Blog posts
EU must walk the talk on climate ambition and Paris
Tomorrow the European Union, alongside over 150 states, will sign the Paris agreement at a ceremony in New York. But can we really live up to the promise of keeping the world below 1.5 degrees warming with the current low level of ambition in the European 2030 climate...
Cut the flab: Cement sector’s free lunch is costing other companies
Sandbag’s recent report on the cement sector highlighted several key flaws in Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) rules around free allocation of allowances. These rules give rise to perverse incentives to pollute: we estimate the ETS has increased cement sector emissions,...
DATA: Preliminary data shows further fall in ETS emissions
Today preliminary data released on the 12,194 installations in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) show 2015 emissions fell again. Stationary emissions were 1802Mt in 2015 (i.e. excluding aviation), down by 0.6% from 1813Mt in 2014. This is exactly as Sandbag...
ETS funds can break the climate ambition deadlock
See our newest paper “Sharing the Burden – EU ETS Support to Central and Eastern Europe” for detailed policy solutions regarding low-carbon funds in the EU ETS revision. To anybody that follows the post-Paris developments it’s clear that the debate about European...
Cement – The Final Carbon Fatcat
Sandbag’s new report reveals European climate laws are increasing emissions in the cement sector, whilst multinational cement companies reap huge financial windfalls. The cement sector must be the final Carbon Fatcat; real reform to the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS)...
UK targets Net Zero emissions, but carbon accounting flaws remain
Last night, the government agreed to a new long-term target of net zero emissions, making the UK government the first to nationally implement the global netzero goal enshrined in the Paris Agreemeent. On the same night, however, a vote to close an accounting loophole...
Calling something a flagship policy doesn’t make it one
On Thursday 19th February, Sandbag's Head of Policy Damien Morris gave evidence to the European Parliament's Environment Committee (ENVI) on fixing the Emissions Trading Scheme. You can watch his opening speech here, or read the speech below. I want to start by...
Record increase in renewables, but only a small fall in emissions
New analysis by Sandbag looks at the 2015 power sector in Europe. The data shows that 2015 saw a record increase in renewables generation, equal to 2.5% of European electricity demand. But despite this, power sector CO2 emissions are expected to fall by only about...