Today the ITRE Committee of the European Parliament will vote on some key aspects of the bloc’s Emissions Trading Scheme.

Sandbag has teamed up with other NGOs to ask members of that committee to phase out the handing out of free emissions permits as soon as possible, highlighting that free allocation is an obstacle to decarbonization, innovation and the well-functioning of the carbon market.

The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) has shared competences with the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) on the specific topic of free allocation. Today it will vote on its opinion report, ahead of a plenary vote in the Parliament on 15 May. This joint letter was sent to Committee members last Thursday by CAN Europe.