoming a hot topic and are also rising up on the EU’s policy-making agenda. There is no denying that we will need to suck CO2 pollution from the atmosphere over the course of this century to avert the worst impacts of the climate crisis. But …

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