News & Press
European Commission finds a lack of details, concrete measures in draft national energy and climate plans
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…
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By Gilles Dufrasne | Kaisa Amaral on 17 Jun 2019
UN climate negotiators to discuss future carbon markets as calls to end offsetting grow louder
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…
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Carbon Market Watch Newsletter – May 2019
Voters put climate crisis firmly on EU agenda Dear friends, I am delighted to share with you a revamped Carbon Market Watch News. I hope you enjoy the new look, and easily find content that most interests you. I also look forward to receiving any feedback or suggestions! Last weekend, EU citizens turned up at the…
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By Kaisa Amaral on 31 May 2019
Did the elections mark a turning point for taxing carbon?
Last weekend’s European Parliament elections made it clear that climate change will be high on the agenda of the incoming EU policymakers. Different forms of carbon taxes will be among the key climate topics. Last weekend, Europeans cast their vote in record numbers, with an overall turnout at the EU Parliament elections rising to…
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By Sam Van den plas on 30 May 2019
Shipping must stay the course and agree on effective climate measures, including a pollution price
A year after the UN’s shipping body agreed to cut emissions from the sector by at least 50% by 2050, a meeting of the International Maritime Organisation in London failed to deliver concrete measures to achieve this goal – a course that must be corrected at the next session. Carbon pricing will play an important…
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By Gilles Dufrasne on 28 May 2019
It’s time governments moved together towards strong global pollution pricing
After over a decade of testing carbon pricing schemes, countries should explore lessons learned and start working on a collective implementation of carbon pricing through the Paris agreement. A new report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) supports price floors for carbon markets and suggests that the Paris agreement should constitute a basis for starting…
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By Agnese Ruggiero on 8 May 2019
Why we need more than just the EU carbon market to tackle industrial pollution
First published on Euractiv on 2 May 2019 Latest data shows that the market-based solution alone is not enough to cut carbon pollution from heavy industry in line with the Paris Agreement goals. A new industrial policy mix is needed to ensure Europe is on a pathway to net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, writes Agnese Ruggiero….
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Europe’s future will need better climate plans – report
BRUSSELS, 8 May 2019. A new analysis of five draft EU energy and climate plans reveals a lack of climate commitment by governments in terms of ambition, concrete sectoral measures and public participation. Tomorrow, EU leaders are meeting in Sibiu, Romania to discuss the Future of Europe, amid youth climate protests across Europe, rising…
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By Gilles Dufrasne on 25 Apr 2019
Shell’s salad years are over
Recently, the oil giant Shell has made headlines following its announcement that it would invest $300 million in tree planting projects and offer its clients a chance to buy forestry offsets to achieve “carbon neutral driving”. Sounds good? In reality, this approach is problematic for various reasons. Shell declared that it would invest $300 million…
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By Gilles Dufrasne on 25 Apr 2019
Canada’s industry should support carbon pricing, not fight it
First published on Carbon Pulse on 24 April 2019 The Canadian industry associations’ claims about the negative impact of carbon pricing on jobs and competitiveness are exaggerated and lack empirical evidence. Pollution pricing incentivizes companies to innovate, which will be necessary to guarantee their competitiveness in the long-term. Six months before the Canadian federal election,…
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