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21/03/2014
Climate Brief
Moving from the CDM to “various approaches”
By Igor Shishlov and Valentin Bellassen, I4CE The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) facilitated the emergence and deployment of low-cost greenhouse gas (GHG) abatement technologies such as destruction of industrial gases and capturing methane from landfills and coal mines. Some of these technologies are now ripe to “graduate” from the CDM into other, more mainstream, economic […]
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18/03/2014
Carbon Trends
European Offset Projects: A tool to rally Poland towards the 2030 Energy Climate Package
EUA supply: after the approbation of the backloading regulation, the number of auctioned allowances for 2014 will be reduced by 400 million. National allocations plans of all 28 member states for the free allocation of allowances for 2013 have been approved. 2030 climate and energy package: the EU Parliament adopted a non-binding resolution on the […]
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18/01/2014
Carbon Trends
EU ETS and Kyoto credits: from an efficient use to a burst bubble
Backloading: the EU Parliament and the Council adopted the backloading proposal,respectively, on 10th December and 16th December. On 8th January, Member states agreed on rules to remove up to 900 million permits from 2014-2016. Free allocations: on 18th December, the EU Commission adopted a first commissiondecision on free allocation of emission allowances by Member States […]
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17/01/2014
Climate Report
Use of Kyoto credits by European installations: from an efficient market to a burst bubble
During the Phase II of the European Trading Scheme, installations had the option to surrender carbon credits from project-based mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol (CERs and ERUs). The rules set by Member States and approved by the European Commission capped the demand at around 1,400 MtCO2 between 2008 and 2012. In the end, over 1 […]
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21/12/2013
Climate Brief
One billion tonnes of CO2 avoided since 2005 in Europe: half due to energy-climate policies and half due to economic context
By Olivier Gloaguen and Emilie Alberola CO2 emissions generated by installations covered by the EU ETS decreased by 12.3 % since 2005, i.e a decline by 2.6% per year during Phase 2 of the EU ETS while the emission cap increased by 1% per year. The EU ETS ended Phase 2 with a surplus of […]
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21/12/2013
Climate Brief
International Climate Negotiations – COP 19: do not underestimate the MRV breakthrough
By Marion Dupont, Romain Morel, Valentin Bellassen and Mariana Deheza For those who expect “binding” emission reductions targets in the future international climate agreement to be signed in Paris in 2015, the Warsaw Conference (November 11 to 23, 2013) yielded as much progress as it could. That means little beyond a timetable. However, for those […]
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17/12/2013
Carbon Trends
COP… Operation towards 2015: MRV, the first stepping stone towards a new international agreement?
Backloading and reforms of the EU ETS: on 10th December, the EU Parliament voted the backloading proposal. The vote of the Council is scheduled on 17th December. The postponement of EUA will be made in 2014 and in 2015 (not in 2013). 2030 climate and energy package: the EC is planning to release its White […]
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17/12/2013
Climate Report
THE POWER SECTOR IN PHASE 2 OF THE EU ETS: FEWER CO2 EMISSIONS BUT JUST AS MUCH COAL
By Nicolas Berghmans and Emilie Alberola Since 2005, 1,453 power and combined heat and power (CHP) generation plants have participated in the European Union Emission Trading Scheme, or EU ETS, which requires them to comply with an annual CO2 emission cap set by the European Commission. Thermal power plants that use coal (bituminous coal, lignite, […]
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17/11/2013
Carbon Trends
Agriculture and forestry: window-dressing in the EU ETS
Backloading and reforms of the EU ETS: on 10th December, the EU Parliament voted the backloading proposal. The vote of the Council is scheduled on 17th December. The postponement of EUA will be made in 2014 and in 2015 (not in 2013). 2030 climate and energy package: the EC is planning to release its White […]
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30/10/2013
Climate Brief
Les compteurs électriques communicants : une meilleure gestion du réseau, un effet incertain sur la maitrise de la demande en énergie
By Johan Tyszler et Cécile Bordier,I4CE Le gouvernement a annoncé le 9 juillet 2013 la généralisation des compteurs électriques communicants sur le territoire. L’introduction des compteurs communicants devrait permettre une meilleure gestion du réseau, notamment liée à la part croissante des énergies renouvelables dans la production d’électricité. Les économies d’électricité restent difficiles à prévoir car […]
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29/10/2013
Special issues
Assessing the factors behind CO2 emissions changes over the phases 1 and 2 of the EU ETS: an econometric analysis
By Olivier GLOAGUEN and Emilie ALBEROLA It has been repeatedly said that the economic slowdown that began in 2008 largely explains the fall in carbon emissions recorded in Europe since the introduction of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). In fact, the European Union stated this very clearly in its initial report on […]
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17/10/2013
Carbon Trends
Climate and energy policies in the EU: a major role in reducing CO2 emissions from the energy and industry sectors
Backloading and reforms of the EU ETS: the Commission specified that further structural reform proposals would not be put forward till the EU agrees on backloading plans. 2030 climate and energy package: the Commission will release a communication before the end of the year but there are little expectations for legislative proposals before the EU […]
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17/09/2013
Carbon Trends
Reduction in free allowances for phase 3 of the EU ETS
Forthcoming free allowance allocations: the European Commission will allocate 6.6 billion EUA for free to industrial installations, which is 11.5% less than what was initially demanded by Member states. The EUA price stabilised between €4 and €5: despite the uncertainty surrounding the political issue of “backloading”, the EUA price remained just below the €5 per […]
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17/09/2013
Climate Report
Combating fuel poverty: policies in france and the united kingdom
By Johan Tyszler, Cécile Bordier and Alexia Leseur The National Debate on Energy Transition in France highlighted issues relating to the social acceptability of the measures in question, and especially the inclusion of fuel poverty. However, the wide range of determining factors for fuel poverty (high energy prices, poor living conditions, and limited financial resources) […]
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16/07/2013
Carbon Trends
A 2030 framework for climate and energy policies: I4CE’s answer
To establish a climate and energy policy in the EU in 2030, I4CE addresses three main recommendations to the European Commission: (1) Establish a binding, single and ambitious CO2 emission reduction target of at least 40% in 2030. (2) Put the EU ETS as the central and non-residual instrument aimed at promoting cost-effective reductions in […]
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21/06/2013
Special issues
An Empirical Assessment of the Risk of Carbon Leakage in Poland
By Oliver Sartor, Thomas Spencer Poland is a particularly carbon intensive economy. This has created concern that it may be particularly exposed to carbon leakage. However, there is an absence of robust and transparent empirical research on carbon leakage risks in Poland. This study aims at filling this gap by assessing the impact of EU […]
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16/06/2013
Carbon Trends
The EU ETS as bellwether of a flawed European Internal Energy Market
The EU ETS verified emissions: 1,950 MtCO2 in 2012, i.e. a 2% fall compared with 2011 and a 13.5% fall compared with 2008. Phase 2 compliance: an excess amount of 1,425 Mt including the use of 1,059 million international credits. Backloading: the European Parliament’s ENVI Commission will vote again on 19 June. Competitiveness: the European […]
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10/06/2013
Climate Brief
Managing France’s energy transition while safeguarding economic competitiveness: be productive!
By Oliver Sartor and Benoît Leguet, I4CE Is the French energy transition compatible with economic growth and a “competitive” French economy? Our answer is “yes, with some conditions”. The French economy is better positioned today for a meaningful energy transition than it has been for over 40 years. At the level of the macro-economy, a […]
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04/06/2013
Climate Brief
Seeing the forest from the trees: Infrastructure Investment and “systemic” GHG impacts – Lessons from the Keystone XL
Achieving the “energy transition”, it is necessary to ask how individual investments support or hinder progress towards a low-carbon, energy-efficient future. This requires a a systemic approach – or “scope 4” analysis. As demonstrated by the Keystone XL Oil pipeline project in North America, even when individual pieces of infrastructure emit relatively low levels of […]
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16/05/2013
Carbon Trends
The EU ETS, a good example of a “zombie” public policy
Backloading was rejected by the European Parliament on 16 April and referred to the Parliament’s ENVI Commission. A new plenary session vote has been scheduled for early July. On ICE Futures Europe, 52% of the whole monthly volume of the daily spot contract has been traded on April the 16th. Structural reforms: discussion at the […]