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The Guardian
01-07-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
EU may allow carbon credits from developing countries to count towards climate goals
EU member states may be allowed to count controversial carbon credits from developing countries towards their climate targets, the European climate commissioner has said as states meet for a crucial decision on the issue. The EU will discuss on Wednesday its target for slashing carbon dioxide by 2040, with an expected cut of 90% compared with 1990 levels, in line with the bloc's overarching target of reaching net zero by mid-century. If agreed by member states, and passed by the EU parliament, that goal is then supposed to be translated into an international target – known as a nationally determined contribution (NDC) – pegged to 2035, under the Paris agreement. But green groups are furious over proposals that would allow part of the target to be made up from buying carbon offsets from overseas. They argue that the EU should meet its targets domestically. More than 130 groups wrote to express 'extreme concern' over the proposals last month. Gareth Redmond-King, the international lead at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit thinktank, said: 'There is no need for them to use credits. If such a major emitter is not going as far as they demonstrably could with emissions cuts, then the overall global ambition is lower than it could be. This would risk undermining the EU's reputation for climate leadership at a time when that leadership is most needed.' Wopke Hoekstra, the EU climate commissioner, told the Guardian that developing countries were keen to gain EU financing through carbon credits, for projects such as tree planting or forest restoration, and that it was possible to ensure that such offsets resulted in genuine emissions reductions. He said the possibility of allowing this was 'potentially very attractive'. 'The planet doesn't care about where we take emissions out of the air,' he said. 'You need to take action everywhere, but it certainly also helps to do that both here and elsewhere.' He said developing countries in Africa and Latin America were interested in carbon credit projects. 'There is huge appetite from our friends in the global south,' he said. But such projects would have to be in addition to actions developing countries were already taking to meet their own emissions targets, rather than replacing them. 'If it is additional, I think it is a great idea,' he said. 'And what we will not have a shortage of is ambition to do stuff at the same time in Europe. There's no one who doubts the very significant level of ambition [for emissions cuts within the EU].' Hoekstra acknowledged there had been problems in the past with carbon credits that were found to be worthless. 'It all stands or falls with the integrity of such a system, where certification, verification [of carbon credits], is absolutely essential,' he said. 'But humanity has solved more difficult problems.' Wednesday's talks on a 2040 emissions target could also be derailed by a small number of member states, led by France, mooting 'decoupling' the domestic target from the NDC. They argue that the NDC, with its 2035 emissions target, could be delivered in September without the 2040 figure being agreed, implying that a less ambitious 2040 goal could be agreed at a later date. Hoekstra was firm. 'We will come up this Wednesday with our 2040 climate target, and from that we will derive an ambitious NDC,' he said. 'And I am confident that we will deliver that exact number by September, as we were asked for by the secretary general of the UN.' Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion All countries are expected to lay out their NDC before Cop30, the crunch climate summit in Brazil this November, but few have yet done so. China's NDC will be crucial, especially as Donald Trump has taken the US out of the Paris agreement. Hoekstra attacked China for planning to build new coal-fired power plants, which he said was 'against what was agreed at Cop28', when countries resolved to 'transition away from fossil fuels'. He said: 'Building new ones is a very bad idea.' It is unlikely that the NDCs presented at Cop30 in Belém will be sufficient to prevent temperatures breaching the vital threshold of 1.5C above preindustrial levels contained in the Paris agreement. The Brazilian hosts of the meeting have said NDCs will not be negotiated at Cop30. But Hoekstra said the summit must come up with an answer for how to bridge any gap between the commitments made and the 1.5C limit. 'It's difficult to leave that proverbial elephant in the room and not discuss it. We do need to have political space to discuss the impact of the NDCs and the way forward.'
Irish Examiner
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
EU proposals to allow member states buy carbon credits from developing countries angers climate activists
EU member states may be allowed to count controversial carbon credits from developing countries towards their climate targets, the European climate commissioner has said, as states meet for a crucial decision on the issue. The EU will discuss on Wednesday its target for slashing carbon dioxide by 2040, with an expected cut of 90% compared with 1990 levels, in line with the bloc's overarching target of reaching net zero by mid-century. If agreed by member states, and passed by the EU parliament, that goal is then supposed to be translated into an international target — known as a nationally determined contribution (NDC) — pegged to 2035, under the Paris agreement. But green groups are furious over proposals that would allow part of the target to be made up from buying carbon offsets from overseas. They argue the EU should meet its targets domestically. More than 130 groups wrote to express 'extreme concern' over the proposals last month. Gareth Redmond-King, the international lead at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit think tank, said: 'There is no need for them to use credits. If such a major emitter is not going as far as they demonstrably could with emissions cuts, then the overall global ambition is lower than it could be. This would risk undermining the EU's reputation for climate leadership at a time when that leadership is most needed.' Wopke Hoekstra, the EU climate commissioner, said developing countries were keen to gain EU financing through carbon credits, for projects such as tree-planting or forest restoration, and it was possible to ensure such offsets resulted in genuine emissions reductions. He said the possibility of allowing this was 'potentially very attractive'. 'The planet doesn't care about where we take emissions out of the air,' he said. 'You need to take action everywhere, but it certainly also helps to do that both here and elsewhere.' But such projects would have to be in addition to actions developing countries are already taking to meet their own emissions targets, rather than replacing them. Hoekstra acknowledged there had been problems in the past with carbon credits that were found to be worthless. 'It all stands or falls with the integrity of such a system, where certification, verification [of carbon credits], is absolutely essential,' he said. 'But humanity has solved more difficult problems.' Wednesday's talks on a 2040 emissions target could also be derailed by a small number of member states, led by France, mooting 'decoupling' the domestic target from the NDC. They argue the NDC, with its 2035 emissions target, could be delivered in September without the 2040 figure being agreed, implying a less ambitious 2040 goal could be agreed at a later date. Hoekstra was firm. 'We will come up this Wednesday with our 2040 climate target, and from that we will derive an ambitious NDC. And I am confident that we will deliver that exact number by September, as we were asked for by the secretary general of the UN.' The Guardian Read More Time to get creative on climate action for the generation most affected
The Guardian
01-07-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
EU may allow carbon credits from developing nations to count towards climate goals
European member states may be allowed to count controversial carbon credits from developing countries towards their climate targets, the European climate commissioner has said as states meet for a crucial decision on the issue. The EU will discuss on Wednesday its target for slashing carbon dioxide by 2040, with an expected cut of 90% compared with 1990 levels, in line with the bloc's overarching target of reaching net zero by mid-century. If agreed by member states, and passed by the EU parliament, that goal is then supposed to be translated into an international target – known as a nationally determined contribution (NDC) – pegged to 2035, under the Paris agreement. But green groups are furious over proposals that would allow part of the target to be made up from buying carbon offsets from overseas. They argue that the EU should meet its targets domestically: more than 130 groups wrote to express 'extreme concern' over the proposals last month. Gareth Redmond-King, the international lead at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit thinktank, said: 'There is no need for them to use credits. If such a major emitter is not going as far as they demonstrably could with emissions cuts, then the overall global ambition is lower than it could be. This would risk undermining the EU's reputation for climate leadership at a time when that leadership is most needed.' Wopke Hoekstra, the EU climate commissioner, told the Guardian that developing countries were keen to gain EU financing through carbon credits, for projects such as tree planting or forest restoration, and that it was possible to ensure that such offsets resulted in genuine emissions reductions. He said the possibility of allowing this was 'potentially very attractive'. 'The planet doesn't care about where we take emissions out of the air,' he said. 'You need to take action everywhere, but it certainly also helps to do that both here and elsewhere.' He said developing countries in Africa and Latin America were interested in carbon credit projects. 'There is huge appetite from our friends in the global south,' he said. But such projects would have to be in addition to actions developing countries were already taking to meet their own emissions targets, rather than replacing them. 'If it is additional, I think it is a great idea,' he said. 'And what we will not have a shortage of is ambition to do stuff at the same time in Europe. There's no one who doubts the very significant level of ambition [for emissions cuts within the EU].' Hoekstra acknowledged there had been problems in the past with carbon credits that were found to be worthless. 'It all stands or falls with the integrity of such a system, where certification, verification [of carbon credits], is absolutely essential,' he said. 'But humanity has solved more difficult problems.' Wednesday's talks on a 2040 emissions target could also be derailed by a small number of member states, led by France, mooting 'decoupling' the domestic target from the NDC. They argue that the NDC, with its 2035 emissions target, could be delivered in September without the 2040 figure being agreed, implying that a less ambitious 2040 goal could be agreed at a later date. Hoekstra was firm. 'We will come up this Wednesday with our 2040 climate target, and from that we will derive an ambitious NDC,' he said. 'And I am confident that we will deliver that exact number by September, as we were asked for by the secretary general of the UN.' Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion All countries are expected to lay out their NDC before Cop30, the crunch climate summit in Brazil this November, but few have yet done so. China's NDC will be crucial, especially as Donald Trump has taken the US out of the Paris agreement. Hoekstra blasted China for planning to build new coal-fired power plants, which he said was 'against what was agreed at Cop28', when countries resolved to 'transition away from fossil fuels'. He said: 'Building new ones is a very bad idea.' It is unlikely that the NDCs presented at Cop30 in Belem will be sufficient to prevent temperatures breaching the vital threshold of 1.5C above preindustrial levels contained in the Paris agreement. The Brazilian hosts of the meeting have said NDCs will not be negotiated at Cop30. But Hoekstra said the summit must come up with an answer for how to bridge any gap between the commitments made and the 1.5C limit. 'It's difficult to leave that proverbial elephant in the room and not discuss it. We do need to have political space to discuss the impact of the NDCs and the way forward.'
The Independent
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
EVs could power homes if UK suffers major power cut
Electric vehicles (EVs) could power homes if the UK suffers power outages similar to those in Spain and Portugal, a think tank has said. The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) said 60% of an EV's battery is capable of providing nearly six days of electricity for a typical UK home. EVs with V2G (vehicle to grid) or V2H (vehicle to home) functionality are able to send energy back from their battery to the grid or home via a bi-directional charger. The technology enables EVs to be used to generate money by charging when electricity is cheap – such as overnight – and selling it back at peak times. The ECIU estimated that EV owners could make £630 a year in this way. Several EV users in Spain posted on social media that they were using this technology to power their homes during widespread power outages that began on Monday. One claimed they were 'the only one with electricity in my neighbourhood thanks to my electric car'. ECIU head of transport Colin Walker said: 'As well as reducing emissions and saving their owners hundreds of pounds in running costs, EVs are also capable of adding resilience to their owners' homes. 'More and more EVs are arriving on the market that are capable of returning power to the home. 'In an unprecedented blackout like the one we just saw in Spain, these EVs will allow people to keep their lights on, their fridges cold and their wireless routers running for days. 'Owners of V2G-capable EVs are also able to charge their cars when electricity is cheap and sell it back to the grid when demand is higher, earning them hundreds of pounds a year.' Automotive industry veteran Andy Palmer recalled how Japan suffered major power cuts following a tsunami in 2011, while he was at manufacturer Nissan. He said: 'My team and I commissioned Leaf-to-Home where the car could power the house, and the very first unit was installed in my house in Tokyo in 2012. 'This technology isn't new, but it does work and we do need it. 'EVs can, and will, deliver the balance that the grid needs as we transition to a renewable future.' This week's blackouts caused major disruption in Spain and Portugal, with businesses unable to accept card payments, metro systems closed and traffic lights out of action.
Western Telegraph
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- Western Telegraph
EVs could power homes if UK suffers major power cut
The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) said 60% of an EV's battery is capable of providing nearly six days of electricity for a typical UK home. EVs with V2G (vehicle to grid) or V2H (vehicle to home) functionality are able to send energy back from their battery to the grid or home via a bi-directional charger. In an unprecedented blackout like the one we just saw in Spain, these EVs will allow people to keep their lights on, their fridges cold and their wireless routers running for days Colin Walker, Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit The technology enables EVs to be used to generate money by charging when electricity is cheap – such as overnight – and selling it back at peak times. The ECIU estimated that EV owners could make £630 a year in this way. Several EV users in Spain posted on social media that they were using this technology to power their homes during widespread power outages that began on Monday. One claimed they were 'the only one with electricity in my neighbourhood thanks to my electric car'. ECIU head of transport Colin Walker said: 'As well as reducing emissions and saving their owners hundreds of pounds in running costs, EVs are also capable of adding resilience to their owners' homes. 'More and more EVs are arriving on the market that are capable of returning power to the home. 'In an unprecedented blackout like the one we just saw in Spain, these EVs will allow people to keep their lights on, their fridges cold and their wireless routers running for days. EVs can, and will, deliver the balance that the grid needs as we transition to a renewable future Automotive industry veteran Andy Palmer 'Owners of V2G-capable EVs are also able to charge their cars when electricity is cheap and sell it back to the grid when demand is higher, earning them hundreds of pounds a year.' Automotive industry veteran Andy Palmer recalled how Japan suffered major power cuts following a tsunami in 2011, while he was at manufacturer Nissan. He said: 'My team and I commissioned Leaf-to-Home where the car could power the house, and the very first unit was installed in my house in Tokyo in 2012. 'This technology isn't new, but it does work and we do need it. 'EVs can, and will, deliver the balance that the grid needs as we transition to a renewable future.' This week's blackouts caused major disruption in Spain and Portugal, with businesses unable to accept card payments, metro systems closed and traffic lights out of action.
