New report busts industry competitiveness myths Carbon pricing can unlock the potential for innovation and boost new low-carbon businesses. Contrary to industry claims, it plays only a limited role in companies’ location and investment decisions. Sectors such as cement where transport costs are high are unlikely to lose competitiveness due to carbon pricing. The months…
People from all walks of life took to the streets on Friday 20 September demanding urgent climate action from their governments. But so far our leaders are not only failing to deliver the kind of emission cuts needed to stop the climate crisis but also to involve citizens in their climate decision-making. More and more…
The UN aviation body must urgently set robust, science-based long-term climate targets if the industry wants to win back the confidence of both investors and customers. Many Europeans are losing patience with airlines’ defensive attitude towards the aviation industry’s climate impact and are taking matters into their own hands – by choosing not to fly. …
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…
Following the publication of the European Commission’s recommendations on EU countries’ draft energy and climate plans, LIFE PlanUp has analysed the plans of Finland, Sweden, Portugal, Germany and France. While the plans include ambitious goals, they lack concrete policies and measures to deliver on the promises. On 18 June 2019, the European Commission released its…
EU governments breach citizens’ right to information on international aviation climate policy Dear friends, As I write this at the UN Climate Change Conference, Bonn, along with the rest of Western Europe, is sweltering in the scorching heat, an uncomfortable foretaste of what an ever-warming climate has in store for us. I can only hope that…
European countries who are members of the UN civil aviation body are keeping their work on climate policies for the aviation sector secret from their citizens, in breach of an international treaty on public access to environmental information. The Aarhus Convention covers three principles: access to environmental information, public participation in environmental decision-making and access…
A strong and clear political climate commitment leading to the right policies and measures will help Europe’s industry thrive in a zero-carbon world. Last week, a veto by the Polish, Czech, Estonian and Hungarian governments led to the failure of the long-awaited endorsement of the EU’s long-term climate strategy and commitment to climate neutrality by…
BRUSSELS 18 June 2019. Today, the European Commission published its analysis and country-specific recommendations for the EU Member States on their draft National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs). Largely confirming findings by LIFE PlanUp, the Commission urges governments to strengthen their plans in order to bridge the gap between the EU climate targets and what the Member…
This week, UN climate negotiators are meeting in Bonn, Germany, to try and find common ground on the Paris Agreement’s market provisions. There is growing political momentum to move beyond offsetting in global climate policy, but only a handful of countries around the negotiating table are willing to walk the talk. “We can no longer…
Kaisa Amaral, Communications Director
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Carbon pricing 
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