Blog posts
New study shows limited trade impacts of European Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism
The impact of the likely Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) on European importers will be minor, according to a new report by Sandbag and E3G. The CBAM only covers 3.2 percent of goods imported into Europe, but 47 percent of the free emission allowances...
ETS reform: under the hype, a sense of déjà-vu
On 14 July a long-expected reform proposal of Europe’s carbon market was published by the European Commission. Far from addressing the market’s main issues, it barely adds a few patches and increases the risk of exceeding the cap. Cap: LRF, rebasing, maritime...
A Storm in a Teacup: preliminary findings on the CBAM proposal
Sandbag’s analysis of the European Commission’s leaked proposal for a CBAM highlights its limited trade scope but significant climate policy implications. Although the covered goods represent a small fraction of EU imports (just 0.8% from China) the sectors involved receive nearly half of all free EU ETS allowances. The CBAM aims to replace these with a carbon pricing mechanism on imports, particularly affecting steel and aluminium. While importers may face increased costs, much of this is expected to be offset through higher consumer prices.
Untangling the knots – Clearing the way to fast green hydrogen deployment
As the EU and some of its Member States are piling up subsidy schemes to try and kickstart a market for green hydrogen, projects are starting to attract public funding for applications with often low levels of technological readiness, economic viability, or even...
EU ETS emissions plummet due to pandemic as EUA surplus skyrockets
This analysis is based on estimations using data available as of 1 April 2021. It will be updated as more data is made available during the coming weeks. The European Commission has released the bulk of its data on reported emissions from EU ETS sectors for the year...
Harnessing EU Funds for Romania’s Energy Transition
Sandbag is pleased to launch our latest report on the energy transition in Romania. As a major regional actor and an important player in the European policy space, Romania has the potential to become a leader on climate action. However, political dynamics and a lack...
European Parliament clings to false solutions in Hydrogen Strategy vote
Committee MEPs are set to approve a report laden with risks to the EU's renewable energy transition on Monday 22 March. They want to see so-called "low-carbon hydrogen" - which is produced with climate-destroying fossil fuels - eligible for public funding and policy...
European Parliament approves CBAM report but fails to take firm stance on Free Allocation
The European Parliament has voted to approve an Own Initiative report on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). However, parliamentarians have missed an opportunity in removing the call for the phase-out of free allocation from the final report. Despite the...