Industrial decarbonisation
EU carbon price hits record €50 per tonne on route to climate target
The European Union carbon price hit a record high of above €50 per tonne on Tuesday (4 May), a key milestone in what analysts say is likely a long-term climb towards the price levels needed to trigger investments in innovative clean technologies.
EU sets plan to promote rapid green transition of key industries
The European Union aims to help industries slash greenhouse gas emissions by promoting a rapid expansion of investment in low-carbon technologies, partly through schemes with easier state aid rules, according to a draft policy plan seen by Reuters.
Carbon border levy should start with steel, cement and fertilisers, says Poland
Steel, cement and fertilisers should be among the first sectors protected by the upcoming carbon levy to safeguard European business from cheaper, CO2 intensive imports, according to Poland.
Time for global cooperation on industrial emissions
Current cooperation on green innovation with countries such as Japan, South Korea, India and, of course, the United States should be significantly strengthened, writes Mats Engström.
Chinese president slams EU carbon border levy in call with Macron, Merkel
Chinese President Xi Jinping slammed the European Union's plan for a carbon border levy on Friday (16 April) in a call with the leaders of France and Germany, according to state media.
Four key issues to watch in the EU’s carbon market reform
EU carbon market emissions experienced a record fall last year, but when it comes to heavy industry, the effect is likely to be short-lived, writes Agnese Ruggiero.
Energy efficiency must apply across all renewables, EU Commission says
Europe needs a massive increase in renewable electricity to meet its 2030 decarbonisation targets, including a ramp up of clean hydrogen production from electrolysers, a senior EU official has said.
Emerging economies share ‘grave concern’ over EU plans for a carbon border levy
European Union plans to impose taxes on carbon at its border are “discriminatory” and unfair to developing nations, ministers from Brazil, South Africa, India and China have warned. EURACTIV's media partner Climate Home News reports.
Don’t weaken sustainability criteria for green hydrogen, renewable groups tell Commission
Europe should support high sustainability standards for clean hydrogen in its green finance rules, argue a group of 24 renewable energy companies and industry bodies in a letter sent to the European Commission on Wednesday (31 March).
Fossil gas ‘has no viable future’, EU’s Timmermans says
Europe has set a clear goal for full decarbonisation by 2050, with renewables-based electricity set to become the dominant energy carrier, and that means fossil gas will have “only a marginal role” in the long run, EU climate chief Frans Timmermans said on Thursday (25 March).
Brussels rules out double carbon compensation for EU steelmakers
The European Commission has made it clear that industries covered by the EU’s upcoming carbon border levy will no longer receive free CO2 allowances under the bloc’s carbon market, the emissions trading scheme (EU ETS).
African countries deem EU carbon border levy ‘protectionist’
Some African countries consider the EU's planned carbon border levy to be "protectionist". That was the upshot of a conference organised by the French government on Tuesday (23 March), which examined the challenges posed by the EU's upcoming mechanism. EURACTIV France reports.
Recover today, lead for 2030: A future-fit industrial strategy for Europe
The current political debate on industrial policy lacks an honest acknowledgement of how much is already decided – from EU recovery budgets to the 2030 climate targets, write Sandrine Dixson-Declève and Janez Potočnik. Sandrine Dixson-Declève is the president of The...
How to decarbonise heavy industry: From quick wins to long-term solutions
The steel industry is a major contributor to the overall CO2 emissions worldwide, and, therefore, a significant driver of climate change. The sector generated about 2 billion tons of CO2 in 2018, according to the International Energy Agency, which is double the volume of 2000.
EU to offer gas plants a green finance label, under certain conditions
The European Union plans to label some gas power plants as sustainable investments, after an initial proposal to deny them a green label faced a backlash from a group of 10 EU member states.
Lawmakers support ‘low-carbon’ hydrogen, stay mute on nuclear
The European Parliament's industry and energy committee passed a resolution on Monday (22 March) supporting hydrogen produced from "low-carbon" energy sources, including fossil gas with carbon sequestration. The motion stopped short, however, of mentioning nuclear as a potential energy source.
Oslo incinerator plans to go carbon negative, pending EU decision
A waste-to-energy plant in the Norwegian capital could become one of the world’s first carbon negative incinerators, pending a decision from the European Commission to fund a CO2 capture facility there. Environmentalists, for their part, are yet to be convinced.
Why just capturing our carbon isn’t enough
The Commission’s proposal for a revised regulation on trans-European energy networks (TEN-E) acknowledges the climate mitigation potential of carbon dioxide networks, but fails to introduce measures to that would allow it to become reality, argue Lina Strandvåg Nagell and Lee Beck.
Industry coalition calls for hydrogen blending into gas
More than 90 energy companies, equipment manufacturers and gas network operators have called on the European Commission to consider hydrogen blending into natural gas for parts of Europe that cannot yet afford a dedicated hydrogen network.
EU taxonomy shutting the door to grid-powered hydrogen, critics say
A coalition of industrialists and electricity companies have expressed concerns about a draft emission threshold below which hydrogen would be considered “green” under the EU’s sustainable finance taxonomy.
European Parliament backs plan to price carbon at EU’s border
The European Parliament on Wednesday (10 March) overwhelmingly endorsed the creation of a carbon border charge that would shield EU companies against cheaper imports from countries with weaker climate policies.
EU Parliament votes to retain free CO2 quotas for industry
The European Parliament has rejected proposals to phase out free CO2 pollution credits for industries covered by the EU’s Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), even as the bloc plans to gradually replace the scheme with a carbon levy at its border.
Asian countries see EU carbon border levy as protectionist: survey
The European Union’s carbon border adjustment mechanism, due to be presented in June, is broadly perceived as a protectionist and unilateral move, according to a survey of decision-makers in China, India, Japan and other Asian countries.
Industry lobbies EU lawmakers to change carbon border levy plan
Some of Europe's largest industry groups have asked European Union lawmakers to change their position on the bloc's planned carbon border policy, in a last-minute lobbying push ahead of a vote on Tuesday (9 March), emails seen by Reuters show.
