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New EU Emissions Trading System: what should change?

02-09-2021

New EU Emissions Trading System:  what should change?

WATCH THE RECORDING HERE



Set up in 2005, the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) is the world's first international emissions trading system. Since its establishment, the concept has had plenty of detractors. Many climate activists considered the market-oriented cap-and-trade approach to be flawed, saying taxes would be more effective to reduce global warming emissions. But cap-and-trade schemes were the global consensus at the time. The ETS has been confronted with several challenges ever since, most notably a carbon price which is generally deemed to be too low.

The current EU carbon market price currently stands at over 50 euros, up from 20 euros a year ago, dramatically increasing costs for polluters. But the global average carbon price is currently only $2 a tonne; too low to trigger the kind of energy transformation needed to stop climate change.

Now, with the UK set to leave the EU ETS and replace it with something else such as a carbon tax, and the incoming US administration of Joe Biden sounding unenthusiastic about cap-and-trade, EU policymakers are being prompted to think about other ways to price carbon.

The European Commission is proposing to revise and possibly expand the scope of the ETS. They claim the ETS proves that putting a price on carbon is possible and makes economic sense, helping to move further towards a low carbon greener future.

Overall, views differ on the ultimate success of the ETS. The system achieved the objective of reaching the level of emissions reductions fixed by its emission cap. However, it is difficult to directly attribute the emissions reductions to the ETS alone, as other policies in each sector covered by the system may have contributed. Policymakers considered that just meeting the emissions cap was insufficient. Recent revision and reform of the system reveals the view that its role should also be to drive more fundamental changes in the economy, through both a stronger carbon price signal and use of revenue.

Join this EURACTIV Virtual Conference to discuss how the EU's Emissions Trading System should evolve? What should or should not be changed in the Commission's new proposal?

WATCH THE RECORDING HERE


Supported by:

Location

Online

Panellists

Beatriz Yordi Aguirre, Director, European & International Carbon Markets, DG CLIMA, European Commission
Marian-Jean Marinescu MEP, ITRE Committee, European Parliament
Milan Elkerbout, Research Fellow, CEPS
Florian Rothenberg, Analyst EU Power & Carbon Markets, ICIS
Robert Jeszke, Head of Strategy, Analysis and Auction Unit, KOBiZE
Pawel Cioch, Vice-President for Corporate Affairs, PGE

Moderator

Frédéric Simon, Energy & Environment Editor, EURACTIV

Schedule

09:30 - 09:35 Welcome
09:35 - 09:50 Panellist statements
09:50 - 10:40 Discussion and Q&A
10:40 - 10:45 Closing statements

Contact

Tamara Novel
tamara.novel@euractiv.com

Related article

EU urges markets to ‘keep calm’ as carbon price hits €60 record

EU urges markets to ‘keep calm’ as carbon price hits €60 record

A senior European Commission official insisted on delivering “a message of calm” during a EURACTIV event on Thursday (2 September), as CO2 prices rose for the first time above the €60 threshold on the EU carbon market.