Emissions trading scheme
Europe’s energy price hike fuelled by speculators, Spain and Poland say
In the face of rising energy prices, Spain and Poland have called for trading limits to be placed on the world’s largest carbon market, the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). Market analysts, however, say speculative positions are currently too small to be statistically significant.
EU climate chief hints that ETS will be left out of ‘toolbox’ to tackle rising energy prices
“Playing around with the emissions trading scheme” would only have a “very small” impact on the current energy price crunch, EU climate chief Frans Timmermans said on Wednesday (6 October) as he walked into a meeting of EU environment ministers in Luxembourg.
Energy price crunch risks derailing UN climate talks, Iberdrola warns
The current hike in energy prices is threatening to overshadow the COP26 climate summit this November as countries scramble to tackle the rising costs of electricity, oil and gas, warned a senior executive at Spanish power firm Iberdrola.
Record high power prices make case for faster green transition, EU says
Record high power prices in European Union countries show the bloc must wean itself off fossil fuels and speed up the transition to green energy, the EU's top climate change official said on Tuesday (14 September).
EU urges markets to ‘keep calm’ as carbon price hits €60 record
A senior European Commission official insisted on delivering “a message of calm” during a EURACTIV event on Thursday (2 September), as CO2 prices rose for the first time above the €60 threshold on the EU carbon market.
Spain says EU rejects its request to change power pricing mechanism
The European Commission has rejected a Spanish request to change the rules that underpin member states' electricity markets as power prices in the country hit record highs, Spain's Energy and Environment Minister Teresa Ribera said on Thursday (12 August).
Carbon pricing in buildings and transport is necessary but must be done well
Without pricing CO2 emissions from buildings and transport, Europe will miss its -55% emissions target, but it must be introduced bearing in mind the political and societal risks, particularly in countries like Poland, writes Joanna Maćkowiak-Pandera.
Critics warn carbon price proposal would exacerbate energy poverty
Energy poverty could be exacerbated ad prices rise under the European Commission's proposed revamped emissions trading scheme, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has warned, with other stakeholders raising similar misgivings.
Poland gears up for fight over EU climate cash
Poland wants more EU money to finance its green transition. But getting its hands on EU cash will require the government to put forward a credible roadmap for the country’s energy transition, which is currently lacking. EURACTIV’s media partner, Wysokie Napięcie, reports.
EU industry shuns carbon border levy, calls for export rebates
European industries covered by the EU's future carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) have expressed doubts about the proposal, tabled last week. In addition to border measures, they are calling for an export rebate scheme to help green EU products compete on global markets.
EU ministers attack plans to extend carbon pricing to heating, transport
EU environment ministers expressed "quite a lot of reservations" about European Commission plans to set up a second emissions trading scheme for road transport and buildings at their first meeting since Brussels tabled the proposal last week.
Carbon market overhaul shifts EU’s climate policy focus on industry, fairness
With its proposed reform of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), the European Commission is bringing carbon pricing policies to new areas such as shipping, road transport, and buildings. However, it is the fate of industry and ordinary people that is getting all the political attention.
Analyst: EU carbon price on track to reach €90 by 2030
High gas prices, combined with a recent decision to raise the EU’s climate goals for 2030, have combined to form a “perfect storm” on the EU carbon market, according to a market analyst who predicts a carbon price of €90...
LEAK: New EU fund aims to cushion social impact of climate policies
The European Commission will launch a social fund to help alleviate the societal costs of its climate legislation, particularly its plan to expand the emissions trading scheme (ETS) to buildings and road transport, according to a leaked draft seen by EURACTV.
EU climate targets are undermined by ETS subsidies. They must end
Some industry groups have called to maintain free CO2 allowances in addition to the upcoming carbon border levy. Their addiction to subsidies must be brought to an end, otherwise Europe risks triggering a trade war that would also undermine the EU's climate leadership, write Connie Hedegaard and Pascal Lamy.
A carbon price on buildings and transport could come at a heavy cost
Plans to extend the EU's carbon market to transport and heating fuels will have the greatest impact on the poorest households, writes Piotr Arak.
Europe’s ‘Fit for 55’ climate package: What to expect
On Wednesday (14 July), the European Commission is due to table a package of energy and climate laws aimed at reaching the EU's new, more ambitious climate goals. EURACTIV gives you the lowdown on the plan.
How to make a success of the EU carbon border adjustment
The EU has clearly fallen short in communicating its upcoming carbon border levy abroad, including on how it intends to use the revenues raised by it. Fortunately, it still has time to fix these shortcomings, write Anne Gläser and Oldag Caspar.
ETS extension: when in doubt, create a fund
Geeky, technical work on how to create a carbon price for buildings and road transport that incentivises change without being too high is key to the extension of the emissions trading scheme, writes Brook Riley.
LEAKED: The EU’s carbon market reform proposal
A draft of the EU’s revised Emissions Trading Scheme confirms the European Commission’s intention to tighten the cap placed on CO2 emissions from industry and extend carbon trading to cover shipping emissions as well as road transport and heating fuels.
EU drafts plan to toughen carbon market
The European Union is planning to toughen its carbon market to cut emissions faster and put a price on pollution in new sectors, Bloomberg News reported on Sunday (27 June).
Why a carbon tax is the most effective price signal for the building sector
A carbon tax on the fuel used to heat Europe's buildings is the most effective price signal to decarbonise Europe's building stock, which is in desperate need of renovation to meet the EU's climate ambition, writes Oliver Rapf.
An ETS for transport and buildings is essential
An EU-wide emissions trading system for the transport and building sectors would secure the financing of low carbon solutions and support lower-income households and member states through the redistribution of carbon pricing revenues, argue Matthias Buck and Andreas Graf.