Emissions trading scheme

Ministers highlight European divide over carbon price floor

While France is pushing for the implementation of a carbon price floor at EU level and is looking for allies in the bloc, Poland sees energy storage technologies as key to a successful European climate policy.

Finland confirms coal exit ahead of schedule in 2029

Finland’s environment minister said on Tuesday (10 April) his country will ban the use of coal in energy generation in 2029. The Finnish government is also looking into a large-scale subsidy scheme that will reward energy firms for ditching the fossil fuel ahead of time.

UN draft calls on international shipping to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2050

A working group of the UN's International Maritime Organisation (IMO) released an interim strategy on 6 April, which calls on international shipping to reduce total annual greenhouse gas emissions from 2008 levels by at least 50% by 2050.

EU’s energy intensive industries paid to pollute, says NGO

Instead of pursuing real decarbonisation plans, energy-intensive industry in the EU has managed to turn pollution into profit, Climate Action Network Europe said in a study published 9 April.

‘Invisible’ cement polluters urged to double climate efforts

European producers were singled out among the worst performers in a new environmental ranking of the world’s largest publicly-listed cement companies, published on Monday (9 April).

EU carbon market emissions rise for first time in 7 years in 2017

Emissions regulated under Europe's carbon market rose for the first time in seven years in 2017 due to stronger industrial output, data published on Tuesday (3 April) by the European Commission and examined by carbon analysts showed.

New climate strategy will set out a pathway to meet higher targets

Last week, EU leaders sent a clear message to the European Commission to ramp up its work to implement the Paris Agreement and accelerate the ongoing transition away from fossil fuels, writes Wendel Trio.

France to push for EU carbon price floor and border tariff

Paris will push for a carbon price floor at EU level, complete with a carbon tariff at Europe's external border for countries that don't sign up to the Paris Agreement, French President Emmanuel Macron said in Brussels on Thursday (22 March).

Scientist: CCS ‘has to make sense’ for Paris climate goals

Keeping global warming below 2°C will be “more difficult, a lot more expensive, and a lot more delayed” without carbon capture and storage (CCS) – even with the sharp fall in renewable energy costs taken into account, Prof. Mike Norton told EURACTIV in an interview.

Scientists inject new sense of urgency into CCS

Europe – and the warming planet – has lost precious time in developing carbon capture and storage (CCS), a fledgling technology seen as crucial to decarbonise heavy industry, warned scientists in a new report presented in Brussels last week.

Belgium offers radiation-busting tablets for all as EU anti-nuclear alliance builds

Belgian pharmacies will now provide radiation-busting iodine tablets free-of-charge to anyone as part of the country’s new nuclear strategy, while Benelux partner Luxembourg has come out fighting against atom-smashing.

EU’s carbon market update clears final hurdle

The Council of the EU has given the final stamp of approval to an update to the European Union’s Emissions Trading System (ETS), which hopes to help the bloc cut emissions by 40% by 2030.