European airlines misleading customers with claims of “carbon-neutral” flights – study

by Gemma BowcockAviation, Decarbonising European industry, EU carbon market, GreenwashingPosted on Comments are Disabled

A new study commissioned by Carbon Market Watch has revealed gaping holes in the effectiveness of voluntary climate action taken by eight major European airlines. Misleading claims of “carbon neutral” flying, a dependence on poor quality carbon offsets and the low cost of a tonne of CO2 that customers can pay to offset are just …

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Abandoned factory in Liege, Belgium.

October newsletter editorial: Decarbonisation is not deindustrialisation

by Sabine FrankDecarbonising European industry, EU carbon market, The EU Green Deal and Climate LawPosted on Comments are Disabled

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 …

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Clearing the fog around heavy industry’s carbon market claims

by Agnese RuggieroDecarbonising European industry, EU carbon market, The EU Green Deal and Climate LawPosted on Comments are Disabled

Ahead of the next trilogue between the EU institutions on the Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), scheduled to kick off next week, CMW’s Agnese Ruggiero and WWF’s Camille Maury tackle the misconceptions and bust the myths about the EU’s carbon market’s revision. The current energy crunch and the burning hot summer Europe experienced this year  …

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Open safety deposit boxes

Plundering the EU’s carbon market to fight the energy crunch is self-defeating

by Wijnand StoefsDecarbonising European industry, EU carbon market, The EU Green Deal and Climate LawPosted on Comments are Disabled

Raiding the reserve that underpins the EU’s Emissions Trading System to reduce the European Union’s dependence on Russian gas is short-sighted and destructive, especially as far better solutions exist. The Market Stability Reserve (MSR) is an important element of the EU Emissions Trading System. It has proven effective in supporting the carbon price, and helped …

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Aerial view of cargo ship

Making the EU carbon market shipshape for the maritime sector

by Daniele RaoEU carbon market, ShippingPosted on Comments are Disabled

The proposed inclusion of international maritime transport in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) is not only fair and in line with the ‘polluter pays’ principle, but also essential to helping the sector decarbonise. Due to a lack of progress at the global talks to tackle carbon pollution at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), …

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Trilogue triangulation: Mapping the positions of the EU institutions on carbon market reform

by Agnese Ruggiero2050 climate strategies, Decarbonising European industry, EU carbon market, The EU Green Deal and Climate LawPosted on Comments are Disabled

As the EU institutions enter into a three-way trilogue on the reform of the Emissions Trading System, we present you with this handy comparative analysis of the options on the table and Carbon Market Watch’s recommendations. Almost a year after the publication of the European Commission’s proposal for the revision of the EU’s Emissions Trading …

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

by Sabine Frank2050 climate strategies, Decarbonising European industry, EU carbon market, The EU Green Deal and Climate LawPosted on Comments are Disabled

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 …

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July newsletter editorial: Keeping hope alive for 1.5

by Sabine Frank2050 climate strategies, Carbon dioxide removals, Decarbonising European industry, EU carbon market, Global markets, Land use and forestry, Sustainable development, The EU Green Deal and Climate LawPosted on Comments are Disabled

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 …

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Environment ministers weaken Emissions Trading System in a race to the bottom with European Parliament

by Khaled DiabAviation, Decarbonising European industry, EU carbon market, Shipping, The EU Green Deal and Climate LawPosted on Comments are Disabled

Rather than correct course after the European Parliament’s shocking abrogation of responsibility, EU environment ministers have lowered the ambition of the EU ETS even further. Moreover, the Environment Council has offered heavy industry billions in generous freebies while leaving households to pay the bill. Last week, MEPs voted on a diluted Emissions Trading System, undermining …

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Carbon copy: MEPs vote for Emissions Trading System reforms they rejected two weeks ago

by Gemma BowcockClimate finance, Decarbonising European industry, EU carbon market, The EU Green Deal and Climate LawPosted on Comments are Disabled

After being recently voted down in the European Parliament, the reform of the EU’s Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) was successfully passed today. But there’s little cause for celebration: while the changes might appear favourable at first glance, a closer look reveals they are simply a minor facelift to the same set of polluter-friendly policies.  …

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