ERCST

The Politics of Border Carbon Adjustments in the European Green Deal - Dream or Reality?
2020-03-25 15:30 - 17:30 (Europe/Paris)
The European Green Deal Package was presented on December 11, 2019. It contains a large number of components, some of which are already being discussed, such as the Just Transition Mechanism or the Sustainable Europe Investment Plan, as well as a commitment to introducing a border carbon adjustment mechanism (BCAM) in the EU.
As the EU considers its most ambitious decarbonisation targets yet under the European Green Deal, many consider a border carbon adjustment essential to sustain Europe’s continued leadership in a world of asymmetrical climate efforts. Technical and administrative details need to be resolved for such a policy to become reality, and that will be complex. But the greatest challenges will likely be political in nature. Which stakeholders will support or opposed a border adjustment for climate, and, in particular, how are Europe’s foreign trade partners going to react?
The webinar will take the form of a high-level dialogue, aimed to start an informal conversation on one of the most controversial elements of the EU’s policy agenda in coming years, BCAs. This webinar features a panel conversation with leading thinkers on the issues, and offers an opportunity for interaction with policy makers and stakeholders.

Please note that, due to current circumstances, the meeting will take place via online video conference. Registration link to the Webinar.

Workshop Material(s)
Agenda
Presentation by J. Cooper
Presentation by G. Pons

Upcoming Events
Product Standards in the EU – Stakeholder consultationJanuary 12 @ 14:30 - 16:30Stakeholder Roundtable: 2026 State of the EU ETS ReportJanuary 13 @ 10:00 - 12:00Focus Group: EU CBAM Legislative ProposalJanuary 13 @ 15:00 - 16:30Stakeholder consultation- EU’s Road Transport Decarbonization Policy: Innovative Policy Approaches for Industrial CompetitivenessJanuary 15 @ 14:30 - 16:30Debate – Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act: will it be the signal for hydrogen demand to emerge?January 22 @ 15:00 - 17:00

Past Events
Discussion – Public consultation on CO2 markets and infrastructureDecember 16 @ 10:00 - 11:30Launch event – Towards a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure – Assessing progress and addressing gapsDecember 11 @ 15:00 - 17:00Launch Event: EU ETS – CBAM Strawman ReportDecember 9 @ 10:00 - 12:00

Border Carbon Adjustments in the EU project call – feedback to the Commission’s roadmap
2020-03-25 14:00 - 15:00 (Europe/Paris)
The project video call was an opportunity for ERCST to share its draft feedback on the European Commission’s inception impact assessment for the proposed carbon border adjustment mechanism, and gather perspectives and notes from the project funders as well as other experts active in this topic. In addition, ERCST continued the discussion from the March 5th meeting regarding the building blocks and criteria for a BCA, including the discussion of a number of scenarios that were assembled by the project team. Please find ERCST’s feedback submission in the workshop materials below.

Workshop Material(s)
Feedback on CBAM Inception Impact Assessment

Upcoming Events
Product Standards in the EU – Stakeholder consultationJanuary 12 @ 14:30 - 16:30Stakeholder Roundtable: 2026 State of the EU ETS ReportJanuary 13 @ 10:00 - 12:00Focus Group: EU CBAM Legislative ProposalJanuary 13 @ 15:00 - 16:30Stakeholder consultation- EU’s Road Transport Decarbonization Policy: Innovative Policy Approaches for Industrial CompetitivenessJanuary 15 @ 14:30 - 16:30Debate – Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act: will it be the signal for hydrogen demand to emerge?January 22 @ 15:00 - 17:00

Past Events
Discussion – Public consultation on CO2 markets and infrastructureDecember 16 @ 10:00 - 11:30Launch event – Towards a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure – Assessing progress and addressing gapsDecember 11 @ 15:00 - 17:00Launch Event: EU ETS – CBAM Strawman ReportDecember 9 @ 10:00 - 12:00

Beyond the EU NDC & Impact on the EU ETS - outreach meeting in Helsinki
2020-03-13 10:00 - 12:30 (Europe/Helsinki)
In the context of the Paris Agreement, the European Union is increasing its efforts towards decarbonisation. Currently, the EU climate strategy is centred around three emissions reduction targets compared to 1990 levels: a cut of 20% of GHG emissions by 2020, at least 40% by 2030; and an implicit reduction of 80-95% by 2050. These targets have increasingly been put into question, as many stakeholders are pushing the EU to speed up its decarbonisation efforts and embrace the goal of climate neutrality by 2050.
In November 2019, ERCST presented its draft Report of the project ‘Beyond the EU NDC’. This project aims to assess whether Member States and other stakeholders are undertaking efforts to go ‘beyond’ their respective 2030 targets, and what their perspective is on the 2050 strategy and the potential target of carbon neutrality.
This is one of the outreach meetings of the ‘Beyond the EU NDC’ report, which will be discussed in 6 European capitals to gather further feedback from key stakeholders in Member States. During this meeting, the authors will present the Report and their findings through a presentation, after which the Report will be discussed in a roundtable setting with stakeholders. The final report – which will include feedback from the roundtables across the EU – will be published in February 2020.
We would like to thank Sitra for co-hosting the workshop.
If you would like to participate in this workshop, please send a mail to Domien
NOTE: Due to travel restrictions and lockdown measures put in place as a response to the COVID-19 outbreak, this workshop was held via online video conference.

Workshop Material(s)
Agenda
O. Honkatukia, Finnish Ministry of Environment – opening remarks
A. Marcu, ERCST – going beyond the EU NDC paper presentation
L. Saikku, SYKE – Towards Carbon Neutral Municipalities
I. Rasanen, City of Lappeenranta
R. Pinomaa, Finnish Chemical Industry – carbon neutral chemicals 2045
A. Marcu, ERCST – European Green Deal and BCAs
O. Haanpera, Sitra – Aligning the EU ETS with the Paris Agreement
K. Kankaanpaa, Fortum – climate policy developments at the EU level and impact on the EU ETS

Upcoming Events
Product Standards in the EU – Stakeholder consultationJanuary 12 @ 14:30 - 16:30Stakeholder Roundtable: 2026 State of the EU ETS ReportJanuary 13 @ 10:00 - 12:00Focus Group: EU CBAM Legislative ProposalJanuary 13 @ 15:00 - 16:30Stakeholder consultation- EU’s Road Transport Decarbonization Policy: Innovative Policy Approaches for Industrial CompetitivenessJanuary 15 @ 14:30 - 16:30Debate – Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act: will it be the signal for hydrogen demand to emerge?January 22 @ 15:00 - 17:00

Past Events
Discussion – Public consultation on CO2 markets and infrastructureDecember 16 @ 10:00 - 11:30Launch event – Towards a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure – Assessing progress and addressing gapsDecember 11 @ 15:00 - 17:00Launch Event: EU ETS – CBAM Strawman ReportDecember 9 @ 10:00 - 12:00

Brainstorm on "2020 State of the EU ETS Report"
2020-03-11 13:30 - 16:00 (Europe/Paris)
The EU ETS Directive in its Article 10(5) refers to the fact that the European Commission has to submit each year a report on the functioning of the EU ETS. Taking stock of the success, or lack thereof, of such an important instrument must be seen as an essential ingredient in ensuring it can deliver, and that it keeps the EU on the path to decarbonisation, while not losing sight of other important considerations, in a world where there will continue to exist asymmetrical climate change policies.
While the European Commission has its role to play in providing an official report, it is also important that an independent review and assessment of the functioning and delivery of the EU ETS take place. ERCST, together with a number of EU-based think tanks, all with a long experience in the EU ETS and climate change policy debate, have come together to develop a yearly report, which provides an independent view of the state of the EU ETS, and its deliveries, at a certain time. The 2019 edition is available through this link.
In 2020, the fifth annual report on the State of the EU ETS will be produced, this year together with the Wegener Center on on climate and global change, Bloomberg New Energy Finance and EcoAct. This first brainstorm meeting in Brussels will bring together a small group of stakeholders deeply involved in the EU ETS discussion, to discuss the draft version of the 2020 report and highlight potential areas that need more attention.
The report focuses on 5 key areas:

Recent policy developments and implications
Environmental delivery
Economic delivery
Market functioning
Issues to monitor for the future

If you are interested in participating, please contact Domien at dvangenechten@ercst.org. More information on the project and event can be found here.

Workshop Material(s)
Agenda
Presentation – 2020 State of the EU ETS Report
2019 State of the EU ETS Report

Upcoming Events
Product Standards in the EU – Stakeholder consultationJanuary 12 @ 14:30 - 16:30Stakeholder Roundtable: 2026 State of the EU ETS ReportJanuary 13 @ 10:00 - 12:00Focus Group: EU CBAM Legislative ProposalJanuary 13 @ 15:00 - 16:30Stakeholder consultation- EU’s Road Transport Decarbonization Policy: Innovative Policy Approaches for Industrial CompetitivenessJanuary 15 @ 14:30 - 16:30Debate – Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act: will it be the signal for hydrogen demand to emerge?January 22 @ 15:00 - 17:00

Past Events
Discussion – Public consultation on CO2 markets and infrastructureDecember 16 @ 10:00 - 11:30Launch event – Towards a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure – Assessing progress and addressing gapsDecember 11 @ 15:00 - 17:00Launch Event: EU ETS – CBAM Strawman ReportDecember 9 @ 10:00 - 12:00

The European Green Deal: state of play
2020-03-11 10:00 - 12:30 (Europe/Paris)
President Ursula von der Leyen’s European Commission released the communication on the ‘European Green Deal’ on December 11th 2020. It is presented as an outline of the new Commission’s commitment to tackling climate and environmental-related challenges. It is presented as a new growth strategy aimed at transforming the EU’s economy and lists a measures and legislative initiatives aimed at achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
Indeed, the European Green Deal can be seen as a collection of priorities, principles and areas where legislative proposals will be produced in the coming years. At this stage, it is very broad and all-encompassing, and still lacking much detail.
Following the initial brainstorm meeting organised by ERCST in January, this meeting will be an opportunity for participants to take stock of these recent policy developments announced under the European Green Deal, including the investment plan (EGDIP), the Just Transition Mechanism and the proposal for a climate law ensuring the carbon neutrality objective. This will be followed by a discussion on what can be expected in the coming months and how the transition will be financed.

This meeting is by invitation only – please contact Dariusz at ddybka@ercst.org if you wish to participate

Workshop Material(s)
Draft agenda
Presentation EIB ERCST_Just Transition
Presentation CEEP Green Deal
Presentation ERCST Beyond NDC

Upcoming Events
Product Standards in the EU – Stakeholder consultationJanuary 12 @ 14:30 - 16:30Stakeholder Roundtable: 2026 State of the EU ETS ReportJanuary 13 @ 10:00 - 12:00Focus Group: EU CBAM Legislative ProposalJanuary 13 @ 15:00 - 16:30Stakeholder consultation- EU’s Road Transport Decarbonization Policy: Innovative Policy Approaches for Industrial CompetitivenessJanuary 15 @ 14:30 - 16:30Debate – Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act: will it be the signal for hydrogen demand to emerge?January 22 @ 15:00 - 17:00

Past Events
Discussion – Public consultation on CO2 markets and infrastructureDecember 16 @ 10:00 - 11:30Launch event – Towards a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure – Assessing progress and addressing gapsDecember 11 @ 15:00 - 17:00Launch Event: EU ETS – CBAM Strawman ReportDecember 9 @ 10:00 - 12:00

Beyond the EU NDC & Impact on the EU ETS - outreach meeting in Warsaw
2020-03-09 13:00 - 16:00 (Europe/Paris)
In the context of the Paris Agreement, the European Union is increasing its efforts towards decarbonisation. Currently, the EU climate strategy is centred around three emissions reduction targets compared to 1990 levels: a cut of 20% of GHG emissions by 2020, at least 40% by 2030; and an implicit reduction of 80-95% by 2050. These targets have increasingly been put into question, as many stakeholders are pushing the EU to speed up its decarbonisation efforts and embrace the goal of climate neutrality by 2050.
In November 2019, ERCST presented its draft Report of the project ‘Beyond the EU NDC’. This project aims to assess whether Member States and other stakeholders are undertaking efforts to go ‘beyond’ their respective 2030 targets, and what their perspective is on the 2050 strategy and the potential target of carbon neutrality.
This is one of the outreach meetings of the ‘Beyond the EU NDC’ report, which will be discussed in 6 European capitals to gather further feedback from key stakeholders in Member States. During this meeting, the authors will present the Report and their findings through a presentation, after which the Report will be discussed in a roundtable setting with stakeholders. The final report – which will include feedback from the roundtables across the EU – will be published in February 2020.
We would like to thank WiseEuropa for co-hosting the workshop.

[rtec-registration-form]

Workshop Material(s)
Agenda
Presentation by ERCST

Upcoming Events
Product Standards in the EU – Stakeholder consultationJanuary 12 @ 14:30 - 16:30Stakeholder Roundtable: 2026 State of the EU ETS ReportJanuary 13 @ 10:00 - 12:00Focus Group: EU CBAM Legislative ProposalJanuary 13 @ 15:00 - 16:30Stakeholder consultation- EU’s Road Transport Decarbonization Policy: Innovative Policy Approaches for Industrial CompetitivenessJanuary 15 @ 14:30 - 16:30Debate – Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act: will it be the signal for hydrogen demand to emerge?January 22 @ 15:00 - 17:00

Past Events
Discussion – Public consultation on CO2 markets and infrastructureDecember 16 @ 10:00 - 11:30Launch event – Towards a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure – Assessing progress and addressing gapsDecember 11 @ 15:00 - 17:00Launch Event: EU ETS – CBAM Strawman ReportDecember 9 @ 10:00 - 12:00

Stakeholder meeting "Border Carbon Adjustments in the EU - issues and options"
2020-03-05 10:00 - 17:00 (Europe/Paris)
As part of the European Green Deal, implementation of a BCA is once again being considered as a measure to address competitiveness concerns within the EU. According to the roadmap for the European Green Deal, a proposal for a BCA for “selected sectors” will be released in 2021. So far, we can only speculate what such a BCA might look like, as few policy details have been released. Given the resurgence of discussions about BCAs on the EU political agenda, it is an opportune time to have a closer look at the various available policy design elements and options, along with the associated environmental, economic, political and legal implications, in order to better understand what form of BCA might work for the EU.
This meeting will be an opportunity for invited stakeholders to comment on, and contribute to, a draft paper being prepared by Andrei Marcu, Michael Mehling and Aaron Cosbey. This invitation is strictly personal.
The draft paper is intended to unpack the design elements of a BCA, develop options for each of these elements, and then analyze them based on the following five criteria:

Effectiveness in preventing emissions leakage and spurring climate action;
Ability to level the competitive playing field and shield European industry;
Compatibility with international law, especially WTO law;
Political viability and potential to disrupt diplomatic relations;
Technical and administrative feasibility.

Some of the questions that are planned for discussion on March 5th include:

Type of Mechanism: How should the ‘carbon border adjustment mechanism’ be implemented? Through a tax or tariff, an extension of the EU ETS, or an alternative mechanism (e.g. performance standards)? Should it only apply to imports, only to exports, or to both?
Geographic, Sectoral and Emissions Scope: Who and what should be covered by the mechanism? All countries, or only countries that meet, or fail to meet, certain criteria (e.g. development level, minimum carbon price, participation in international climate efforts)? Basic commodities only, or also more complex manufactured goods (and in both cases, how are these selected)? Direct (Scope 1) emissions only, or also indirect (Scope 2 and 3) emissions?
Determination of Embedded Carbon: How should the carbon intensity of products be determined? Based on sectoral/product benchmarks or averages, or based on actual (reported and verified) emissions? If averages/benchmarks are used, which? And should foreign producers be allowed to demonstrate actual emissions individually through verified emissions reports?
Adjustment Methodology: How should the EU determine the level of the ‘carbon border adjustment mechanism’? Should it use the difference in explicit carbon price levels between the EU ETS and the foreign jurisdiction? Or the difference in effective carbon rates, taking into account other climate mitigation policies? Or should it assume e.g. a global sectoral average, allowing foreign jurisdictions to prove the carbon constraints in the relevant sector are higher than the global average?
Use of Revenue: What purposes should revenue be used for? Should revenue collected with the ‘carbon border adjustment mechanism’ be earmarked for investments in the EU, for instance in clean innovation and infrastructure, or transition assistance to vulnerable sectors? Or should it be allocated to international climate finance, or otherwise sent outside the EU, for instance through an innovation fund?
Scenarios/options: in developing 1-3 implementation scenarios, what should be the focus and what kind of balance would you advise between different priorities?

This will be the first stakeholder event for this ERCST project on border carbon adjustment, which is supported by Eurofer, Enel, FuelsEurope, the French government, the German government, HeidelbergCement, MetInvest, and Solvay. Other funders are examining the possibility of joining.

If you are interested in participating, please contact Eric at ewilczynski@ercst.org

Workshop Material(s)
Agenda
ERCST presentation
Presentation by G. Zachmann
Presentation by J. Cooper
Presentation by F. Branger

Upcoming Events
Product Standards in the EU – Stakeholder consultationJanuary 12 @ 14:30 - 16:30Stakeholder Roundtable: 2026 State of the EU ETS ReportJanuary 13 @ 10:00 - 12:00Focus Group: EU CBAM Legislative ProposalJanuary 13 @ 15:00 - 16:30Stakeholder consultation- EU’s Road Transport Decarbonization Policy: Innovative Policy Approaches for Industrial CompetitivenessJanuary 15 @ 14:30 - 16:30Debate – Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act: will it be the signal for hydrogen demand to emerge?January 22 @ 15:00 - 17:00

Past Events
Discussion – Public consultation on CO2 markets and infrastructureDecember 16 @ 10:00 - 11:30Launch event – Towards a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure – Assessing progress and addressing gapsDecember 11 @ 15:00 - 17:00Launch Event: EU ETS – CBAM Strawman ReportDecember 9 @ 10:00 - 12:00

Indirect costs compensation in the EU ETS - revision of the State Aid Guidelines (Public consultation discussion)
2020-03-04 13:30 - 16:00 (Europe/Paris)
The state aid guidelines for indirect costs compensation in the EU ETS are up for revision – not review – which means that they could change significantly. The current guidelines expire on 31 December 2020, and the new guidelines would ‘indicatively’ be ready by Q3 2020 – just a few months before the new ones actually enter into force.
The new state aid guidelines will need to balance a number of issues, among which:

carbon leakage risk
risk of overcompensation and potential windfall profits
risk of internal market distortion
how to incentivise cost efficient decarbonisation

In 2019, the European Commission held two consultations, a public one and a targeted one. Subsequently, on the 14th of January it published the draft guidelines, which are subject to a 8-week public consultation period, ending on March 10.
ERCST has actively engaged on this topic, organising a series of meetings on state aid guidelines and indirect costs compensation, and responding to the first public consultation. This meeting has the intention of discussing the draft guidelines with EU stakeholders, providing space for various stakeholders to present and discuss their submissions to the public consultation.
[rtec-registration-form]
Workshop Material(s)
Agenda
ERCST presentation
W. Stoefs (CMW) presentation
J. Delarue (ClientEarth) presentation

Upcoming Events
Product Standards in the EU – Stakeholder consultationJanuary 12 @ 14:30 - 16:30Stakeholder Roundtable: 2026 State of the EU ETS ReportJanuary 13 @ 10:00 - 12:00Focus Group: EU CBAM Legislative ProposalJanuary 13 @ 15:00 - 16:30Stakeholder consultation- EU’s Road Transport Decarbonization Policy: Innovative Policy Approaches for Industrial CompetitivenessJanuary 15 @ 14:30 - 16:30Debate – Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act: will it be the signal for hydrogen demand to emerge?January 22 @ 15:00 - 17:00

Past Events
Discussion – Public consultation on CO2 markets and infrastructureDecember 16 @ 10:00 - 11:30Launch event – Towards a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure – Assessing progress and addressing gapsDecember 11 @ 15:00 - 17:00Launch Event: EU ETS – CBAM Strawman ReportDecember 9 @ 10:00 - 12:00

Informal Forum on Article 6 - London
2020-02-20 09:00 - 2020-02-21 16:30 UTC
By invitation only
This meeting is part of the “Implementation of market and non-market provisions in the Paris Agreement” project, which aims to create an informal atmosphere, where the main objective is to explore, discover, explain and understand different points of view related to the issues in Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. That is, to understand the options available to define rules, modalities and procedures on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, as well as the consequences of adopting each option.

Workshop material
London agenda

Presentations from day 1
Presentation on CORSIA
Presentation by K. Koakutsu
Presentation by A. Marcu
Presentation by J. Miguez
Presentation by L. Schneider
Presentation by P. Arumugam Pillai
Presentation by K. Koakutsu
Presentation by L. Schneider

Presentations from day 2
Presentation by S. Fellermeyer
Presentation by J. Cordano
Presentation by J. Grabert
Presentation by W. Betzenbichler

Upcoming Events
Product Standards in the EU – Stakeholder consultationJanuary 12 @ 14:30 - 16:30Stakeholder Roundtable: 2026 State of the EU ETS ReportJanuary 13 @ 10:00 - 12:00Focus Group: EU CBAM Legislative ProposalJanuary 13 @ 15:00 - 16:30Stakeholder consultation- EU’s Road Transport Decarbonization Policy: Innovative Policy Approaches for Industrial CompetitivenessJanuary 15 @ 14:30 - 16:30Debate – Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act: will it be the signal for hydrogen demand to emerge?January 22 @ 15:00 - 17:00

Past Events
Discussion – Public consultation on CO2 markets and infrastructureDecember 16 @ 10:00 - 11:30Launch event – Towards a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure – Assessing progress and addressing gapsDecember 11 @ 15:00 - 17:00Launch Event: EU ETS – CBAM Strawman ReportDecember 9 @ 10:00 - 12:00

A just transition to a climate neutral Europe: getting the basis right
2020-02-04 10:00 - 12:30 UTC
This workshop is jointly organised by ERCST and the European Policy Centre.

The Paris Agreement sets a clear goal and a direction for the world to become climate neutral in the second half of the century, if it wishes to stop the warming of the planet beyond 1.5-2oC. The European Commission has put forward a proposal for the EU to become climate neutral by 2050, which is one of the foundations of the European Green Deal and is currently under discussion.
The implications of becoming climate neutral will be felt across society and economy, across sectors and in the lives of every citizen. While this transition can have overall positive impacts on the environment, society and economy, it will need to be managed ensuring equity and social justice. As European Commission works on the details for the Green Deal, including on the Just Transition mechanism that aims to address the socio-economic consequences of climate change policies, it is essential to get this right. The transition can only succeed if citizens are participating in the transition and the distributional impacts of climate action are addressed.

This workshop aims to facilitate an exchange of views on the issues that are important to understand in achieving a Just Transition towards a climate-neutral European economy and society. Some of the questions that will be discussed are outlined below.
The meeting provides a possibility for stakeholders to discuss the ongoing debates and developments at the EU as well as member state level, but also beyond.

This meeting is by invitation only.
If you are interested in participating, Please send your participation request to Sara Viitanen (s.viitanen@epc.eu)

Workshop Material(s)
Draft Agenda

Upcoming Events
Product Standards in the EU – Stakeholder consultationJanuary 12 @ 14:30 - 16:30Stakeholder Roundtable: 2026 State of the EU ETS ReportJanuary 13 @ 10:00 - 12:00Focus Group: EU CBAM Legislative ProposalJanuary 13 @ 15:00 - 16:30Stakeholder consultation- EU’s Road Transport Decarbonization Policy: Innovative Policy Approaches for Industrial CompetitivenessJanuary 15 @ 14:30 - 16:30Debate – Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act: will it be the signal for hydrogen demand to emerge?January 22 @ 15:00 - 17:00

Past Events
Discussion – Public consultation on CO2 markets and infrastructureDecember 16 @ 10:00 - 11:30Launch event – Towards a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure – Assessing progress and addressing gapsDecember 11 @ 15:00 - 17:00Launch Event: EU ETS – CBAM Strawman ReportDecember 9 @ 10:00 - 12:00

Beyond the EU NDC & Impact on the EU ETS - outreach meeting in Berlin
2020-01-31 09:30 - 12:00 UTC
In the context of the Paris Agreement, the European Union is increasing its efforts towards decarbonisation. Currently, the EU climate strategy is centred around three emissions reduction targets compared to 1990 levels: a cut of 20% of GHG emissions by 2020, at least 40% by 2030; and an implicit reduction of 80-95% by 2050. These targets have increasingly been put into question, as many stakeholders are pushing the EU to speed up its decarbonisation efforts and embrace the goal of climate neutrality by 2050.
In November 2019, ERCST presented its draft Report of the project ‘Beyond the EU NDC’. This project aims to assess whether Member States and other stakeholders are undertaking efforts to go ‘beyond’ their respective 2030 targets, and what their perspective is on the 2050 strategy and the potential target of carbon neutrality.
This is one of the outreach meetings of the ‘Beyond the EU NDC’ report, which will be discussed in 6 European capitals to gather further feedback from key stakeholders in Member States. During this meeting, the authors will present the Report and their findings through a presentation, after which the Report will be discussed in a roundtable setting with stakeholders. The final report – which will include feedback from the roundtables across the EU – will be published in February 2020.
We would like to thank BMU for hosting the workshop.

[rtec-registration-form]

Workshop Material(s)
Agenda
ERCST presentation

Upcoming Events
Product Standards in the EU – Stakeholder consultationJanuary 12 @ 14:30 - 16:30Stakeholder Roundtable: 2026 State of the EU ETS ReportJanuary 13 @ 10:00 - 12:00Focus Group: EU CBAM Legislative ProposalJanuary 13 @ 15:00 - 16:30Stakeholder consultation- EU’s Road Transport Decarbonization Policy: Innovative Policy Approaches for Industrial CompetitivenessJanuary 15 @ 14:30 - 16:30Debate – Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act: will it be the signal for hydrogen demand to emerge?January 22 @ 15:00 - 17:00

Past Events
Discussion – Public consultation on CO2 markets and infrastructureDecember 16 @ 10:00 - 11:30Launch event – Towards a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure – Assessing progress and addressing gapsDecember 11 @ 15:00 - 17:00Launch Event: EU ETS – CBAM Strawman ReportDecember 9 @ 10:00 - 12:00

Beyond the EU NDC & Impact on the EU ETS - outreach meeting in Paris
2020-01-27 10:00 - 12:30 UTC
In the context of the Paris Agreement, the European Union is increasing its efforts towards decarbonisation. Currently, the EU climate strategy is centred around three emissions reduction targets compared to 1990 levels: a cut of 20% of GHG emissions by 2020, at least 40% by 2030; and an implicit reduction of 80-95% by 2050. These targets have increasingly been put into question, as many stakeholders are pushing the EU to speed up its decarbonisation efforts and embrace the goal of climate neutrality by 2050.
In November 2019, ERCST presented its draft Report of the project ‘Beyond the EU NDC’. This project aims to assess whether Member States and other stakeholders are undertaking efforts to go ‘beyond’ their respective 2030 targets, and what their perspective is on the 2050 strategy and the potential target of carbon neutrality.
This is one of the outreach meetings of the ‘Beyond the EU NDC’ report, which will be discussed in 6 European capitals to gather further feedback from key stakeholders in Member States. During this meeting, the authors will present the Report and their findings through a presentation, after which the Report will be discussed in a roundtable setting with stakeholders. The final report – which will include feedback from the roundtables across the EU – will be published in February 2020.
We would like to thank the Government of France for supporting the workshop.

[rtec-registration-form]

Workshop Material(s)
Agenda
ERCST presentation
Presentation by M. Matheu, EdF
Presentation by C. Tutenuit, EPE
Presentation by R. Trotignon, CEC and S. Quemin, LSE

Upcoming Events
Product Standards in the EU – Stakeholder consultationJanuary 12 @ 14:30 - 16:30Stakeholder Roundtable: 2026 State of the EU ETS ReportJanuary 13 @ 10:00 - 12:00Focus Group: EU CBAM Legislative ProposalJanuary 13 @ 15:00 - 16:30Stakeholder consultation- EU’s Road Transport Decarbonization Policy: Innovative Policy Approaches for Industrial CompetitivenessJanuary 15 @ 14:30 - 16:30Debate – Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act: will it be the signal for hydrogen demand to emerge?January 22 @ 15:00 - 17:00

Past Events
Discussion – Public consultation on CO2 markets and infrastructureDecember 16 @ 10:00 - 11:30Launch event – Towards a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure – Assessing progress and addressing gapsDecember 11 @ 15:00 - 17:00Launch Event: EU ETS – CBAM Strawman ReportDecember 9 @ 10:00 - 12:00

Indirect costs compensation in the EU ETS - revision of the State Aid Guidelines
2020-01-16 10:00 - 12:30 UTC
The state aid guidelines are up for revision – not review – which means that they could change significantly. The current guidelines expire on 31 December 2020, and the new guidelines would ‘indicatively’ be ready by Q3 2020 – just a few months before the new ones actually enter into force.
The new state aid guidelines will need to balance a number of issues, among which:

carbon leakage risk
risk of overcompensation and potential windfall profits
risk of internal market distortion
how to incentivise cost efficient decarbonisation

In 2019, the European Commission launched two consultations, a public one and a targeted one, on the revision of the ‘Guidelines on certain State aid measures in the context of the greenhouse gas emission allowance trading scheme post-2012’.
ERCST has actively engaged on this topic, organising a series of meetings on state aid guidelines and indirect costs compensation, and responding to the first public consultation. The next step in the process is the publication of the draft guidelines, which is expected to be published by the end of 2019. This meeting has the intention of discussing the draft guidelines with EU stakeholders.

[rtec-registration-form]

Workshop Material(s)
Agenda
ERCST presentation
Presentation by R. Vermeeren, European Commission
Presentation by C. O’Donoghue, Eurometaux
Presentation by R. Batier, Cerame-Unie

Upcoming Events
Product Standards in the EU – Stakeholder consultationJanuary 12 @ 14:30 - 16:30Stakeholder Roundtable: 2026 State of the EU ETS ReportJanuary 13 @ 10:00 - 12:00Focus Group: EU CBAM Legislative ProposalJanuary 13 @ 15:00 - 16:30Stakeholder consultation- EU’s Road Transport Decarbonization Policy: Innovative Policy Approaches for Industrial CompetitivenessJanuary 15 @ 14:30 - 16:30Debate – Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act: will it be the signal for hydrogen demand to emerge?January 22 @ 15:00 - 17:00

Past Events
Discussion – Public consultation on CO2 markets and infrastructureDecember 16 @ 10:00 - 11:30Launch event – Towards a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure – Assessing progress and addressing gapsDecember 11 @ 15:00 - 17:00Launch Event: EU ETS – CBAM Strawman ReportDecember 9 @ 10:00 - 12:00

2020 kick-off meeting + reception "international and EU climate change policy in 2020"
2020-01-08 17:30 - 20:00 UTC
ERCST, Carbon Market Watch and IETA have come together to organise a 2020 kick-off meeting and new year’s reception.

The event will be an opportunity to gather the Brussels-based carbon market community to discuss COP25 outcomes, the announced European Green Deal, celebrate the past year’s successes and reflect on the challenges ahead. During this meeting, high-level EU officials will share their views on the climate change policy agenda for 2020, after which you are all invited to share a glass with us to celebrate the start of the new year.

[rtec-registration-form]

Workshop Material(s)
agenda

Upcoming Events
Product Standards in the EU – Stakeholder consultationJanuary 12 @ 14:30 - 16:30Stakeholder Roundtable: 2026 State of the EU ETS ReportJanuary 13 @ 10:00 - 12:00Focus Group: EU CBAM Legislative ProposalJanuary 13 @ 15:00 - 16:30Stakeholder consultation- EU’s Road Transport Decarbonization Policy: Innovative Policy Approaches for Industrial CompetitivenessJanuary 15 @ 14:30 - 16:30Debate – Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act: will it be the signal for hydrogen demand to emerge?January 22 @ 15:00 - 17:00

Past Events
Discussion – Public consultation on CO2 markets and infrastructureDecember 16 @ 10:00 - 11:30Launch event – Towards a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure – Assessing progress and addressing gapsDecember 11 @ 15:00 - 17:00Launch Event: EU ETS – CBAM Strawman ReportDecember 9 @ 10:00 - 12:00

The European Green Deal - ERCST work and the role of the EU ETS
2020-01-08 14:00 - 17:00 UTC
The incoming European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced her intention to present an ambitious ‘European Green Deal’, which is expected to be a comprehensive policy package aimed at steering the EU towards becoming the world’s first climate-neutral continent. While the exact content and impact of such a Green Deal remains unclear, it is certain to have strong implications for Europe’s economy and society.
As the new European Commission is expected to communicate the ‘European Green Deal’ on December 11th, this initial meeting is an opportunity for stakeholders to have a discussion on its content, brainstorm on its impact on the EU ETS and help structure the roundtables work on the Green Deal.
This meeting has two objectives:

Firstly, ERCST would like to identify in which areas of the European Green Deal work done by the Roundtable could be an added-value to the policy debate in Europe. Through an interactive discussion with our stakeholders, we want to discover which aspects and angles to the Green Deal could be interesting for ERCST’s to work on in the the coming years.
Secondly, through a brainstorm session, ERCST wants to identify stakeholders’ views on the impacts of the elements included in the European Green Deal on the EU ETS, and their views on the role of the ETS going forward in this ‘new world’.

This meeting is by invitation only.
If you are interested in participating, please contact Domien at dvangenechten@ercst.org.

Workshop Material(s)
agenda

Upcoming Events
Product Standards in the EU – Stakeholder consultationJanuary 12 @ 14:30 - 16:30Stakeholder Roundtable: 2026 State of the EU ETS ReportJanuary 13 @ 10:00 - 12:00Focus Group: EU CBAM Legislative ProposalJanuary 13 @ 15:00 - 16:30Stakeholder consultation- EU’s Road Transport Decarbonization Policy: Innovative Policy Approaches for Industrial CompetitivenessJanuary 15 @ 14:30 - 16:30Debate – Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act: will it be the signal for hydrogen demand to emerge?January 22 @ 15:00 - 17:00

Past Events
Discussion – Public consultation on CO2 markets and infrastructureDecember 16 @ 10:00 - 11:30Launch event – Towards a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure – Assessing progress and addressing gapsDecember 11 @ 15:00 - 17:00Launch Event: EU ETS – CBAM Strawman ReportDecember 9 @ 10:00 - 12:00

Informal Dialogue on Response Measures
2019-12-01 09:30 - 12:30 UTC
By invitation only | Madrid
This meeting is part of the “Response Measures of the Paris Agreement under the UNFCCC process” project, following the informal forum held in adjacent to SB 50 in Bonn. It aims to create an informal atmosphere, where the participants can explore, discover, explain and understand different points of view related to the issues in Article 4.15 of the Paris Agreement, looking at the impacts of implementation of response measures taken by Parties and how these mitigation policies/actions could have “in- and out-of-jurisdiction” or cross-border impacts. ERCST presented its Chile Country Case Study on providing and testing a methodology which assesses and analyses the adverse, and unintended impacts of existing and emerging, climate mitigation measures and policies. The session ended with looking at the way forward for the COP 25 discussions.

Workshop Materials
Workshop Agenda
Presentation on ERCST’s Chile Country Case Study
Report on ERCST’s Chile Country Case Study
Methodology Description on ERCST’s Chile Country Case Study

Informal Forum on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement
2019-11-30 09:30 - 17:30 UTC
By invitation only | Madrid
This meeting is part of the “Implementation of markets and non-markets provisions in the Paris Agreement” project. The meeting follows the informal forum also held in Santiago at the end of August. The aim is to create an informal atmosphere, to explore, discover, explain and understand the different points of view related to the issues surrounding Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Discussions focused on substantive issues surrounding Article 6, reflecting the need to finalise the last remaining section of the Paris Agreement Rulebook. The session ended with looking at the way forward for COP 25 right after.

Workshop Material(s)
Workshop Agenda
Presentation by S. Tashi on Article 6_Metrics Conversion
Presentation by S. Greiner on SOP and OMGE
Presentation by K. Koakutsu on Accounting
Presentation by K. Olsen on SDI
Presentation by G. Baribeau on Safeguards
Presentation by C. Sinha on WorldBank Climate Warehouse Infrastructure
Presentation by A. Marcu on Art. 6 Post SB 50

Regulatory and Financial Gaps Hindering CO2 Removal Technologies
2019-11-21 13:30 - 16:30 UTC
Following a short introduction by ERCST, this session will focus on the regulatory and financial gaps surrounding Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies (CDRTs), and will be composed of two panels, the first focusing on these gaps at the EU level and the second focusing on the international level (Paris Agreement). This workstream will not promote specific CDRTs, but rather focus on the enabling framework that is necessary to deploy these technologies at scale, if they are proven to be sustainable.
During the last brainstorm session, focus was placed on how the development and deployment of CDRTs have become vital in order to remain consistent with numerous 1,5 °C pathways, up to and after 2050. Energy efficiency and renewable energy sources will continue to be key aspects for limiting warming to 1,5 °C, and CDRTs cannot be expected to solve all manner of ills. However, there is a definite need for employing all available options, including CDRTs, especially when factoring in the current lock-in of fossil fuels which far exceed the carbon budget for limiting warming to 1,5 °C.
At the current state of play, there are numerous challenges and barriers impeding the progress of these technologies, resulting in a sharp contrast between the development projections needed in various scenarios, and the current actual projections, highlighted by the low technology readiness levels across the board for CDRTs. Therefore, it is important to bring the discussion to focusing on the various impediments to these nascent technologies, looking at the existing regulatory and financial gaps.
This meeting builds upon the outcomes of the brainstorm session organised on September 24 in Brussels, as well as other activities. ERCST will organise more meetings on CDRTs in 2020.

[rtec-registration-form]

Workshop Material(s)
Agenda
ERCST – presentation
Panel 1
Bellona – K. Whiriskey – presentation
Climeworks – C. Beuttler – presentation
Stockholm Exergi – K. Gustafsson – presentation
CAN Europe – U. Aarnio – presentation
Panel 2
NICFI – S. Traavik – presentation
IETA – S. De Clara – presentation
Fuels Europe – E. Sardellitti – presentation

Related Events
Product Standards in the EU – Stakeholder consultationJanuary 12 @ 14:30 - 16:30Stakeholder Roundtable: 2026 State of the EU ETS ReportJanuary 13 @ 10:00 - 12:00Focus Group: EU CBAM Legislative ProposalJanuary 13 @ 15:00 - 16:30Stakeholder consultation- EU’s Road Transport Decarbonization Policy: Innovative Policy Approaches for Industrial CompetitivenessJanuary 15 @ 14:30 - 16:30Debate – Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act: will it be the signal for hydrogen demand to emerge?January 22 @ 15:00 - 17:00
Discussion – Public consultation on CO2 markets and infrastructureDecember 16 @ 10:00 - 11:30Launch event – Towards a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure – Assessing progress and addressing gapsDecember 11 @ 15:00 - 17:00Launch Event: EU ETS – CBAM Strawman ReportDecember 9 @ 10:00 - 12:00

'Beyond 40%' - presentation of the draft Report
2019-11-21 10:00 - 12:00 UTC
In the context of the Paris Agreement, the European Union is increasing its efforts towards decarbonisation. Currently, the EU climate strategy is centred around three emissions reduction targets compared to 1990 levels: a cut of 20% of GHG emissions by 2020, at least 40% by 2030; and an implicit reduction of 80-95% by 2050. These targets have increasingly been put into question, as many stakeholders are pushing the EU to speed up its decarbonisation efforts and embrace the goal of climate neutrality by 2050.
During this meeting, ERCST will present its draft Report of the project ‘Beyond 40%’, which aims to assess whether Member States and other stakeholders are undertaking efforts to go ‘beyond’ their respective 2030 targets, and what is their perspective on the 2050 strategy and the potential target of carbon neutrality. The Report builds on a brainstorming session held on September 19, and will be discussed across the EU in a limited number of capitals. The final report – which will include feedback from the roundtables across the EU – will be published in February 2020.

Workshop Material(s)
20191121 Beyond 40 paper launch
Registration Form
[rtec-registration-form]
Related Events
Product Standards in the EU – Stakeholder consultationJanuary 12 @ 14:30 - 16:30Stakeholder Roundtable: 2026 State of the EU ETS ReportJanuary 13 @ 10:00 - 12:00Focus Group: EU CBAM Legislative ProposalJanuary 13 @ 15:00 - 16:30Stakeholder consultation- EU’s Road Transport Decarbonization Policy: Innovative Policy Approaches for Industrial CompetitivenessJanuary 15 @ 14:30 - 16:30Debate – Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act: will it be the signal for hydrogen demand to emerge?January 22 @ 15:00 - 17:00
Discussion – Public consultation on CO2 markets and infrastructureDecember 16 @ 10:00 - 11:30Launch event – Towards a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure – Assessing progress and addressing gapsDecember 11 @ 15:00 - 17:00Launch Event: EU ETS – CBAM Strawman ReportDecember 9 @ 10:00 - 12:00

EU ETS outlook in Phase 4: Assessment of policy options for EU climate policy & ‘Preparing for the MSR review’
2019-11-18 13:00 - 16:00 UTC
This meeting is jointly organised by ERCST and Sitra (Finnish Innovation Fund) and aims at analysing the outlook for the EU ETS in Phase 4. The meeting is supported by IETA and Carbon Market Watch. The intention is to promote a discussion among stakeholders on the future of the European carbon market, trying to assess what potential reforms might be needed to strengthen the EU ETS framework.
The key questions we will try to answer are:

is the EU ETS ‘fit for life’?
will it continue playing a key role in the EU decarbonisation strategy?
what reforms might be needed for it to remain a ‘cornerstone’ of the EU climate action?

To provide more clarity on these issues, the meeting will be divided in two parts, where two publications by ERCST and Sitra will be presented:

Paper presentation by Sitra ‘The role of the EU ETS in increasing EU climate ambition: Assessment of policy options’;
ERCST paper launch ‘Preparing the review of the Market Stability Reserve (MSR)’.

The first session will focus on some key policy options that might be taken during the EU ETS Phase 4, in order to align the EU ETS framework with the Paris Agreement targets. The discussion will be based on Sitra’s publication ‘The role of the EU ETS in increasing EU climate ambition: Assessment of policy options’.
The second session will focus on the review of the MSR scheduled in 2021, with the launch of ERCST paper ‘Preparing the review of the MSR’. This paper aims at providing an independent contribution to the policy debate, and outlines what elements the MSR review should include, how the review should be structured, and what indicators and data should be monitored towards 2021.

[rtec-registration-form]

Workshop Material(s)
Agenda

Sitra presentation
ERCST presentation

Related Events
Product Standards in the EU – Stakeholder consultationJanuary 12 @ 14:30 - 16:30Stakeholder Roundtable: 2026 State of the EU ETS ReportJanuary 13 @ 10:00 - 12:00Focus Group: EU CBAM Legislative ProposalJanuary 13 @ 15:00 - 16:30Stakeholder consultation- EU’s Road Transport Decarbonization Policy: Innovative Policy Approaches for Industrial CompetitivenessJanuary 15 @ 14:30 - 16:30Debate – Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act: will it be the signal for hydrogen demand to emerge?January 22 @ 15:00 - 17:00
Discussion – Public consultation on CO2 markets and infrastructureDecember 16 @ 10:00 - 11:30Launch event – Towards a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure – Assessing progress and addressing gapsDecember 11 @ 15:00 - 17:00Launch Event: EU ETS – CBAM Strawman ReportDecember 9 @ 10:00 - 12:00

Strategic challenges to the EU ETS in the long-term
2019-11-18 09:45 - 12:00 UTC
With the Phase 4 review, concluded in early 2018, the European institutions attempted to make the EU ETS fit for life up till 2030. While the implementing process is still fully ongoing, the EU ETS has to continue to internalise new developments. These developments can be domestic, most notably the recent call by European Commission President-elect Von der Leyen to increase the EU’s 2030 climate target and to explore the inclusion of new sectors in the EU ETS, as well as the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050 being supported by increasingly more Member States. These developments can also be international, such as the ongoing efforts to finalise an agreement of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, or efforts by other countries to reduce their emissions, including developing carbon pricing initiatives, as well as the level of ambition of other countries.
In light of such developments, it is useful to think about the EU ETS both in the 2030-timeframe, as well as in the longer-term, and explore how it could adapt and address issues that emerge. A first brainstorm session was organised by ERCST on September 27, which had the intention to discuss, and discover, key issues, if any, that would need to be explored, as well as possibly identify work that may need to be done in the medium to long-term to help the EU ETS remaining resilient, relevant and acceptable.
After that meeting, ERCST produced a reflection note, which in no way is intended as a summary or conclusions of this session, but should be seen as general reflections from ERCST on the issues that were discussed, and an exploration of their articulation with the EU ETS.
These issues include:

Review and revision of the Market Stability Reserve responding to market developments;
Addressing competitiveness concerns in the long-term by introducing carbon border adjustments and operationalising Article 30;
Exploring the role of using domestic offsets through operationalising Article 24a;
Exploring options for international links with the EU ETS;
Managing policy fragmentation through effective governance;
Explore mechanisms to incentivise the deployment of Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies.

During this meeting, we will continue to discuss these, and other, issues, and identify any work that should be done.
[rtec-registration-form]

Workshop Material(s)
Final Agenda
ERCST Presentation
Liv Rathe (NorskHydro) Presentation
Reflection Note

Related Events
Product Standards in the EU – Stakeholder consultationJanuary 12 @ 14:30 - 16:30Stakeholder Roundtable: 2026 State of the EU ETS ReportJanuary 13 @ 10:00 - 12:00Focus Group: EU CBAM Legislative ProposalJanuary 13 @ 15:00 - 16:30Stakeholder consultation- EU’s Road Transport Decarbonization Policy: Innovative Policy Approaches for Industrial CompetitivenessJanuary 15 @ 14:30 - 16:30Debate – Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act: will it be the signal for hydrogen demand to emerge?January 22 @ 15:00 - 17:00
Discussion – Public consultation on CO2 markets and infrastructureDecember 16 @ 10:00 - 11:30Launch event – Towards a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure – Assessing progress and addressing gapsDecember 11 @ 15:00 - 17:00Launch Event: EU ETS – CBAM Strawman ReportDecember 9 @ 10:00 - 12:00

Funding Mechanisms in Phase 4 of the EU ETS
2019-10-08 13:00 - 16:30 UTC
The revision for the fourth phase of EU Emissions Trading System (2021-2030) introduced a number of important changes concerning funding mechanisms in the system. Existing mechanisms – the Solidarity Provision and Article 10c Derogation – were updated, and new instruments – the Modernisation Fund and the Innovation Fund – have been introduced.
The delegated regulation for the innovation fund was adopted in February and eligible member states communicated their decision to (not) use Article 10c derogation by June 30 by publishing a competitive bidding process and a list of small projects. By September 30, Member States also have to communicate their decision with regard to the use of the flexibility to move allowances between the various funds, and the European Commission is expected to put forward its draft implementing act establishing the Modernisation Fund before the end of the year.
The European Roundtable on Climate Change and Sustainable Transition (ERCST), together with the Central European Energy Partners (CEEP), has been working this important topic for over a year. An event was organised last year in September in Brussels, where a paper was presented discussing the questions and issues that will need to be clarified during the implementation phase.
Over the course of 2019, ERCST and CEEP have been working closely with Member States and stakeholders to deepen the understanding of the regional priorities for the use of the funding mechanisms. Four workshops were organised in Poland, Bulgaria, Romania and the Czech Republic; and surveys and interviews were carried out with Member States and stakeholders.

During this meeting, ERCST and CEEP will present some main takeaways from their work this year and the preliminary results of a stakeholder sentiment analysis. Next, the European Commission will present the progress regarding the implementation of the funding mechanisms, with a focus on the modernisation fund. This will be followed by a roundtable discussion by Member State and stakeholder representatives.

Workshop Material(s)
Agenda
Presentation ERCST & CEEP
Presentation Roman Doubrava
ERCST & CEEP Report

Related Events
Product Standards in the EU – Stakeholder consultationJanuary 12 @ 14:30 - 16:30Stakeholder Roundtable: 2026 State of the EU ETS ReportJanuary 13 @ 10:00 - 12:00Focus Group: EU CBAM Legislative ProposalJanuary 13 @ 15:00 - 16:30Stakeholder consultation- EU’s Road Transport Decarbonization Policy: Innovative Policy Approaches for Industrial CompetitivenessJanuary 15 @ 14:30 - 16:30Debate – Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act: will it be the signal for hydrogen demand to emerge?January 22 @ 15:00 - 17:00
Discussion – Public consultation on CO2 markets and infrastructureDecember 16 @ 10:00 - 11:30Launch event – Towards a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure – Assessing progress and addressing gapsDecember 11 @ 15:00 - 17:00Launch Event: EU ETS – CBAM Strawman ReportDecember 9 @ 10:00 - 12:00

Preparing the review of the Market Stability Reserve
2019-10-08 10:00 - 12:30 UTC
This meeting is part of an ongoing effort by ERCST to promote a discussion on the review of the Market Stability Reserve (MSR), scheduled in 2021. Building on earlier discussions with stakeholders held in February, March and July 2019, ERCST will present the main findings of its draft paper “Preparing the review of the Market Stability Reserve”.
The aim of the paper is to identify the goals and functions of the MSR, and ways for the 2021 review to analyse the performance of the MSR via relevant indicators. This includes a discussion on the potential elements and structure of the MSR review, which should help identifying the issues that need to be monitored towards the review. In identifying said issues and indicators, the focus will be on both the track-record and expected impact of the MSR on the EU ETS market balance.
This meeting should serve as a final brainstorming before the planned release of the final ERCST paper on the MSR review, foreseen in November 2019.
[rtec-registration-form]

Workshop Material(s)
Agenda
ERCST presentation
Kenneth Bruninx – KU Leuven presentation
Outi Haanperä – Sitra presentation
Trotignon-Quemin – LSE/Dauphine University presentation

Related Events
Product Standards in the EU – Stakeholder consultationJanuary 12 @ 14:30 - 16:30Stakeholder Roundtable: 2026 State of the EU ETS ReportJanuary 13 @ 10:00 - 12:00Focus Group: EU CBAM Legislative ProposalJanuary 13 @ 15:00 - 16:30Stakeholder consultation- EU’s Road Transport Decarbonization Policy: Innovative Policy Approaches for Industrial CompetitivenessJanuary 15 @ 14:30 - 16:30Debate – Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act: will it be the signal for hydrogen demand to emerge?January 22 @ 15:00 - 17:00
Discussion – Public consultation on CO2 markets and infrastructureDecember 16 @ 10:00 - 11:30Launch event – Towards a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure – Assessing progress and addressing gapsDecember 11 @ 15:00 - 17:00Launch Event: EU ETS – CBAM Strawman ReportDecember 9 @ 10:00 - 12:00

From New York to Santiago: Outcomes of the UN Climate Action summit and looking ahead to COP25
2019-09-30 13:00 - 17:00 UTC
ERCST invites you to join our discussion on international climate change policy and ambition, focusing on the main takeaways from the SG Climate Summit, taking place on the 23 September 2019, and looking ahead to the upcoming COP 25 in Santiago, Chile.
This meeting will consist of three parts:

Reflections on the SG Summit: possible implications for EU climate change policy and COP 25
Looking ahead to COP 25: Priorities and work to be done
Briefing on the status of negotiations on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement

The questions to be discussed include: What are the main outcomes and implications of the SG Climate Summit?; How might the outcomes of the SG Summit impact the ongoing discussions on a long-term climate strategy for the EU?; What can we expect from the EU and other Parties for COP 25 in December?; What are the expected outcomes for the upcoming COP?
[rtec-registration-form]
Workshop Material(s)
Agenda

Related Events
Product Standards in the EU – Stakeholder consultationJanuary 12 @ 14:30 - 16:30Stakeholder Roundtable: 2026 State of the EU ETS ReportJanuary 13 @ 10:00 - 12:00Focus Group: EU CBAM Legislative ProposalJanuary 13 @ 15:00 - 16:30Stakeholder consultation- EU’s Road Transport Decarbonization Policy: Innovative Policy Approaches for Industrial CompetitivenessJanuary 15 @ 14:30 - 16:30Debate – Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act: will it be the signal for hydrogen demand to emerge?January 22 @ 15:00 - 17:00
Discussion – Public consultation on CO2 markets and infrastructureDecember 16 @ 10:00 - 11:30Launch event – Towards a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure – Assessing progress and addressing gapsDecember 11 @ 15:00 - 17:00Launch Event: EU ETS – CBAM Strawman ReportDecember 9 @ 10:00 - 12:00

Brainstorm on 'Strategic challenges to the EU ETS in the long-term'
2019-09-27 09:00 - 12:30 UTC
With the Phase 4 review, the European institutions attempted to make the EU ETS fit for life up till 2030. The work on implementing this review is coming to an end, with most of the secondary legislation being adopted in 2019; this work will likely be finalised in the first half of 2020.
However, the EU ETS will continue to internalise new developments, including actions by other countries. It is never too early to think about what new developments can reasonably be expected, and how the EU ETS should respond to them.
In this brainstorm session, ERCST will present its initial views on some of the issues the EU ETS will have to deal with in the longer term. The goal of the meeting is both to receive feedback on the presentation and hear the participants’ views on what they think are important challenges and elements to address in the longer term.
Some of the longer-term issues ERCST would like to discuss with you include, but are not limited to:

In the light of what we see as an impending increase of ambition in the EU climate commitment for 2050, with inevitable implications for the 2030 EU ETS targets, what needs to be done to make the EU ETS resilient, relevant and acceptable?
What are implications of carbon neutrality by 2050 for the EU ETS post-2030, how relevant will the EU ETS be, and what do we need to do for it to remain relevant?
Operationalising Article 30 of the EU ETS and dealing with carbon leakage issues in the long term
How to react to international developments on carbon pricing, including the prospects of linking
How to incentivise carbon dioxide removals and potential links with the EU ETS
Inclusion of new sectors in the EU ETS

Workshop Material(s)
Agenda
Presentation John Odell
Presentation Michael Grubb
Presentation Mariano Morazzo
Reflection Note

Related Events
Product Standards in the EU – Stakeholder consultationJanuary 12 @ 14:30 - 16:30Stakeholder Roundtable: 2026 State of the EU ETS ReportJanuary 13 @ 10:00 - 12:00Focus Group: EU CBAM Legislative ProposalJanuary 13 @ 15:00 - 16:30Stakeholder consultation- EU’s Road Transport Decarbonization Policy: Innovative Policy Approaches for Industrial CompetitivenessJanuary 15 @ 14:30 - 16:30Debate – Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act: will it be the signal for hydrogen demand to emerge?January 22 @ 15:00 - 17:00
Discussion – Public consultation on CO2 markets and infrastructureDecember 16 @ 10:00 - 11:30Launch event – Towards a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure – Assessing progress and addressing gapsDecember 11 @ 15:00 - 17:00Launch Event: EU ETS – CBAM Strawman ReportDecember 9 @ 10:00 - 12:00

Brainstorm on 'Beyond 40%' project
2019-09-26 14:00 - 17:00 UTC
In the context of the Paris Agreement, the European Union is increasing its efforts towards decarbonisation. Currently, the EU climate strategy is centred around three emissions reduction targets compared to 1990 levels: a cut of 20% of GHG emissions by 2020, at least 40% by 2030; and an implicit reduction of 80-95% by 2050. These targets have increasingly been put into question, as many stakeholders are pushing the EU to speed up its decarbonisation efforts and embrace the goal of climate neutrality by 2050.
This meeting marks the start of the new ERCST project ‘Beyond 40%’. This project seeks to assess whether Member States and other stakeholders are undertaking efforts to go ‘beyond’ their respective 2030 targets, and what is their perspective on the 2050 strategy and the potential target of carbon neutrality.
The ‘Beyond 40%’ project aims to:

assess whether stakeholders are communicating meaningful commitments to go ‘Beyond 40%’
map these commitments by companies, cities, regions, and Member States, identifying best practices and no-regret policies
quantify commitments to the extent possible, and aggregate them

This meeting is an opportunity for ERCST to gather feedback on its methodology to achieve these goals, and enable stakeholders to discuss the initial findings of the project.
ERCST will follow up this event with a report, due to be launched on November 14th in Brussels, and discussed across the EU in a limited number of capitals. The final report – which will include feedback from the roundtables across the EU – will be published in February 2020.

[rtec-registration-form]

Workshop Material(s)
Draft Agenda
Presentation Mark Roelfsema
Presentation ERCST

Related Events
Product Standards in the EU – Stakeholder consultationJanuary 12 @ 14:30 - 16:30Stakeholder Roundtable: 2026 State of the EU ETS ReportJanuary 13 @ 10:00 - 12:00Focus Group: EU CBAM Legislative ProposalJanuary 13 @ 15:00 - 16:30Stakeholder consultation- EU’s Road Transport Decarbonization Policy: Innovative Policy Approaches for Industrial CompetitivenessJanuary 15 @ 14:30 - 16:30Debate – Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act: will it be the signal for hydrogen demand to emerge?January 22 @ 15:00 - 17:00
Discussion – Public consultation on CO2 markets and infrastructureDecember 16 @ 10:00 - 11:30Launch event – Towards a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure – Assessing progress and addressing gapsDecember 11 @ 15:00 - 17:00Launch Event: EU ETS – CBAM Strawman ReportDecember 9 @ 10:00 - 12:00

Brainstorm on mechanisms for 'Incentivising Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies'
2019-09-24 09:30 - 12:30 UTC
Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies (CDRTs) are expected to play an increasingly important role, but up to and after 2050. At the international level the IPCC highlights how they could be necessary: the IPCC notes that CDR deployment over the 21st century is substantial in most pathways considered 1,5°C-consistent.
In order to move ahead with CDRTs, they need to be incentivized (not least financially) within an enabling framework. The focus of ERCST on this topic is therefore be on how to incentivise CDRTs, both at the local level (EU) and cross-border (Article 6 of the Paris Agreement).
Both at the international and EU level there is a clear future reliance on CDRTs, but there are still considerable issues with CDRTs. As yet many still remain unproven, especially at the level they would need to be deployed to match the expectations. The environmental sustainability in the longer term is also not always guaranteed. Therefore, this workstream will not promote specific CDRTs, but rather focus on the enabling framework that is necessary to deploy these technologies at scale, if they are proven to be sustainable.
ERCST started the session with a short presentation on current state of play on CDRTs, how it is envisaged in key strategies and forward-looking scenarios, and elements of potential mechanisms and frameworks to incentivise CDRTs effectively while ensuring their long term sustainability. This presentation was be followed by a round of initial remarks from selected stakeholders, focusing on the following questions:

Which options are there for a framework to incentive CDRTs? For example, within the EU, the mechanisms for enabling CDRTs could be embedded in the EU ETS, the Common Agricultural Policy, and/or a common framework. What would work better?
How can emission reductions through CDRTs be made available for international trading under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement?
How would the point of emission be defined in both EU ETS and Article 6? Can CCS for enhanced oil recovery or coal plants with CCS be considered CDRTs?
How does CCU fit into this story, especially considering the ECs reliance on synthetic fuels and materials in its long-term strategy scenarios.
Should there be a role for energy in the CCS discussion, or should it focus on currently non-abatable industrial emissions?
How could REDD+, and experiences learned from it, fit into this picture?

Workshop Material(s)
Agenda
Presentation by ERCST
Presentation by A. Vihavainen, Puro
Presentation by H. Felder, Stora Enso
Presentation by P. Zakkour, KAPSARC, Carbon Counts
Presentation by S. Yeh, Chalmers University of Technology
Presentation by O. Geden, SWP
Presentation by T. Haugland, Carbon Limits

ERCST summary note

Related Events
Product Standards in the EU – Stakeholder consultationJanuary 12 @ 14:30 - 16:30Stakeholder Roundtable: 2026 State of the EU ETS ReportJanuary 13 @ 10:00 - 12:00Focus Group: EU CBAM Legislative ProposalJanuary 13 @ 15:00 - 16:30Stakeholder consultation- EU’s Road Transport Decarbonization Policy: Innovative Policy Approaches for Industrial CompetitivenessJanuary 15 @ 14:30 - 16:30Debate – Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act: will it be the signal for hydrogen demand to emerge?January 22 @ 15:00 - 17:00
Discussion – Public consultation on CO2 markets and infrastructureDecember 16 @ 10:00 - 11:30Launch event – Towards a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure – Assessing progress and addressing gapsDecember 11 @ 15:00 - 17:00Launch Event: EU ETS – CBAM Strawman ReportDecember 9 @ 10:00 - 12:00

Informal Forum on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement
2019-08-26 - 2019-08-27
By invitation only | Santiago
This meeting is part of the “Implementation of markets and non-markets provisions in the Paris Agreement” project. The meeting follows the informal forum held in Bonn at the beginning of June, held in adjacent to SB 50. The aim is to create an informal atmosphere, to explore, discover, explain and understand the different points of view related to the issues surrounding Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Discussions will focus on substantive issues surrounding Article 6. The session will end with looking at the way forward for the upcoming session in December at COP 25 in Santiago.

Workshop Material(s)
Santiago Agenda
Presentations from day 1
Presentation by A. Marcu on Post SBSTA 50 Reflections
Presentation by A. Marcu on ITMOs
Presentation by A. Marcu on NDCs and Metrics
Presentation by S. Tashi on Conversions
Presentation by J. Miguez on Art. 6.4, ITMOs
Presentation by Y. Mizuno on Reporting and Trajectory
Presentation by K. Raeschke-Kessler on the flow of ITMOs
Presentation by M. Peters-Stanley on Reporting and Accounting
Presentation by C. Voigt on Art. 6.4 Appeal Procedure
Presentations from day 2
Presentation by S. Lim on KP Transition
Presentation by K. Olsen and S. Braden on SD
Presentation by MJ Mace on SOP and OMGE
Presentation by C. Voigt on Art. 6.4 Appeals Procedure
Presentation by M. Peters-Stanley on CDM Transition

Preparing the review of the Market Stability Reserve
2019-07-02 14:30 - 17:00 UTC
The MSR has started to operate in 2019, and the first review is scheduled in 2021. In this review, the track-record and impacts of the MSR will be analysed. Based on this analysis, and a discussion on what the MSR is ought to achieve, a decision will have to be made on whether or not to change the MSR parameters, and if so, how.
ERCST held a first roundtable on the review of the MSR on March 28th, following earlier discussions held in February 2019 and October 2018. The meeting of March 28th focused on identifying the goals and functions of the MSR, and ways for the 2021 review to analyse the performance of the MSR via relevant indicators.
We will continue these discussions on July 2nd, building on some of the issues which emerged during the last roundtable. The meeting will take into account the outcomes of the European Commission’s publication of the new data on the total number of allowances in circulation (TNAC), due on May 15th.
ERCST is preparing a paper on the review of the MSR, building upon discussions organised by ERCST and feedback from various stakeholders. The publication of the paper is foreseen in Q4 2019.

This event is by invitation only

Workshop Material(s)
Agenda
ERCST presentation: Preparing the MSR review
Presentation by Raphael Trotignon – Paris Dauphin University

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Product Standards in the EU – Stakeholder consultationJanuary 12 @ 14:30 - 16:30Stakeholder Roundtable: 2026 State of the EU ETS ReportJanuary 13 @ 10:00 - 12:00Focus Group: EU CBAM Legislative ProposalJanuary 13 @ 15:00 - 16:30Stakeholder consultation- EU’s Road Transport Decarbonization Policy: Innovative Policy Approaches for Industrial CompetitivenessJanuary 15 @ 14:30 - 16:30Debate – Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act: will it be the signal for hydrogen demand to emerge?January 22 @ 15:00 - 17:00
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2019 State of the EU ETS Report - Paris meeting
2019-06-17 08:30 - 10:30 UTC | Article 6 library
This is one of the outreach meetings of the 2019 State of the EU ETS Report, organised in 4 European capitals (Paris, Rome, Stockholm and Berlin). This is the 4th edition of the “State of the EU ETS Report” a joint initiative ERCST, I4CE, ICIS, Eco-Act and the Wegener Center at the University of Graz. During the meeting, the authors will present the Report and their findings through a presentation, after which the Report will be discussed in a roundtable setting.
The annual “State of the EU ETS” Report aims to provide an independent contribution to the policy debate, which is needed to ensure that the EU ETS is “fit for purpose”.
The report focuses on 5 key areas:

Recent policy developments and implications
Environmental delivery
Economic delivery
Market functioning
Issues to monitor for the future

This meeting is hosted by I4CE, and will take place at their premises.

You can register here.

Workshop Material(s)
Draft Agenda
2019 State of the EU ETS Report

Related Events
Product Standards in the EU – Stakeholder consultationJanuary 12 @ 14:30 - 16:30Stakeholder Roundtable: 2026 State of the EU ETS ReportJanuary 13 @ 10:00 - 12:00Focus Group: EU CBAM Legislative ProposalJanuary 13 @ 15:00 - 16:30Stakeholder consultation- EU’s Road Transport Decarbonization Policy: Innovative Policy Approaches for Industrial CompetitivenessJanuary 15 @ 14:30 - 16:30Debate – Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act: will it be the signal for hydrogen demand to emerge?January 22 @ 15:00 - 17:00
Discussion – Public consultation on CO2 markets and infrastructureDecember 16 @ 10:00 - 11:30Launch event – Towards a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure – Assessing progress and addressing gapsDecember 11 @ 15:00 - 17:00Launch Event: EU ETS – CBAM Strawman ReportDecember 9 @ 10:00 - 12:00
