The European Hydrogen Bank: a recipe for competitive distortion

Last Thursday, the European Commission published its Communication on the European Hydrogen Bank set to accompany the Net-Zero Industry Act, the legislative proposal for which was published on the same day.  The Bank will be an instrument aimed to domestically produce...

EU criteria for green hydrogen: How they could increase reliance on thermal power and hijack the energy transition

On February 13th, the European Commission released two pieces of legislation to provide criteria defining renewable hydrogen products. The so-called Delegated Acts matter because they set out how to comply with other regulations under review which will force ships,...

Mind the scrap: ignoring embedded emissions puts the CBAM at risk

Sandbag’s submission to DG TAXUD’s Informal Expert Group on the Analytical Methods for the Monitoring, Reporting, Quantification and Verification of Embedded Emissions in Goods under the Scrope of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). According to notes...

Lost opportunity of carbon market reform

On 13 December 2022, the European Commission, Council and Parliament reached a provisional agreement on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism that will partly replace the free allocation of emissions permits to polluters covered by its carbon market. This marks the...

What’s new in the ETS trilogues? Benchmark revisions (or not!)

This weekend, the European Commission, Parliament, and Council are set to finalise an important reform of the EU’s carbon market in the final round of their “trilogue” (trilogues are informal tripartite meetings on legislative proposals between representatives of the...

An export solution for a faster CBAM phase-in

A Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) has been proposed by the European Commission as an alternative to the measures under the EU ETS that currently address the risk of carbon-intensive industries relocating to countries with no carbon pricing (carbon leakage),...

We’re a non-profit climate change think tank which uses data analysis to build evidence-based campaigns on climate policy.

We focus on EU policies such as the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, carbon border adjustment mechanisms and emissions reductions in industrial sectors. We believe in Europe’s ability to lead climate action, by example and using its large market and ability to stimulate technological competition as an incentive for others to follow. But we’re also aware of the risk that Europe might fail to deliver on its own pledges, which is why we want to get EU policy right.

News

Innovation’s Black Friday

Innovation’s Black Friday

Earlier this month, the IF’s third large-scale call was announced, with a bumper budget of €3bn. The EU’s Innovation Fund, launched in 2020, is one of the world’s largest programmes funding...

Sandbag is recognised as a top global climate think-tank

An inspirational idea that promises to make a real and positive difference… and a wonderful opportunity to help sort out the climate mess we’ve all created. Prof. Chris Turney is the author of Ice, Mud and Blood: Lessons from Climates Past
Chris Turney

Professor, University of Exeter

Sandbag is playing a crucial role in making sure that Europe’s cornerstone climate policy actually does its job.
Caroline Lucas

United Kingdom MP

Sandbag … strikes a balance between underlining the merits of the EU ETS and criticising the weaknesses.
Connie Hedegaard

Former European Commissioner

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