Recently, the EU Council and the EU Parliament reached agreement on the European Commission’s proposal for a Directive on “Empowerment Consumers for the Green Transition (ECGT). While we wait for the final agreed legal text, the direction is clear. This proposal amends two existing directives, the Consumer Rights Directive (CRD) and the Unfair Commercial Practices…
Category: CO2
Countries should take cooling targets
I believe that in addition to emission reduction targets, which only take effect after years, countries should also make temperature reduction commitments and start cooling their countries and cities. For example greening of about 1/3 of the EU’s urban areas would reduce urban summer temperatures by 2.5–6°C! In its latest report, the IPCC warned of…
Tightening EU ETS leads to zero emissions before 2040
The tightened and expanded ETS CO2 trading system is part of the so-called ‘Fit for 55’ package and helps to achieve the total CO2 target of 55% reduction in 2030 (laid down in the European Climate Act). The new ETS is gratifying news: it leads to zero emissons already by 2039. With full implementation, the…
Glasgow Outcome: Ambitious Carbon Market Rules
Glasgow Outcome in bullets …. accelerating efforts towards the phase-down of unabated coal power and inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, recognizing the need for support towards a just transition; On general ambition: See cover Decision 1/CMA.3 ‘Glasgow Climate Pact’, New country and group pledges on targets for 2030 and net zero in 2050 and on forest…
Six tips to make the climate summit to a success
The annual climate summit, after a year of Corona postponement, is happening in Glasgow as CoP26, the first two weeks of November. I will attend the CoP for Climate Neutral Group. And I give hereby my six tips for the summit summarized in a few words: you get more ambition with more flexibility. My tips…
Quick Assessment EUs Fit for 55 Plan #FF55
See: EU Commission site
Impact of the Shell judgement on climate policy: more ambition and more flexibility
The Paris Agreement legally binds countries: they must therefore make plans for companies to achieve the temperature targets. For industrialized countries, that means a 50% reduction in 2030 compared to 1990 and zero emissions in 2050! Countries are not there yet with their climate plans, but a large number is working on tightening up. The…
Climate policy under Biden: homework & international rallying
With Biden, the United States can give global climate policy the necessary stimulus, and fill in the political vacuum if it gets its own house back in order. New US President Joe Biden cited climate as one of his priorities. Now that he can have a majority in the Senate with 50 Democratic senators and…