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 …
Read more “EU’s climate reputation bruised as long-haul flight exemption extended”
The European Commission last week finalized a decision to reduce the amount of free pollution permits handed out to energy intensive industry for the period up to 2020. This decision comes at a time when the European Parliament and EU ministers are deliberating over how many pollution permits heavy industry should get for free after 2020.
The ESR is a complicated beast and making the numbers easily accessible and digestible is essential to opening the door for widespread engagement with the ESR by citizens, NGOs, and businesses.
The Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR) is the EU’s largest climate instrument and regulates about 60% of our total emissions. In recent weeks, rapporteurs from three European Parliament committees presented their visions for moving the legislation forward.
This guide aims to build knowledge and understanding of the EU’s Effort Sharing Regulation for civil society organizations who have little or no prior experience with EU climate policies. It provides introductory knowledge on how the EU ETS is designed and how it functions. Increased awareness should ultimately empower civil society to get involved in the ETS process.
BRUSSELS 24 January 2017. Rather than reducing emissions by 30% from transport, agriculture, buildings and waste sectors, the EU could be heading towards only 23% cut by 2030. Carbon Market Watch and Transport & Environment launch an online tool to help calculate the impact on climate goals of ‘flexibilities’ in one of the bloc’s key …
Read more “Media advisory: Loopholes in key climate law put EU’s emissions reduction target at risk”
January 25th, 2017, 12:30 – 14:30 European Parliament, Brussels, Room A5E1 The event was kindly co-hosted by Members of the European Parliament Dr. Miriam Dalli (S&D), Mr. Benedek Jávor (Greens) and Ms. Merja Kyllönen (GUE). Programme and Presentations: 12:30-14:30 Dr. Miriam Dalli, Member of the European Parliament – Opening remarks Ms. Verena Graichen, Oeko-institut – Effort Sharing …
Read more “Policy Event: Effort Sharing Regulation in numbers – low-carbon opportunities in non-ETS sectors”
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 …
Read more “Europe’s emissions trading system lives to fight another day”
This report interprets the findings of an updated CE Delft study that shows how energy-intensive companies in 20 European countries have massively profited from their pollution because they are deemed at risk of “carbon leakage”. “Carbon leakage” refers to the hypothetical situation where companies transfer production to countries with weaker climate policies in order to lower their costs. Under the current EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) rules, industrial companies that are believed to be at risk of “carbon leakage” are awarded free emission allowances.
