The US Department of Commerce has opened an investigation into whether solar modules imported from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam are circumventing duties. California-based panel assembler Auxin Solar filed a petition in February, alleging imports from these countries use components from China, allowing the Chinese components to avoid duties. The four countries account for over half the US' non-Chinese solar cell imports, according to engineering services group Clean Energy Associates. Because it could mean retroactive tariffs, the probe will slow solar growth before the case is even decided, industry groups say.
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EU to slow pace of ETS to meet 2040 climate goals
EU to slow pace of ETS to meet 2040 climate goals
London, 12 May (Argus) — The European Commission plans to slow the pace of the EU emissions trading system (ETS) to align it with the bloc's 2040 climate targets, rather than the current 2030 trajectory, the commission said at a stakeholder roundtable on the system's upcoming review, scheduled for 15 July. This change would result in EU ETS allowances being issued well into the 2040s, the commission said. Under current rules, the ETS supply cap was expected to fall to zero by 2039. The commission said the shift would translate to a lower linear reduction factor (LRF), which sets the annual rate at which the ETS supply cap falls. The LRF is currently set at 4.3pc until 2027 and 4.4pc from 2028, a level that centre-right EPP lawmaker Peter Liese described in February as "quite dramatic" . The commission has not specified the extent to which it aims to reduce the LRF. The commission is also considering reforms to the market stability reserve (MSR), which could include the introduction of a dynamic threshold. Under this approach, the volume of allowances released would decline annually, at a fixed percentage, in line with reductions in overall market size, rather than the current fixed release rate of 100mn permits. This reform would complement the commission's proposal in April to stop the automatic cancellation of ETS allowances and retain permits held in the MSR above the current 400mn threshold, it said. The review will also examine ways to increase transparency around member state spending of ETS revenues. While 78pc of past ETS revenues have gone to national budgets, only 5pc of spending has supported industrial decarbonisation, the commission said. Since 2023, member states have been required to allocate all ETS revenues to climate and energy purposes. International credits could also be indirectly integrated into the ETS. The commission is preparing a separate assessment on how such credits might fit into the framework, but it has confirmed that direct use of international credits for ETS compliance, as previously allowed, will not be permitted. The review may also address the maritime and aviation sectors. The ETS could be extended to some small vessels to ensure a level playing field with larger ships, the commission said. In the aviation sector, the commission may also reduce ETS obligations where the carbon offsetting and reduction scheme for international aviation (Corsia) applies to extra-European flights, while continuing to assess the integrity of Corsia offsetting. Following the review in July, the European Council, Parliament and Commission are expected to agree on the proposed changes in the first quarter of 2027, with implementation planned for 2028. By Kiara Campagne Nieva Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
New Zealand to change law to limit climate litigation
New Zealand to change law to limit climate litigation
Sydney, 12 May (Argus) — The New Zealand government announced today it will amend legislation to stop companies being sued over climate change damage caused by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, in a move criticised by environmental groups. The proposed changes to the Climate Change Response Act will prevent individuals or organisations from bringing civil claims against businesses under tort law, which allows people to seek compensation for harm caused by a wrongful act. "The courts are not the right place to resolve claims of harm from climate change, and tort law is not well-suited to respond to a problem like climate change, which involves a range of complex environmental, economic and social factors," justice minister Paul Goldsmith said today. The changes will prevent current and future court proceedings from holding companies liable for climate change damage or harm caused by GHG emissions, the government said. This would apply to an ongoing case before New Zealand's High Court filed by a local activist against seven emitters — Fonterra, Genesis Energy, Dairy Holdings, New Zealand Steel, Z Energy, New Zealand Refining Company and BT Mining. The case involves tort claims including public nuisance and damage to the climate system. It was struck out by the Court of Appeal in October 2021 but reinstated by the Supreme Court in February 2024 and sent back to the High Court for trial, which is due to begin in April 2027. New Zealand's response to climate change is best managed at the national level through the Climate Change Response Act and the emissions trading system (ETS), the government claimed. The ongoing case is "creating uncertainty in business confidence and investment", it added. The amendments will "shield" major polluters from liability for their emissions, advocacy group Lawyers for Climate Action NZ said today. The changes will also affect the High Court's constitutional role in developing the common law, including its ability to decide an ongoing case, it noted. "The move is particularly troubling because it intervenes directly in an active and significant legal case," advocacy group Environmental Law Initiative (Eli) said. Lawyers for Climate Action NZ and Eli recently brought a case before the High Court against climate change minister Simon Watts , seeking declarations that he failed to implement the country's first (2021-25) and second (2026-30) emissions reduction plans. The court's judgment is pending. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
EU consults on ETS benchmark values for 2026-30
EU consults on ETS benchmark values for 2026-30
London, 11 May (Argus) — The European Commission has launched a consultation on draft benchmark values used to calculate free allowance allocations under the EU emissions trading system (ETS) for 2026-30. The figures are unchanged from the latest internal documents previously seen by Argus . European industry would continue, on average, to receive free allocations covering about 75pc of its emissions under the proposed values, the commission said. Indirect emissions from electricity use remain included in about 14 product benchmarks, the commission said, which has resulted in higher values than previously expected for some products. The commission estimates the financial cost of this measure to be about €4bn over 2026-30. The consultation opened today and will close on 8 June. The benchmark values are expected to be adopted through an implementing act in the second half of June, with free allowances available for issuance from the second half of July. By Kiara Campagne Nieva Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Colombia gets ball rolling on fossil fuel shift talks
Colombia gets ball rolling on fossil fuel shift talks
The conference offered a calmer space to discuss fraught topics and how to convert words into actions, writes Lucas Parolin Rio de Janeiro, 8 May (Argus) — A conference on transitioning away from fossil fuels, held in Santa Marta, Colombia, at the end of April did not bring any new commitments to phase out hydrocarbons, but it did look to keep the topic at the top of the climate agenda. Delegates attended from about 60 countries, including some oil and gas-producing nations committed to advancing energy transition talks. Countries represented accounted for about a fifth of global oil production, a third of oil consumption and a third of the world's GDP, according to Colombian officials. Colombia and the Netherlands — co-hosts of the conference — were looking to push the topic forward outside official UN channels. Despite the historic UN Cop 28 climate summit pledge in 2023 , discussions on transitioning away from fossil fuels continue to face opposition from large hydrocarbon-producing and consuming countries, such as China, Russia, the US and Saudi Arabia, which tend to want the focus to be on reducing emissions, rather than fossil fuel output. These countries were not invited because the conference was intended to work as a ‘coalition of the willing'. Only countries " already convinced and ready to work on solutions for the transition " were invited, the Colombian environment ministry's head of international affairs, Daniela Duran, said. Santa Marta kept its focus on fossil fuels, according to non-governmental organisation Earth Insight's engagement director, Juan Pablo Osornio. Participants discussed "the input for combustion", rather than the resulting emissions, he said, adding that this could change the way countries address the topic in future. The debate is shifting from discussing climate change drivers — emissions — to their root cause — fossil fuels — something largely overlooked until Dubai. The disruption to oil and gas supplies from the closure of the strait of Hormuz could make energy security, rather than climate change, the key driver of any acceleration in consumer moves away from these fuels . But fossil fuels are responsible for 80pc of all global emissions, according to a study by the Energy Transitions Commission, a global coalition of leaders from across the energy landscape committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Some countries invited to Santa Marta are still looking to only reduce emissions, but not necessarily fossil fuel usage and production. Canada and Norway stuck to their positions on production. And Nigeria — Africa's largest oil and gas producer — reiterated its call for a just transition for developing economies, saying countries should discuss a phase-down, not a phase-out, of fossil fuels. Safe space Santa Marta was not a place for new commitments, but a space for productive discussions on controversial topics. It aimed for "multilateralism without de facto vetoes" that is "capable of translating agreements into implementation", according to Colombia's environment minister, Irene Velez Torres. Three workstream plans were laid down, including one to help nations develop their own voluntary transition roadmaps. France presented one during the event, and Colombia published a draft document, intended to work as a potential template for other countries. Brazil is also working on one . The impact of Santa Marta on future Cop negotiations is difficult to assess, with the Turkish Cop 31 presidency putting progress in phasing out fossil fuels lower down the list of priorities . No country has shown it is willing to propose putting transition on the summit agenda. But Cop 30's presidency has pledged to present a roadmap in Turkey. The ball is rolling, Osornio said, and conversations at Santa Marta and future phase-out conferences "will continue to push the issue of fossil fuels and will undoubtedly have an impact within the [UN Framework Convention on Climate Change]". Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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