Blog posts
After the celebrations this weekend lets get Europe’s legal frameworks fit-for-purpose
[This blog is adapted from an article published in the Huffington Post on 11.12.2015] Europe is an old economy. We're industrialised, highly capitalised and largely privatised. To achieve change we need laws and policies in a way that other major economies,...
Europe’s 2030 climate offer threatened by massive over-delivery of 2020 target
Figures released from the European Environment Agency yesterday indicate that Europe will significantly outperform its 2020 climate target; however, Sandbag finds that the EEA continue to seriously downplay the level of emissions cuts Europe can expect. Moreover, we...
Putting CO2 into the circular economy
Last week, Sandbag submitted its response to the Commission’s Consultation on the Circular Economy, drawing attention to the understated potential of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and mineralisation technologies to close the carbon loop and recycle wastes into...
As Paris approaches, an easy route to increased EU climate ambition
As pressure mounts on leaders to reach a new global climate change agreement this December, European policymakers have begun the process of constructing laws that will enforce Europe’s emissions cuts out to 2030. In July, the European Commission released a first major...
Reaction to the Commission’s revision of the EU ETS Directive
Sandbag has prepared the following statement in reaction to the Commission’s revision of the EU ETS Directive published earlier today. download PDF
Discharging a political storm: Supporting EU competitiveness and innovation in the ETS
On Wednesday, the EU Commission will release new legislation to reform Europe’s key climate policy, the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). This will kick off a year-long debate about how best to marry low carbon ambitions with economic competitiveness. In our...
Deep cuts in industrial emissions are needed: How do we pay for them?
Deep emissions reductions in the European power sector are already occurring, but emissions reductions in industrial sectors have been largely limited to incremental efficiency gains. In a new briefing, Sandbag looks at a funding model for industrial decarbonisation...
How does the ETS fit with other EU climate policy?
Some say ditch it, others say it's all we'll ever need. Sandbag's new report, released today alongside an animation and webinar, shows that the Emissions Trading Scheme can only be part of the wide variety of climate policies Europe needs to...