Confirmation Hearings of the European Commissioners-Designate – CATF’s Key Questions

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) outlines key policy priorities for the incoming European Commission, emphasizing the need for a 'Clean Industrial Deal' that aligns competitiveness with a 90% emissions reduction target by 2040. The document advocates for 'clean firm power'—including geothermal, nuclear, and CCS—to complement renewables and ensure grid reliability. It calls for a 'reality check' on hydrogen targets, a more ambitious implementation of the Methane Regulation (including agricultural emissions), and the development of a clear strategy for carbon removals and emerging technologies like fusion and superhot rock geothermal energy.

• The proposed Clean Industrial Deal must be integrated with the EU's 2040 climate target of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by 90% relative to 1990 to ensure competitiveness does not overshadow decarbonisation.
• To ensure 24/7 grid reliability and avoid reliance on unabated fossil fuels, the EU should adopt a 'clean firm power' approach that complements wind and solar with technologies such as geothermal, nuclear, clean hydrogen, and carbon capture and storage (CCS).
• While the Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA) sets a 2030 storage capacity target of 50 million tons, current development is concentrated in Northern Europe (Denmark, Netherlands, UK, and Norway), which could increase costs by up to 6 times for industries in Eastern and Southern Europe.
• The EU requires a distinct targeting framework for 2040 that separates emissions reductions, land-based sequestration, and carbon removals with permanent storage, with an estimated annual need for 400 Mt of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) in removals by 2040.
• Current EU hydrogen targets in the RePowerEU Plan may be unrealistic; CATF recommends a 'reality check' and a prioritisation framework to direct limited clean hydrogen supplies to hard-to-abate sectors like chemicals, fertilisers, shipping, and aviation rather than residential heating or passenger cars.
• Methane mitigation should be prioritised as a high-impact climate tool, requiring the implementation of the Methane Regulation for imports and the inclusion of agricultural emissions (such as enteric fermentation and manure management) in the upcoming Vision for Agriculture and Food.
• The EU risks falling behind the US, UK, and China in the commercialisation of fusion energy and should develop a public-private partnership and a roadmap to move from research (ITER) to grid-connected electricity supply.
• To support Member States adopting Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), the EU should coordinate the supply chain and aim for orderbooks of at least 10-15 units to achieve economies of scale.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (2024). Confirmation Hearings of the European Commissioners-Designate – CATF’s Key Questions. https://www.catf.us/resource/confirmation-hearings-of-the-european-commissioners-designate-catfs-key-questions/

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Confirmation Hearings of the European Commissioners-Designate – CATF’s Key Questions. 2024. https://www.catf.us/resource/confirmation-hearings-of-the-european-commissioners-designate-catfs-key-questions/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Confirmation Hearings of the European Commissioners-Designate – CATF’s Key Questions |date=25 September 2024 |url=https://www.catf.us/resource/confirmation-hearings-of-the-european-commissioners-designate-catfs-key-questions/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cleanairtaskforce2024confirmation, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{Confirmation Hearings of the European Commissioners-Designate – CATF’s Key Questions}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2024}, month = sep, url = {https://www.catf.us/resource/confirmation-hearings-of-the-european-commissioners-designate-catfs-key-questions/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }