News & Press
By Kaisa Amaral on 26 Nov 2020
UN shipping body torpedoes its own climate strategy
As the global efforts to cut CO2 pollution from ships hit the wall, regions and countries must step up. In Europe, work to bring the sector under the bloc’s carbon market is ongoing, but slowing down. Earlier this month, the UN shipping agency International Maritime Organisation (IMO) approved a draft plan to cut CO2 pollution…
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By Ilaria Buttu, Gilles Dufrasne on 29 Oct 2020
Airlines continue to push against climate policies as EU Commission proposes new rules
Airlines have been hit hard by the pandemic induced economic slowdown and travel restrictions, but are also using the situation as an excuse to lobby even harder against climate regulations. As the EU works on its aviation climate package, it must ensure that – like other transport modes – the sector pays for its pollution…
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By Kaisa Amaral on 14 May 2020
Lead EU lawmaker’s strong call for climate action
4 key takeaways from MEP Guteland’s draft EU Climate Law report The lawmaker in charge of the EU Climate Law at the European Parliament proposes that the EU adopts a 65% emission target for 2030 and carbon budgets in line with the latest scientific data. She also calls on all EU governments to endorse the…
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By Kaisa Amaral on 9 Mar 2020
What does the EU Climate Law have to do with cement?
Committing to climate neutrality in the long term sends an important signal, but getting there needs short-term climate action and will not happen without cleaning up Europe’s heavy industry. The European Green Deal was unveiled by the European Commission led by Ursula von der Leyen in December 2019. It is the new Commission’s master plan…
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By Gilles Dufrasne on 18 Feb 2019
Deutschland: Kohleausstieg muss mit Annullierung von Emissionslizenzen einher gehen, um den CO2 Preis zu stützen
Die deutsche Kohlekommission, beauftragt mit der Prüfung der Realisierbarkeit des Kohleausstiegs in Deutschland, veröffentlichte Ende Januar ihren Bericht, mit dem das Land auf Kurs gebracht wird, bis 2038 kohlefrei zu sein. Der progressiven Kohleausstieg, den der Plan vorsieht, ermöglicht Deutschland, seine Emissionsziele in der Energiebranche bis 2030 zu erfüllen, nachdem offiziell bestätigt wurde, dass das…
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By Gilles Dufrasne on 5 Feb 2019
Germany: Coal phase-out must go hand-in-hand with emission permit cancellation to keep CO2 prices up
Deutsch The German coal commission, tasked with assessing the feasibility of a coal-exit in Germany, published its report at the end of January, setting the country on course to become coal-free by 2038. Through a progressive phase-out approach, the plan would allow Germany to meet its 2030 emissions reductions target in the power sector, after…
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By Gilles Dufrasne on 1 Dec 2018
EU Member States resist aviation industry pressure to weaken climate regulation
This week, European Member States agreed on a common position regarding the future implementation of the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) new carbon market, set to start operating in 2021. The creation of a new offsetting mechanism for aviation, the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), was agreed as part of a…
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By Federica Pozzi on 18 Jul 2017
The importance of LULUCF accounting for the success of the Paris Agreement
18 Jul 2017 Climate negotiations, both at the EU and at the international level, have come at a crucial point regarding the role of the land sector to global emission reductions, which could “make or break” the Paris Agreement objective. An effective accounting system for land use emissions is crucial. Now is the time for…
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By Kelsey Perlman on 17 May 2017
Lead EU lawmaker agrees that global aviation deal should not automatically replace Europe’s carbon market
The European Parliament’s negotiator on aviation emissions has proposed to bring international flights back under the EU’s carbon market if the global aviation deal to tackle emissions is deemed insufficient. Ambition in the sector remains low, but the draft report calls for higher auctioning shares, a timely review comparing EU and international aviation policy, and…
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By Kelsey Perlman on 1 Dec 2016
Forests must not be used to undermine climate commitments
Forests and land-use remain a contentious issue in climate negotiations but are an essential part of many countries’ climate pledges. The sector should be used as an additional climate tool, not as an excuse to reduce ambition in others. At the UN climate conference in Marrakesh, discussions on land use remained gridlocked because of the…
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