Press releases
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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...
Carbon costs for the Steel Sector are not as high as feared
A recent report by the consultancy Ecofys for the European steel association Eurofer suggests steel companies face costs of €28/tonne of steel to comply with ETS obligations by 2030. However, at Sandbag we are sceptical that the proposed revision to the Emissions...
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...