News & Press
By Kaisa Amaral on 11 Jan 2021
Targets, not markets!
By Kaisa Amaral Why carbon pricing should strengthen, not replace national climate action As part of the EU Green Deal implementation, the European Commission considers scrapping national climate targets and expanding the EU carbon market to road transport and buildings. Doing so would undermine the new climate goals and put an undue burden on consumers…
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By Kaisa Amaral on 10 Mar 2020
EU industry strategy fails Green Deal test
BRUSSELS 10 March 2020. The European Commission’s new industrial strategy provides a strong narrative on the need to decarbonise Europe’s industrial sector but fails to put forward concrete measures to drive the transformation and address barriers on the road to climate neutrality. Carbon Market Watch calls for a swift adoption of industrial climate policies including…
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COP24 overshadowed by market failure as countries fail to agree on basic accounting principles and the future of the CDM
COP24 closed this evening in Katowice, Poland, more than 24 hours later than initially planned. Despite smooth progress at first, negotiations ended in confusion as it proved impossible to find an agreement within the article 6 negotiations, which work to set up two new carbon markets for the post-2020 period. The text presented to all…
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EU governments miss chance to align key climate law with Paris Agreement
BRUSSELS 13 OCTOBER 2017. Today, the EU environment ministers adopted their position on the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR) which covers emissions from the transport, building, agriculture and waste sectors in the 2021-2030 period. As the EU’s largest climate tool, the ESR is key to implementing the Paris Agreement in Europe. Loopholes adopted today by the…
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European Parliament improves key climate law but fails to close all loopholes
STRASBOURG 14 June 2017. Today, the European Parliament voted on the Effort Sharing Regulation which covers the emissions from the transport, building, agriculture and waste sectors in the 2021-2030 period. While strengthening the EU’s largest climate tool, the Parliament position leaves loopholes in the draft law that risk postponing emission reductions in these sectors. The…
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#EUESR day of Action
Today, June 7, dozens of NGOs based in different EU Member States are participating in a Day of Action on the Effort Sharing Regulation by sending a letter to their governments, calling on them to push for an ambitious #EUESR. The Effort Sharing Regulation is Europe’s largest policy tool to reduce the climate impact of…
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EU lawmakers reduce loopholes in key climate law
BRUSSELS 30 May 2017. The European Parliament’s environment committee voted today to limit loopholes in the EU’s key climate legislation, preventing European countries from stalling emissions reductions in sectors such as agriculture and transport. EU environment ministers must go further to maximise the low-carbon potential of the law as they prepare to adopt a joint…
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By Susana Pinto / Quercus on 27 Apr 2017
‘Sharing experiences helps solve problems’ – Two days of intense climate action talks with Southern European NGOs
Guest article by Susana Pinto from Quercus About 25 non-governmental organisations from Southern Europe, including Portuguese Quercus, gathered in Madrid on 5 and 6 April to exchange experiences and to explore ways to collaborate on European climate policies. While Portugal is on the right track when it comes to areas such as renewable energy, more…
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Just three EU countries step up to the plate for Paris climate deal – ranking
BRUSSELS 28 March 2017. Only three countries in Europe are on the right track to deliver on the Paris climate agreement, a new ranking published today reveals. The EU Climate Leader Board looks at the position of each European government towards the EU’s largest climate law, the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR). Sweden tops the list,…
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In landmark decision, Panama withdraws UN registration for Barro Blanco hydrodam project
Marrakech, Morocco; Panama City, Panama – 10 November 2016: Last week, Panama withdrew its registration of the controversial Barro Blanco hydro dam project on grounds of stakeholder violation, a precedent under the UN’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). While this decision is a step in the right direction for climate action, lessons need to be learned…
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