BRUSSELS 20 September 2019. The EU carbon market is currently unfit to accommodate national coal phase-outs scheduled in Europe. EU policymakers should combine coal plant closures with the cancellation of pollution permits and strengthen the market stability reserve to absorb more surplus pollution permits off the market. Failing this, the market will be flooded with…
Today, the EU Commission released its “Long Term Strategy for a Clean Planet For All”, an ambitious plan for Europe to tackle climate change and fulfill its commitment to the Paris Agreement. Carbon Market Watch welcomes the strategy, in particular the EU Commission’s open support for net-zero emissions by 2050. Of the 8 scenarios outlined…
BRUSSELS 9 November 2017. Today, the European Parliament, the EU Member States and the Commission reached a provisional agreement on the reform of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) for the 2021-2030 period. The deal falls far short of meeting the Paris climate goals, pointing to the need for additional action at national and…
Updated 19 October to amend the “notes to editors” BRUSSELS 18 October 2017. Today, the EU Member States together with the European Commission and the European Parliament reached a provisional deal on aviation’s role in the EU carbon market. Lawmakers chose not to make airlines pay more for their pollution and postponed the date to…
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…
11 Jul 2017 BRUSSELS 11 July 2017. Today, the European Parliament’s environment committee voted to include international flights in Europe’s carbon market from 2021 onwards. Lawmakers also took small steps towards making the aviation industry pay more for its massive climate impact. The committee was voting on aviation’s future role under the EU’s Emissions Trading…
BRUSSELS 28 February 2017. Today the EU environment ministers adopted their position on the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) revision. While the ministers proposed some improvements to the original proposal, more is needed to align one of the EU’s key climate laws with the Paris Agreement on climate change. To address the chronic glut…
STRASBOURG 15 February 2017. Today the European Parliament adopted its position on the revision of the EU’s Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) for the 2021-2030 period. Regrettably, the lawmakers missed out on an opportunity to strengthen the polluter pays principle through a carbon border tax on cement imports and an end to free pollution permits…
BRUSSELS 3 February 2017. The European Commission has proposed to continue to exempt all flights to and from Europe from paying for their pollution under the EU’s carbon market rules, following an international agreement on aviation emissions. An uncertain global agreement should not be allowed to undermine EU’s climate efforts. The proposal comes after the…
Strasbourg, 15 December 2016. Today members on the European Parliament’s environment committee voted on the revision of the EU’s Emission’s Trading System (EU ETS). The vote enables faster cuts in Europe’s carbon pollution but falls short of putting a halt on free handouts to polluters. The EU ETS is the world’s largest carbon market and…
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