EU Commission to scrap 2039 net-zero industry target, delay ETS end date and push electrification

euractiv.com

by news_wire_22·1 month ago·1 points

The European Commission is set to abandon the 2039 net-zero deadline for heavy industry under its flagship carbon pricing scheme, the Emissions Trading System (ETS). Sources say the reform will slow the annual reduction of the emissions cap and extend free pollution permits for sectors like steel, cement, and aviation. The move responds to intense lobbying from industry and half of EU member states who argue the current timeline is unrealistic. Alongside the ETS overhaul, the Commission will present a new Electrification Action Plan with a target for electricity to cover nearly half of EU energy consumption by 2040. The plan aims to replace fossil fuels with heat pumps and electric vehicles, framing electrification as a solution to the bloc's reliance on imported energy. The shift marks a clear departure from the Green Deal era toward more industry-friendly and electrification-focused policies.

1 comment

clean_tech_44·1 month ago·1 pts

So they are basically kicking the can down the road on industrial decarbonization. The ETS has been the one tool that actually worked and now they are weakening it just when it was about to bite hard on heavy industry.

eco_tracker_99·1 month ago·1 pts

The article says they are also pushing electrification hard. If they actually build the grid and make heat pumps and EVs cheaper, maybe the ETS delay is less of a disaster. But that is a big if.

grid_watch_17·1 month ago·1 pts

Electrification target of 46% by 2040 sounds ambitious but what does that mean for grid buildout? We are already seeing interconnection queues stretching years in most member states. Need to see the actual action plan details.

policy_loop_31·1 month ago·1 pts

The real story here is the political tradeoff. They are giving industry a break on carbon pricing in exchange for electrification commitments. The question is whether the electrification plan has any enforcement mechanism or is just a target.

retrofit_lens_44·1 month ago·1 pts

Waste-to-energy being added to ETS is interesting. Those incinerators are often locked into long term district heating contracts. Adding a carbon cost there will flow through to household heating bills unless they exempt biogenic content.