Enlarge image
Industrial chimney: In future, companies will have to pay more for CO₂ emissions (symbolic image)
Photo: IMAGO/APress
Consumers and companies in the EU will have to pay more often for carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions in the future.
Negotiators from the EU Parliament and the member states agreed on a reform of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), as announced by the Czech Council Presidency.
This should make the most important instrument of European climate protection policy significantly more effective.
The negotiations lasted 29 hours and the final agreement was only reached on Sunday night.
With emissions trading, companies have to prove rights to emit climate-damaging greenhouse gases and can therefore trade with each other.
Specifically, the negotiators agreed to tighten the existing emissions trading in the EU.
For example, companies have to buy pollution certificates if they emit CO₂.
This should create an incentive to produce less CO₂.
Now the number of pollution rights is to be reduced faster than previously planned.
In addition, free certificates for companies are to be phased out gradually by 2034.
The system is also to be extended to heating buildings and transport.
In Germany, emissions trading already applies to these areas.
In addition, a new climate social fund is intended to cushion the consequences of the energy transition for consumers: this should total around 86 billion euros.
This is intended to relieve households and finance investments, for example in more efficient buildings.
»Huge contribution to climate protection at minimal prices«
The negotiator in the EU Parliament, the German MP Peter Liese from the conservative People's Party EPP, called it the "biggest climate protection law of all time".
The ETS will reduce emissions in the European Union by 1500 million tons of CO₂ by 2030.
It contributes 25 times more to achieving the EU's 2030 target than the controversial legislation banning combustion engines.
"This is a huge contribution to climate protection at minimal prices," he said in his statement.
"In this crisis, we will give all citizens and industry a short breather and give European industry a clear signal that it is worth investing in climate-friendly production and technologies in Europe."
Habeck considers the agreement a “great success”
Federal Economics and Climate Protection Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) praised the EU unification as a great success.
"From a German perspective, the agreement is a breakthrough for climate protection, which at the same time ensures the competitiveness of our European industry and the social cushioning of necessary climate measures," said Habeck in a statement published on Sunday.
The EU is leading the way in climate protection and is showing determination - despite all the crises, according to Habeck.
»European climate policy ensures that we in the EU walk the path to climate neutrality together, and it sets standards for the implementation of climate policy worldwide.«
Czech Environment Minister Marian Jurecka, whose country will hold the EU Council Presidency until the end of the year, said: "The agreement (...) will allow us to achieve climate targets in key economic sectors while ensuring that citizens and micro-enterprises are effectively supported. «
French EU politician Pascal Canfin announced that the EU had come to a new important agreement on the climate.
“Our industries must reduce their emissions by 62 percent by 2030, compared to 43 percent before this agreement.
Almost 50 billion euros will be available to promote innovation and accelerate the decarbonization of the industry.«
The projects are at the heart of the "Fit for 55" package presented by the European Commission in the summer of 2021 to combat climate change.
It aims to help EU countries reduce CO₂ emissions by 55 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels and become climate-neutral by 2050.
The agreement still has to be confirmed by the EU Parliament and the states, but this is considered a formality.
kry/dpa/Reuters
