OPEN LETTER: Protect the integrity of the EU ETS; Abstain from using offset credits from HFC-23 and adipic acid projects

Carbon Market Watch and a coalition of environmental organisations wrote an open letter to Alitalia on 12 April 2013, requesting that the airline avoid using industrial gas offset credits for its 2012 emission reduction targets. The letter highlights that a ban on HFC-23 and N2O from adipic acid abatement projects in the EU ETS takes effect on 1 May 2013. The authors argue that these specific credits lack sustainable development benefits, undermine the Montreal Protocol, and often do not represent real emissions reductions, thereby threatening the EU's climate objectives.

• A decision endorsed by EU Member States in January 2011 will ban offset credits from HFC-23 and N2O from adipic acid abatement projects from the EU ETS starting 1 May 2013.
• Industrial gas credits are criticised for undermining the Montreal Protocol and the EU's international climate goals, lacking sustainable development benefits, and being concentrated in emerging economies rather than least developed nations.
• Data analysis indicates that many offsets generated by HFC-23 and N2O from adipic acid projects do not represent actual emissions reductions, which undermines the EU's overall emissions reduction target.
• The authors argue that airline operators do not require the concession of a postponed ban because the aviation sector only joined the EU ETS in 2012 and the environmental issues of industrial gas projects have been known for years.

APA

Carbon Market Watch (2013). OPEN LETTER: Protect the integrity of the EU ETS; Abstain from using offset credits from HFC-23 and adipic acid projects. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Open_Letters-to-arilines_Industrial-Gases_FINAL-Alitalia.pdf

Chicago

Carbon Market Watch. OPEN LETTER: Protect the integrity of the EU ETS; Abstain from using offset credits from HFC-23 and adipic acid projects. 2013. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Open_Letters-to-arilines_Industrial-Gases_FINAL-Alitalia.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Carbon Market Watch |title=OPEN LETTER: Protect the integrity of the EU ETS; Abstain from using offset credits from HFC-23 and adipic acid projects |date=12 April 2013 |url=https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Open_Letters-to-arilines_Industrial-Gases_FINAL-Alitalia.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{carbonmarketwatch2013open, author = {{Carbon Market Watch}}, title = {{OPEN LETTER: Protect the integrity of the EU ETS; Abstain from using offset credits from HFC-23 and adipic acid projects}}, publisher = {Carbon Market Watch}, year = {2013}, month = apr, url = {https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Open_Letters-to-arilines_Industrial-Gases_FINAL-Alitalia.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }