Discussions on European emissions trading
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Industry must and can be relieved, but companies that invest in climate protection must be protected at all costs / ‘Performance must be rewarded’ – this must also apply to climate protection / There are many different reasons for the chemical industry's competitiveness problems / If emissions trading is abolished, global climate protection will collapse, and that would be irresponsible
“European industry must be relieved of the burden of emissions trading in order to help companies in this difficult economic and geopolitical situation and to secure jobs. At the same time, however, we also need planning security for companies that invest in climate protection. 'Performance must be rewarded' – this must also apply to climate protection,” explained MEP Dr. Peter Liese, former rapporteur on the EU’s emissions trading system, ahead of Wednesday's meeting of European industry representatives in Antwerp and Thursday's competition summit of EU heads of state and government.
Industry representatives, particularly from the chemical industry, had called for emissions trading to be abolished completely or at least drastically scaled back. After a German newspaper reported on ETS reform plans by the European Commission, the share prices of HeidelbergMaterials, a cement producer who invested heavily in decarbonization, plummeted.
Failure of Mercosur could be very dangerous for international climate policy
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Argentina did not follow Trump only because the Paris Climate Agreement is the basis for Mercosur
“A failure of the Mercosur agreement would not only send a fatal signal in the current geopolitical situation and be damaging to our economy, which is facing difficult challenges, but contrary to widespread opinion, it would also harm climate protection,” explained the climate policy spokesperson for the largest group in the European Parliament (EPP, Christian Democrats), Dr. Peter Liese, in view of tomorrow's vote in the EU Council of Ministers.
“International climate policy is at a crossroads. Donald Trump has not only left the Paris Agreement, but he is also actively fighting against climate protection behind the scenes. Unfortunately, he has succeeded in preventing an agreement on a climate protection instrument at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
Read more: Failure of Mercosur could be very dangerous for international climate policy
European Investment Bank mobilizes 3 billion Euro for clean transition in road transport and heating / Frontloading of the ETS2 revenues agreed
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Peter Liese, Mohammed Chahim, Lena Schilling, Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy: Member States should immediately use the money to offer solutions to the people before ETS2 even starts
The European Investment Bank mobilizes 3 billion Euro in a first step for the clean transition in road transport and heating with the possibility of a top-up. The EIB board agreed on a proposal on Wednesday. They react to the request of a cross-party initiative from the European Parliament for the so-called ‘frontloading’. In October of last year, a group of parliamentarians from all pro-European groups sent a letter (attached) to the European Commission to promote the idea to mobilize that money before ETS starts. With this mechanism, member states can support citizens, for example, with a social leasing scheme for a clean vehicle, even before the CO2 price kicks in. The EIB will lend this money to the member states. In reverse, the member states need to commit that the income of ETS2 will be transferred to the EIB at a later stage.
EU Commission proposes long-awaited CBAM reform
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Peter Liese: Inclusion of additional products / Measures against circumvention of the rules via ‘resource shuffling’ / Solution for exports / CBAM remains extremely important for climate protection
On Wednesday, the European Commission presented its long-awaited proposal for the revision of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). CBAM had already been freed from bureaucracy with the omnibus simplification package. Now, further urgently needed changes are being proposed.