Publications
Dispelling the waterbed myth
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...
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. ...
Cement Exposed: New data shows no fall in CO2 emissions
Increasing CO2 intensity: Data from the Cement Sustainability Initiative shows that the carbon intensity of EU cement increased from 2008 to 2014. No carbon leakage: Since 2011, the EU cement sector has vastly increased exports of cement clinker outside the EU,...
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...
Will Poland change the course of the Paris Agreement?
Sandbag has written to the Polish government (in Polish) on ratification of the Paris Agreement by the European Union. Tomorrow Member States will decide whether to ratify at the extraordinary ENVI Council meeting in Brussels. Poland who was a proud leader of the...
From Energiewende to transformacja energetyczna a la Polonaise?
Last week Ola Mirowicz, Sandbag’s Climate Policy Adviser, spoke at the Polish Economic Forum in Krynica about the opportunities for Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries to address the challenge of the Energiewende. The Economic Forum is a major economic and...
Balancing effort across the EU in the next phase of the Effort Sharing Decision could save more than 2 billion tonnes of CO2
Next week the Commission should publish a new legislative proposal on the EU Effort Sharing Decision (ESD) for 2021-2030. Today Sandbag reveals that a rebalancing of emission reduction effort around the EU under the ESD could incentivise an additional reduction of...
Europe’s new climate proposal delivers less than business-as-usual emission cuts
Today, the European Commission has released a new proposal for cutting emissions in transport, agriculture and buildings sectors by 2030, and suggests how this effort should be shared between Member States. This proposal introduces a number of dangerous loopholes...
Bend it, don’t Break it: How can we win the political debate for a higher 2030 ESD target?
This week the Commission should publish its new legislative proposal on the Effort Sharing Decision (ESD) – the policy driving emission reductions for the remaining approximately 60% of EU greenhouse gas emissions, not covered under the Emissions Trading System...
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