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 15 Sep 2020
EU lawmakers support the expansion of Europe’s carbon market to shipping as global talks are adrift
BRUSSELS, 15 September 2020. The European Parliament has voted to extend the EU carbon market to cover international shipping, to establish a maritime decarbonisation fund and to set a mandatory reduction target for the carbon intensity of shipping. Carbon Market Watch welcomes the decision as a strong signal towards the UN shipping body that is…
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By Kaisa Amaral on 7 Jul 2020
Shipping pollution should be covered by Europe’s carbon market – EU lawmakers
BRUSSELS, 7 July 2020. European Parliament environment committee members have voted to extend the EU carbon market to cover international shipping, to establish a maritime decarbonisation fund and to set a mandatory reduction target for the carbon intensity of shipping. Carbon Market Watch welcomes the decision as the first step towards putting a price on…
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Watch This! - Civil Society Newsletter
By Andrew Coiley on 30 Jun 2020
What’s next for the aviation sector?
Interview with (Andrew Murphy – Manager, Aviation at NGO Transport & Environment) For decades the aviation industry has enjoyed favourable conditions to expand its operations throughout Europe with little consideration of their climate impact. At the start of 2020, few could have predicted that the sector’s carbon emissions would drop as sharply as they have…
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By Kaisa Amaral on 16 Mar 2020
ICAO decision on aviation carbon market rules a step in the right direction but fails to exclude all junk credits
MONTREAL/BRUSSELS, 14 March 2020. The UN aviation body ICAO’s Council has agreed to recognise carbon offsets from six existing offset programmes for use by airlines under CORSIA, the UN’s new carbon market for aviation. The Council’s 36 member countries also decided to limit the age of credits used as well as the type of projects eligible. However, the total supply of…
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By Kaisa Amaral on 28 Nov 2019
What does flight shame have to do with global carbon markets?
In two parallel global climate processes governments need to finalise details for both international carbon markets under the Paris Agreement and the future aviation offsetting scheme CORSIA. Meanwhile, citizens are losing patience with their leaders that move too slowly in the face of a climate breakdown. Strong action is therefore expected from decision-makers if they…
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By Gilles Dufrasne on 26 Feb 2019
Existing UN carbon credits will do nothing to offset aviation industry pollution, new Nature study finds
A new paper published in Nature Climate Change confirms that relying on outdated Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) carbon credits to compensate aviation emissions will do nothing for climate action. You can read the full paper here (paywall): Warnecke et al. (2019): “Robust eligibility criteria essential for new global scheme to offset aviation emissions”, Nature Climate…
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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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European Parliament backs stricter aviation pollution rules
BRUSSELS 13 September 2017. Today, the European Parliament adopted its position on aviation’s role under the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). Lawmakers agreed to continue the exclusion of international flights from the EU ETS until 2021 but took steps to ensure that the sector will have to reduce and pay more for its soaring emissions. Decision…
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