Will Barroso’s apathy sink EU’s climate action flagship?
30 May 2011
The European Commission is well aware that carbon prices within the EU Emissions Trading System will collapse as from 2013 and is failing to take appropriate actions, according to information released today by Reuters.
Due to the non-alignment of EU climate and energy policies and new economic data, Member States risk losing billions of euros in auctioning revenues which could be invested in renewables and energy-savings measures.
"The Barroso II Commission needs to step in and create more scarcity in the Emissions Trading System, or it will destroy its so called climate legacy”, says Tomas Wyns, Policy Team Coordinator at Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe.
"At the same time, the Commission must absolutely not conclude that the solution is to avoid taking ambitious energy savings measures," continues Erica Hope, Senior Energy Savings officer at CAN Europe. "We expect a strong and effective Energy Efficiency Directive to be adopted in June – as a complement to a functioning ETS".
CAN Europe calls on the European Commission’s President Barroso to intervene and support recalibration of the next phase of the ETS (2013 – 2020). This means implementing a 30% domestic emission reduction target as part of an overall -40% 2020 target by cancelling at least 1,4 Gtonnes of allowances under the EU ETS.
Meanwhile energy savings measures could deliver up to half of the 95% emission reductions needed by 2050, as set out in the European Commission’s own Low Carbon Roadmap - whilst bringing major benefits in terms of competitiveness, jobs and energy security.
But at present rates Europe is set to miss its target of cutting energy use by 20% by 2020 by at least half. The forthcoming Energy Efficiency Directive must guarantee the closing of this gap - be this by effective binding measures, or mandatory national targets.
Analysis of European Commission options to move beyond 20% GHG reductions (Jan 2012) 
