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The document outlines discussions within the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety on key EU climate policies. Key topics include the distinction between primary and secondary wood biomass, the implementation of a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to prevent carbon leakages, the decarbonization of aviation through Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs), and the ambition levels for greenhouse gas emission reductions by 2030. It also covers the EU Forest Strategy for 2030, the role of wind technology in maritime transport, and the need for higher targets in the aviation sector to align with FitFor55 goals.

The report exposes the agricultural sector as a major user of intentionally added microplastics through plastic-coated agrochemicals. It argues that these products directly pollute soils and food chains, acting as vectors for toxins while potentially increasing the toxicity of the active ingredients. The document challenges industry claims of 'climate-smart' efficiency and calls for a comprehensive global ban on primary microplastics in agriculture.

The chemical industry, with 2017 sales of US$5.7 trillion projected to reach US$11 trillion by 2030, does not pay for the health and environmental costs of its products. The document argues that the public currently bears these costs, including a global disease burden of 1.6 million annual premature deaths from chemical mismanagement. To address this, the authors propose a coordinated 0.5% fee on basic chemicals (feedstocks), which could raise US$11.5 billion annually. This funding would support the development and enforcement of laws and infrastructure for chemicals management, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, and would implement the 'polluter pays principle'.

The document argues that CCS is essential for the European cement sector because approximately two-thirds of its emissions are process-related and cannot be eliminated by energy switches. While the EU is emerging as a leader with numerous planned large-scale projects funded by the Innovation Fund, challenges remain regarding energy requirements for capture and the dispersed location of plants relative to CO2 infrastructure. The briefing recommends carbon contracts for difference, low-carbon public procurement, and the development of an EU-wide CO2 transport network to accelerate the transition.

The document argues that the availability of CO2 storage sites is the primary bottleneck for industrial decarbonisation in Europe. While it supports the NZIA's proposed target of 50 million tonnes of annual injection capacity by 2030, it suggests this is a 'bare minimum' and recommends five key improvements: setting more ambitious long-term storage targets, creating an EU-level aggregation platform to match CO2 sources with sinks, requiring Member States to map storage potential and plan cross-border transport networks, ensuring oil and gas producers' storage obligations align with industrial needs, and accelerating permitting and exploration licences for storage projects.

The document argues that Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA) are essential, self-standing legal obligations that must be conducted prior to the adoption of plans to effectively influence policy and assess cumulative climate impacts. It specifically contends that for fossil fuel projects, failing to assess 'downstream' emissions—which can exceed extraction emissions by up to 900%—renders an assessment partial and misleading. ClientEarth links these procedural requirements to the European Convention on Human Rights, asserting that fossil fuel extraction constitutes 'dangerous industrial activities' and that the principle of intergenerational equity requires the Court to consider the disproportionate risks posed to future generations and young people under Articles 2 and 8 of the Convention.

Carbon Market Watch and Opportunity Green call on the European Commission to maintain its climate leadership by resisting U.S. pressure to exempt international aviation from the EU ETS. The authors argue that the ICAO's CORSIA scheme is an inferior alternative to the ETS because it lacks an emissions cap and relies on inadequate offsetting. They highlight that in 2023, flights leaving EEA airports emitted 133 MtCO2, with less than half reported under the ETS, and warn that yielding to U.S. threats, such as the EU ETS Prohibition Act, would undermine EU sovereignty and climate goals.

The document argues that the aviation sector has benefited from excessive exemptions under the EU ETS and that the international CORSIA scheme is an ineffective substitute. It recommends bringing international flights back under the EU ETS, phasing out free allowances to airlines, and addressing non-CO2 climate impacts to align the sector with the Paris Agreement and the polluter pays principle.