Additional actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are being taken across the EU in sectors covered by the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). These include implementing energy efficiency programmes, deploying renewables, replacing lignite and coal plants with...
Category: Carbon Markets
The EUETS is being undermined by falling coal generation
Coal power generation has fallen fast. The reasons are nothing to do the EUETS. The fall in coal is a major reason that the carbon price is so low. And this means the rest of the EUETS is getting an easy ride. This threatens the integrity of the whole EUETS. We...
Weak global agreement on aviation means EU must act
Today, the first ever global agreement on aviation and climate change was decided upon in Montreal. The impressive achievement in forging an agreement between 191 nations should not overshadow the fact that aviation emissions remain effectively uncapped. Today’s...
How to fix the ETS
...and avoid the infamous Cross-Sectoral Correction Factor Each year, industries across the EU receive billions of Euros worth of free allowances from the European Commission in order to protect them from the costs of compliance with the EU carbon market. The logic...
Stabilising the Market Stability Reserve
Sandbag publishes a new briefing on Stabilising the Market Stability Reserve Sandbag has published analysis of the impact of Phase 4 EU ETS reforms on the Market Stability Reserve (MSR) to accompany its latest briefing - 'Aligning the surplus with reality'. Sandbag's...
Aligning Phase 4 EU ETS reform with reality
Today Sandbag published a new briefing on Phase 4 reform of the EU ETS, providing new insights on different scenarios for reducing the surplus of European Union Allowances (EUAs). Below is a summary of the key messages and findings that are detailed in the briefing:...
ENVI and ITRE are rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic with their ETS revision
The Emissions Trading System reform is in Committee Stage, and a dark comedy has begun. Many of the measures proposed in the Environment (ENVI) committee draft (by Ian Duncan MEP) ironically act against the environment, condemning the EU to an inadequate response to...
A wake-up call for European emissions targets
In a recent communication responding to the Paris Climate agreement, the European Commission made clear that it does not intend to increase the level of its climate ambition until after 2030. This ignores the clear mandate the Paris Climate agreement provided to...
Bored to tiers: Reforming carbon leakage
This week, Sandbag presented its ‘tiering’ proposal to the Environment Committee shadow rapporteurs meeting on reforming the Emission Trading Scheme. The proposal recommends a way to improve ‘carbon leakage’ protections, with a nifty boost for ambition at the same...
Is it worth it? Federley’s proposal on the Innovation Fund
Update 04/05/16 following full publication of Mr Federley’s proposal The 150 million ETS allowances proposed to be used to top up the Innovation Fund are not destined to be removed the Market Stability Reserve (MSR), as reported in the media (see below). Apologies for...