Targets not markets

The author contends that expanding carbon pricing to the transport and buildings sectors would shift the burden of emission reductions from polluting companies to consumers and undermine the EU's goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030. The text argues that the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR), which covers approximately 60% of EU emissions, should be improved by raising binding national targets and removing 'loopholes'—specifically flexibilities related to the EU emissions trading scheme and the land-use sector—rather than being repealed or reduced in scope.

• The European Commission is considering reducing the scope of or repealing the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR) to incorporate road transport and buildings into the EU carbon market, which the author claims would shift the cost of pollution reduction from industry to consumers.
• The Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR) is described as Europe's most extensive climate law, covering roughly 60% of EU greenhouse gas emissions through binding targets for member states in waste, buildings, agriculture, and transport.
• The author argues that relying solely on carbon pricing is insufficient for drastic emission cuts and that regulatory measures, such as energy efficiency standards for buildings and CO2 standards for cars, are more effective.
• The document identifies 'loopholes' within the ESR's flexibilities, particularly those involving the land-use sector and the EU emissions trading scheme, which allow governments to use forest sinks to justify a lack of emission reductions in transport.

APA

Amaral, K. (2021). Targets not markets. Carbon Market Watch. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2021/01/11/targets-not-markets/

Chicago

Amaral, Kaisa. Targets not markets. Carbon Market Watch, 2021. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2021/01/11/targets-not-markets/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Amaral |first1=Kaisa |title=Targets not markets |publisher=Carbon Market Watch |date=11 January 2021 |url=https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2021/01/11/targets-not-markets/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{amaral2021targets, author = {Amaral, Kaisa}, title = {{Targets not markets}}, publisher = {Carbon Market Watch}, year = {2021}, month = jan, url = {https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2021/01/11/targets-not-markets/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }