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 call on Vueling Airlines to reject industrial gas offset credits, arguing that such credits lack environmental integrity and undermine the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). The letter highlights a January 2011 decision by EU Member States to ban HFC-23 and N2O from adipic acid abatement projects from the EU ETS, effective 1 May 2013. The authors contend that these credits do not represent real emissions reductions, offer no sustainable development benefits, and undermine the Montreal Protocol and EU climate objectives.

• EU Member States decided in January 2011 to ban offset credits from HFC-23 and N2O from adipic acid abatement projects from the EU ETS, with the ban taking effect on 1 May 2013.
• Industrial gas credits are criticised for undermining the Montreal Protocol and EU 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, thereby undermining the EU's emissions reduction target.
• The authors argue that airline operators do not require the concession of a postponed ban on these credits 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-Vueling.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-Vueling.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-Vueling.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-Vueling.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }