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…
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…
Carbon market stakeholders are slowly moving beyond the zero-sum game of offsetting towards alternative ways of financing climate action. This positive development will make the existing market more robust, helping to shield it from reputational risks and environmental integrity scandals. Offsetting – paying someone else to reduce emissions instead of reducing one’s own – has…
New Year New Climate Momentum The private-sector task force, led by Mark Carney, has published its roadmap for “scaling up voluntary carbon markets”. More investments in climate action are, of course, more than welcome. But the task force should pay more attention to quality – instead of focusing on quantity. One striking omission in the new…
A reminder of the tricky issues of agreement on global carbon market rules in the context of ratcheting up climate ambition Raising ambition is the primordial task for governments ahead of and at the next UN climate conference. But it will also be essential to finally agree on the rules that will govern global carbon…
Relying on paying someone else to reduce emissions is risky and unsustainable. Therefore, private companies should stop “offsetting” and instead financially help poorer countries reach their climate targets and foster sustainable development. Voluntary carbon markets are booming as businesses across the world make climate-neutrality pledges. These plans often rely on the purchase of credits from…
Carbon Market Watch’s reaction to the publication of the report by the task force on scaling up voluntary carbon markets BRUSSELS 27 January 2021 The report of the “Taskforce on Scaling Voluntary Carbon Markets” proposes the creation of updated quality criteria for carbon offsets and standardised reporting requirements but also leaves the door open for…
Carbon Market Watch agenda outlines our priorities and key political milestones for the next months. Download here
Vacancy for Policy Officer Carbon Market Watch’s mission is to ensure that carbon pricing and other climate policies cut pollution and drive a just transition towards zero-carbon societies. Given the urgency of halting the climate breakdown, we want market-based climate policies to fulfil their promise and be used in wise combination with regulatory and incentivising measures. Our strengths…
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 are in the process of transforming…
Kaisa Amaral, Communications Director
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