Publications
Annual ETS Report Launch: “Carbon Fatcats” feast on ballooning EU emissions rights
Despite radical changes introduced to the European carbon market in 2013, our new report today reveals that hundreds of millions of excess carbon allowances continue to be issued, with a disproportionate share of these being awarded for free to Europe’s “Carbon...
Restarting Europe’s drive for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), a variety of processes for extracting CO2 from large point sources and permanently storing it, has been recognised by the European Commission since the 2008 Impact Assessment as an essential part of Europe’s low carbon pathway. However, since then progress has been slow. The European Commission is currently reviewing progress on CCS and Sandbag has responded.
Sandbag’s response to the Market Stability Reserve Proposal
Recognising the problems with the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, including a vast surplus of carbon allowances, and a continually low carbon price, the European Commission has proposed a Market Stability Reserve to fix the scheme. Sandbag has responded, in this...
Europe’s ten biggest carbon polluters in 2013
Press briefing from 1st April 2014 New data released by the European Commission today for the EU emissions trading scheme reveals the ten largest carbon emitters in Europe for 2013[1]. Five of the ten installations – all of which are coal or lignite fired...
Growing glut of carbon allowances threatens EU climate ambition
New data arriving fresh on the heels of an alarming new IPCC report on the impacts of climate change finds EU climate policy under growing threat from a burgeoning stockpile of carbon allowances in the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).
Poland gets best deal under past carbon targets, report finds
As European leaders meet today to discuss Europe’s next energy and climate framework, Poland is again poised to delay or block efforts to agree a 2030 climate target. But new research conducted by the NGO Sandbag finds that Poland has consistently gained...
Aviation in the Emissions Trading Scheme: The impact of the 2012 ‘Stop the Clock’
The EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) initially covered CO2 emissions from all flights to and from EU airports. However, in 2012, facing significant opposition and threats of a trade war, the EU revised the scheme to include only intra-EU flights, a move known as “Stop the Clock.” What is the cost of this scheme? How can it effectively reduce aviation emissions in the future?
Ryanair overcharges passengers on the back of green levy
In 2012 Ryanair made an estimated €8 million windfall from overcharging its passengers for the costs of the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS), reveals Sandbag Climate Campaign in a new report on aviation's controversial first year in the EU carbon market. In 2012...
European industry is crying crocodile tears over the reduction in free allowances
A new decision on the free carbon allowances awarded to manufacturers under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme has been met with hostility by industry, but according to our research these complaints are disingenuous. Sandbag's Damien Morris comments “While industry...
Response to the public consultation on the EU ETS backloading proposal
The content for the blog that follows is taken from Sandbag's submission to the European Commission's public consultation on the backloading proposal. The ETS has successfully imposed legal limits on emissions of carbon from over 11,000 installations across 27...
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