FLEXIBILITIES IN THE EUS 2030 EFFORT SHARING DECISION

The document analyzes the EU's Effort Sharing Decision (ESD), which sets emission targets for non-ETS sectors (transport, buildings, agriculture, and waste). It argues that the 2013-2020 period was characterized by weak targets and overgenerous flexibilities, leading to projected overachievement without new mitigation actions. For the 2021-2030 period, the EU aims for a 30% reduction compared to 2005. The brief warns that certain proposed flexibilities—specifically the use of EU ETS allowances and forestry offsets—could increase overall EU emissions by up to 28% by 2030. It recommends focusing on early action, implementing EU-wide mitigation policies, introducing auctioning based on the polluter-pays principle, and restricting borrowing to avoid delaying climate action.

• The 2013-2020 ESD period suffered from weak targets and excessive flexibility, particularly international offset credits, which allowed many Member States to project overachievement without implementing new mitigation measures. This is expected to result in a surplus of 700 to 2,000 Mt CO2-eq by 2020.
• To meet the 2030 target of a 30% reduction in non-ETS sectors compared to 2005, the EU requires additional domestic emissions abatement of 1,500-2,500 Mt CO2-eq during the 2021-2030 period.
• The use of EU ETS allowances to meet ESD targets is criticized as it may allow countries to postpone action in non-ETS sectors. This flexibility could potentially increase ESD emissions by up to 15% and reduce the overall EU mitigation effort by up to 5% in the 2021-2030 period.
• Allowing forestry offsets (LULUCF) to compensate for permanent emissions is deemed risky due to the temporary nature of carbon storage in forests and high annual fluctuations in data. Such a mechanism could lead to a 23% increase in EU greenhouse gas emissions for 2021-2030.
• The brief proposes auctioning a share of Annual Emission Allocations (AEAs) to implement the polluter-pays principle, which could generate up to €9 billion in revenue between 2021 and 2030 to support lower-income Member States.
• Intra-EU offsetting is suggested as a way to catalyze transformative projects in lower-income Member States, provided that strict selection criteria are used to target projects like deep building renovation and electric vehicle uptake.

APA

Carbon Market Watch (2015). FLEXIBILITIES IN THE EUS 2030 EFFORT SHARING DECISION. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Flexibilities-in-the-EU%E2%80%99s-2030-Effort-Sharing-Decision_Poicy-Brief_final-June-2015.pdf

Chicago

Carbon Market Watch. FLEXIBILITIES IN THE EUS 2030 EFFORT SHARING DECISION. 2015. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Flexibilities-in-the-EU%E2%80%99s-2030-Effort-Sharing-Decision_Poicy-Brief_final-June-2015.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Carbon Market Watch |title=FLEXIBILITIES IN THE EUS 2030 EFFORT SHARING DECISION |date=June 2015 |url=https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Flexibilities-in-the-EU%E2%80%99s-2030-Effort-Sharing-Decision_Poicy-Brief_final-June-2015.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{carbonmarketwatch2015flexibilities, author = {{Carbon Market Watch}}, title = {{FLEXIBILITIES IN THE EUS 2030 EFFORT SHARING DECISION}}, institution = {Carbon Market Watch}, year = {2015}, month = jun, url = {https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Flexibilities-in-the-EU%E2%80%99s-2030-Effort-Sharing-Decision_Poicy-Brief_final-June-2015.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }