The prime ministers of Sweden, Finland, and Denmark have sent a joint letter to EU leaders opposing any relaxation of the bloc's carbon market requirements. The letter, sent on October 14, warns that diluting the EU Emissions Trading System would undermine the predictability that industrial investors rely on and slow down efforts to decarbonize heavy industry. The Nordic leaders also argue that easing rules for big polluters would simply shift the burden onto other sectors. With EU climate targets fixed, any slack given to heavy emitters means steeper cuts elsewhere, which could make the overall transition more expensive and politically harder to deliver. The letter is aimed at the Council of the European Union, European Council President António Costa, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. It signals that at least three member states will resist pressure to soften carbon market rules during the next round of ETS discussions.
