Politics

The European Union’s second emissions trading system (ETS2) will introduce carbon pricing for fuel combustion in road transport, buildings and selected smaller industrial sectors not covered by the existing EU Emissions Trading System (ETS1).

The European Commission has presented a legislative proposal intended to strengthen demand for low-carbon technologies and industrial products manufactured in Europe. The planned Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) is designed to support manufacturing capacity within the European Union, promote investment in clean technologies and facilitate the transition of industry toward lower-emission production processes.

ESWET has commented on the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) presented by the European Commission, describing it as an initiative aimed at strengthening Europe’s manufacturing base and industrial competitiveness.

The European Commission has presented the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA), a legislative proposal intended to accelerate the decarbonisation of Europe’s industrial sector. Environmental organisations acknowledge the objective of supporting a transition toward lower-carbon manufacturing but point to regulatory gaps and a lack of binding provisions to ensure a phase-out of fossil fuels while maintaining environmental safeguards.

The European Commission’s proposed Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) assigns only a limited role to green public procurement and introduces comparatively low quotas for low-carbon construction materials such as steel and concrete. According to the environmental organisation ECOS, the proposal provides insufficient incentives to stimulate demand for low-emission industrial products and lacks clear regulatory timelines for product labelling.

With war in the Middle East, crude oil and natural gas prices are surging as ships are held back at the Strait of Hormuz with obvious negative implications for global economies. But another big constraint is exports of chemicals and plastics from the region which will put upward pressure on prices.

The long-awaited final version of the Single Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) Implementing Decision text has been published and confirms that recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) imports from outside the EU will only count towards the 25% target from 21 November 2027.

The European Commission has adopted the 15th edition of the European List of Ship Recycling Facilities. The update includes, for the first time, a German ship recycling facility located in Emden.

Emissions from Europe’s energy-intensive industries have declined significantly over the past two decades. However, progress has slowed and pollution-related health costs remain substantial. This is the central finding of the briefing “Zero pollution, decarbonisation and circular economy in energy-intensive industries” published by the European Environment Agency.

The European Commission has published details of its mass-balance approach under the Single Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) implementing act voted through on 6 February.

Zero Waste Europe has proposed new waste reduction measures centred on a revised financing structure for Extended Producer Responsibility within the forthcoming EU Circular Economy Act.