Introduction: Plastic production is the largest part of the chemical sector, constituting about one-third of chemicals production worldwide and about one fifth in Europe. The petrochemicals sector is the sector that uses the most energy in the world, more than the iron and steel, cement, pulp and paper, and aluminium industries, and is the third-largest…
Update 12/04/2021: Adjustments to the infographics “EU carbon emissions” and “The effect of a one-off EU ETS cap reduction” Executive summary With total greenhouse gas emissions of around 700 million tonnes per year, resource and energy-intensive industry is the third-largest climate polluter in Europe. The cement, chemical and steel sectors alone are responsible for almost…
Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, Carbon Market Watch has been following industry lobbying whereby the health crisis has been used as a pretext to weaken climate legislation. Building on the report “Never Wasting a Crisis: Industry Climate Lobbying During the COVID-19 Pandemic Exposed“, more cases have been collected below. The table above provides…
A joint briefing by Carbon Market Watch, Secours Catholique, CCFD – Terre Solidaire and Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy (IATP) Executive summary Climate mitigation projects in the agriculture sector, particularly those focused on storing carbon in soils, are increasingly being tied to carbon markets. But the impact of these initiatives is highly questionable. First,…
With more information on the design options that the European Commission is considering for a Carbon Border Adjustment Measure (CBAM) and slightly more clarity on the different options available, Carbon Market Watch has updated its position and refined the key principles originally presented in the briefing “Carbon Border Adjustments: Climate Protection or Climate Protectionism?” published…
Introduction This briefing gives an overview of the current discussions under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement which establishes the foundation for market-based climate measures after 2020. It lays out key lessons from the Kyoto Protocol markets, highlights essential issues within the Article 6 negotiations, and provides recommendations on how to solve them. It concludes…
Industrial Emissions Directive and climate action: key elements for a review Executive summary Under the EU Green Deal, the European Union is committed to reaching climate neutrality by 2050. A clean industrial transformation is urgently needed to achieve this goal. This paper proposes changes to the current industrial policy framework to ensure that the existing…
Summary: This briefing counters industry attempts to use the coronavirus pandemic as a pretext to weaken international, European and national climate and carbon pricing laws. It debunks myths and provides policy recommendations to decision-makers. The examples include large polluters pushing for delays in implementing the EU Green Deal and national climate policies and airlines aiming…
Pricing greenhouse gas emissions is one of the most important tools to decarbonise economies, and it has been implemented in the EU since 2005 through the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS). As part of this policy, the heavy industry benefits from large exemptions and receives nearly all of its allowances (i.e. pollution permits) for free….
Executive summary 12 European countries have committed to closing down coal-fired power plants over the coming years. In order to do their part in limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, all EU countries will have to follow on this path and phase out coal by 20301. While this is an urgent…
Carbon pricing 
International transport 
Climate governance 
Fair climate action