The EU carbon market prices are plummeting as a result of the economic shutdown, underlining the need to strengthen the scheme to better sustain similar shocks in the future. No efforts should be spared to stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, and it will be critical to ensure that European climate policies are not…
New EU state aid guidelines for compensating industry for higher electricity costs under the EU carbon market reduce the number of eligible sectors and limit aid to those investing in energy efficiency. However, if this so far inefficient and expensive scheme is to continue, further significant improvements are needed to ensure that it helps Europe…
The European Commission’s (EC) plan to mobilise more than 1 trillion EUR over the next 10 years to support the EU’s transition to climate neutrality sends a strong signal that the Commission is putting climate action at the centre of its work. It strengthens the case for raising the EU’s 2030 climate target to 65%….
The failure to agree on rules for international carbon markets at COP 25 has been a victory for some and a disaster for others. Looking at it pragmatically, it was very much a “disaster averted” outcome since the rules on the table would have legitimised the use of markets riddled with loopholes. Far from ideal,…
The article was first published in Carbon Markets at COP25 blog on 13th December 2019 Offsetting means that you compensate for your carbon footprint by financing a climate project that supposedly reduces the same amount of pollution that you produce. At first glance, that doesn’t sound so bad. But we are in the middle of…
The article was first published on Carbon Markets at COP25 blog on 12th December 2019 There is a lot at stake in the UN climate conference in Madrid. If countries agree on bad rules for the future global carbon markets, the world will lock in a system that does nothing to reduce emissions – in…
The article was first published on Carbon Markets at COP25 blog on 8th December 2019 50 km southeast of Santiago, in the Cajon del Maipo region, the Alto Maipo Hydropower Project has become one of the biggest environmental struggles in Chile’s history. The project – due to be completed by 2020 – threatens the water…
Originally published in Carbon Markets at COP25 blog on 2 December 2019 Starting today and continuing over the coming days, we’ll break the issue down into four key elements that could make or break the future carbon market schemes. One of the thorniest issues is the question of whether or not the old credits from…
… und wie sieht die Zukunft für den EU-Kohlenstoffmarkt aus? Ein Interview mit Sabine Frank Meinen Sie, dass das Klimapaket der Bundesregierung und sein CO2-Preiselement der Aufgabe gewachsen sind, den Wandel zu Klimaneutralität im Land voranzutreiben? Es ist ein Fortschritt, die Umweltverschmutzung im Verkehrs- und Wärmesektor zu verteuern. Aber der Schritt selbst ist nicht groß…
…and what does the future look like for the EU carbon market? An interview with Sabine Frank, director of Carbon Market Watch A German version here Do you think that the German government’s climate package and its carbon pricing element are up to the task to drive a clean transition in the country? Putting a…
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