The European Commission welcomes today's vote by Member States to ban from use in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) emission offset credits from certain projects which destroy industrial gases. Essentially, the ban means that companies will be able to use these credits for 2012 compliance under the EU ETS until 30 April 2013, but not thereafter.
Connie Hedegaard, Commissioner for Climate Action, said: "I very much welcome the Committee's decision to back this Regulation, less than 5 months after I first proposed the idea. These projects raise concerns relating to their environmental integrity, value-for-money and geographical distribution. Not only are some of these credits of doubtful value, continuing to use them is also not in the EU's interest as doing so could discourage host countries from supporting cheaper and more direct action to cut these emissions. Our aim is not to reduce the number of credits available but to ensure the international carbon market is based on a better quality and distribution of credits."
Read More:
- IP/11/56: Emissions trading: Commission welcomes vote to ban certain industrial gas credits
- Draft Commission regulation determining, pursuant to Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, certain restrictions applicable to the use of international credits from projects involving industrial gases (approved by Climate Change Committee on 21 February 2011 and to be submitted to 3 months European Parliament and Council scrutiny before formal adoption)
- Information on the EU Emissions Trading System
Details
- Publication date
- 21 January 2011
- Author
- Directorate-General for Climate Action