Carbon Border Adjustments: Climate Protection or Climate Protectionism?

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. …

Carbon Market Watch Newsletter – March 2020

Europe’s recovery plans will fall flat unless they drive a green transition Dear friends, Up until only a few weeks ago, the climate emergency topped Europe’s political agenda. The European Commission published its much-awaited EU Climate Law, proposing to make Europe’s climate-neutrality target legally binding. Another key initiative was the launch of the new industrial …

Carbon Market Watch input to public consultation on draft ETS state aid guidelines

Given that there is as yet no hard evidence of carbon leakage caused by indirect costs passed through by power companies, Carbon Market Watch cannot support using taxpayer money to protect the industry from an unproven “carbon leakage risk”. Indirect cost compensation, coupled with free allocation of emission allowances, undermines the polluter pays principle and …

EU industry strategy fails Green Deal test

BRUSSELS 10 March 2020. The European Commission’s new industrial strategy provides a strong narrative on the need to decarbonise Europe’s industrial sector but fails to put forward concrete measures to drive the transformation and address barriers on the road to climate neutrality. Carbon Market Watch calls for a swift adoption of industrial climate policies including …

Why the Green Deal needs a strong industrial climate plan

Welcome to Carbon Countdown, a podcast by Carbon Market Watch covering all things carbon pricing, climate action and just transition Episode 1: Why the Green Deal needs a strong industrial climate plan Music: Ambient Technology by Joystock – https://www.joystock.org What are we talking about today? We discuss the upcoming EU industrial strategy, in which the …

Carbon Market Watch Newsletter – February 2020

International transport can no longer dodge climate responsibility  Dear friends, Two important climate meetings – on international aviation and shipping – will take place in March. International transport is not included in countries’ national climate pledges under the Paris Agreement. The task to address the massive climate impact of these sectors lies with the responsible UN …

NGO letter to the European Commission on the industrial strategy

Civil Society Organisations’ recommendations for the new EU Industrial Strategy – Making the new European industrial strategy an enabler of a just transition to a carbon-neutral, circular and zero-pollution economy. Europe faces a climate and environmental crisis. Scientists, experts, the political classes and civil society all agree that we urgently need to decarbonise all sectors …

High time the maritime sector sailed into the EU carbon market

The EU is considering putting a price on carbon pollution from ships in the absence of movement in the international talks. While not enough to curb the sector’s soaring emissions, bringing it under Europe’s carbon market would be a big step in the right direction. Right now finding the solutions to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) …