Life Beyond Emissions Trading | Corporate Europe Observatory

Life Beyond Emissions Trading | Corporate Europe Observatory

What would fill the void if the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS)
were allowed to collapse? This briefing shows that ending the ETS would
not leave a climate policy void. Emissions trading has awarded huge
subsidies to some of the EU’s most polluting industries while at the
same time failing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and undermining
other environmental measures. As the EU debates a 2030 climate and
energy package, it should seek ambitious targets for greenhouse gases,
renewable energy and energy efficiency – but targets are not enough. The
EU should take a greater role in directly regulating greenhouse gas
emissions at source. The existing policy framework could be made more
robust by extending the Industrial Emissions Directive to regulate
greenhouse gases, strengthening the Energy Efficiency Directive, and
reforming the Effort Sharing Decision to exclude the use of carbon
offsets. There should also be debate on what role the EU can play.
Returning to a patchwork of national legislation would weaken the EU’s
ability to address climate change, with some countries’ inaction putting
pressure on others to weaken their own policies. At the same time,
citizens’ movements at local and national levels are key in achieving
broader transformations. Germany’s Energiewende [energy
transition], despite some serious implementation problems, shows the
positive role that popular pressure can play in reducing greenhouse gas
emissions. Recent efforts to remunicipalise energy supplies also serve
as a reminder that public ownership of infrastructure is a key condition
for creating the scale of shift required to address climate change.

Download the full report. Read the two-pages briefing. Read the FAQ.

Published by Corporate Europe Observatory. Authored by Oscar Reyes.