Employers’ group urges EU to ‘reconsider’ phase out of free ETS allowances
BusinessEurope, an umbrella group representing national employer’s organisations, has called on policymakers to “reconsider” the planned phase out of free allowances under the EU’s Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), saying Europe should “be prepared” in case its new carbon border tariff scheme fails to deliver.
Read MoreEU to table 2040 climate target plan ‘very early’ next year, official says
The European Commission is preparing to put forward its legislative proposal for a 2040 climate target “very early” in 2025, an official has said, suggesting the EU could be ready to submit its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in time for the UN’s February deadline.
Read MoreEU’s upcoming Clean Industrial Deal starts to take shape
Due to be unveiled within 100 days after the new European Commission takes office, the Clean Industrial Deal will focus on five key priorities, and put energy-intensive industries like steel and chemicals in the spotlight, a senior EU official has said.
Read MoreEU releases draft rules to calculate GHG savings from low-carbon fuels, hydrogen
The European Commission launched a public consultation Friday on the methodology to calculate the greenhouse gas savings obtained from low-carbon fuels such as hydrogen, taking into account a range of factors such as the carbon intensity of a country’s electricity grid.
Read MoreINTERVIEW: ‘We never liked CBAM’ – Europe’s aluminium industry rails against EU green trade policies
The aluminium industry is grappling with implementation headaches linked to the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) just as Europe is being flooded by cheap aluminium imports from China, amid general indifference from EU trade authorities, the sector’s business association told Carbon Pulse in an interview.
Read MoreOld divisions resurface as EU debates green industrial future
Germany rebuffed calls on Thursday to issue new joint EU debt as a way to finance the green and digital transitions, rejecting one of the key tenets of a report by former central banker Mario Draghi to restore the bloc’s competitiveness.
Read MoreETS2 under pressure as ‘populist’ blame game begins, senior EU lawmaker warns
The EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme for road transport and heating fuels (ETS2) is turning into a “political minefield” as EU countries accuse Brussels of imposing higher fuel costs on households, said a senior EU lawmaker who warned against “a populist situation” taking root.
Read MoreEU’s carbon removal certification paves way for ‘climate positive buildings’
The European Union seeks to encourage carbon storage in wood-based construction products to pave the way for “climate positive buildings”, as the regulators are developing a methodology for measuring CO2 embodied in building materials.
Read MoreEU greenlights ETS2 scope extension in Netherlands, Austria
The European Commission gave its green light Tuesday evening to a proposal by the Netherlands and Austria to unilaterally extend the scope of their Emissions Trading Scheme for heating and transport fuels (ETS2) to vehicles used in agriculture, as well as railways, and – in the case of Austria – small business jets and recreational flights.
Read MoreCarbon removal experts debate options for EU’s future central registry
With a central EU carbon removal registry due to be established by the end of 2028, experts this week discussed rules to ensure a smooth exchange of data and avoid issues such as the double counting of carbon credits.
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