UK urged to commit to carbon tax
A UK carbon tax is the "best-case scenario" for a carbon pricing regime in the country for next year, given the lack of time remaining in which to implement an EU-linked UK emissions trading system (ETS), environmental think-tank Ember said.
The UK leaves the EU ETS on 31 December at the end of the Brexit transition period. The government has yet to confirm whether it will establish a UK ETS — either linked back to the EU's system or operating as a standalone mechanism — or institute a carbon tax as a replacement.
But with just one month remaining, putting in place a UK ETS linked back to the EU's system is "impossible" by 1 January, Ember said. A carbon tax, therefore, is now the "least worst option".
A tax would be relatively simple to implement and provide price stability during the Brexit process, as well as establish a link between the carbon price of the two systems, Ember said. If enforced in 2021-22, a carbon tax would be based, according to government proposals, on the average price for the EU ETS December 2021 and December 2022 contracts.
A standalone UK ETS, on the other hand, is "risky and highly complex", Ember said, citing concerns that plans to set an allowance supply cap well above actual emissions could lead to permit oversupply and, consequently, inappropriately low carbon prices.
While a proposed price floor of just £15/t of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) — compared with an average closing price of roughly £24/t CO2e for the benchmark front-year EU ETS contract last month — would be an "international embarrassment for the UK's commitment to climate action", it said.
More can be done to shore up current carbon tax plans, such as setting up an independent panel to determine the tax rate and applicable sectors. Its scope could be extended to include areas such as fugitive methane emissions from the production and transport of fossil fuel, and the carbon price exemption for biomass removed.
A carbon border adjustment should also be introduced, Ember said, and concrete plans made to link carbon pricing with the UK's legally binding target to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
The government should still consider setting up an EU-linked UK ETS in the future, the think-tank said, to provide the advantages of participating in a larger carbon market.
"It is long past time for the government to make a decision and allow businesses and investors to begin to plan for the new carbon pricing system," Ember said.
Business, energy and clean growth minister Kwasi Kwarteng indicated last month that the government is unlikely to clarify its position on plans for a carbon pricing regime in the country until after Brexit trade deal negotiations are concluded.
A number of groups have raised concerns over the feasibility of a standalone UK ETS. European power industry association Eurelectric said earlier this year that the system could face liquidity issues, while UK think-tank Policy Exchange warned of its vulnerability to volatility.
But carbon tax plans have also drawn criticism. The International Emissions Trading Association earlier this year said a carbon tax represents a "big gamble" for the achievement of the UK's climate neutrality target.
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UN eyes policy crediting for carbon markets
UN eyes policy crediting for carbon markets
Berlin, 30 April (Argus) — The UN is considering extending the scope of carbon mitigation credit generation under the Paris climate agreement to policy implementation. The UN's climate arm has tasked research institute Perspectives Climate Group senior founding partner Axel Michaelowa with drawing up a paper on how to incorporate policy crediting into the new carbon market being developed under Article 6.4 of the Paris deal. This is expected to be finalised by the UN Cop 29 climate conference in Azerbaijan in November following persistent disagreements between countries at previous summits. Policy crediting is increasingly viewed as crucial amid the rising urgency to scale up mitigation activities, Michaelowa said at an industry event in Zurich yesterday. But policy crediting presents challenges, such as how to determine the additionality of the instruments for mitigation efforts. The World Bank, which developed the first ever policy crediting activity — the Transformative Carbon Asset Facility — in 2016, determines additionality indirectly as the difference between the facility's baseline and actual emissions. Michaelowa believes this is insufficient, urging separate additionality tests to prove the policy instrument mobilises mitigation. An eligible policy instrument typically closes the cost gap between mitigation and business-as-usual technologies, Michaelowa said. "Creditable" policy instruments are mandates, or financial incentives, for deploying low-carbon technologies or behaviours. Policies that reverse previous bad governance by eliminating obstacles to mitigation activities also qualify, Michaelowa said, for example a grid operator enforcing a stop on renewable power growth to ensure grid stability, as investments in the grid would be too costly. Uzbekistan signed an agreement under the World Bank's facility in June 2023 under which it can sell carbon credits issued for the emissions reductions resulting from its cuts to high fossil fuel subsidies. The resulting funds are used to mitigate the impact of rising energy prices on the lowest income consumers, and fund awareness campaigns on the need for cost-covering energy tariffs. Uzbekistan expects to reduce its emissions by 60mn t of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) between 2022-27 as a result of the cuts, of which 2mn-2.5mn t CO2e are attributed directly to the facility's intervention, funded with $46.25mn by donor countries to result in a carbon price of between $18.50-23.12/t CO2e. The World Bank is looking at other countries and sectors to apply the lessons learned from the Uzbekistan pilot, its senior climate finance specialist Nuyi Tao said. By Chloe Jardine Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Germany urges closer NDC-climate finance link
Germany urges closer NDC-climate finance link
Berlin, 26 April (Argus) — German federal chancellor Olaf Scholz today stressed the need for nationally determined contributions (NDC) to the Paris climate deal to provide a framework and incentive for climate finance. NDCs — emissions cut targets which countries must draw up and regularly update under the Paris agreement — should provide "clear roadmaps for decarbonisation" to incentivise and reassure private investors, Scholz said at the 15th Petersberg climate dialogue in Berlin, a forum which paves the way for the UN Cop climate conference negotiations later this year. Drawing up an NDC is also about creating good framework conditions for investments in the individual countries themselves, Scholz said. In updating their NDCs, countries have an opportunity to secure investments in green technologies, he said. "Private investors are concerned about a reliable regulatory framework and good governance." Scholz echoed German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock's remarks made at the opening yesterday, when she proposed an "interlocking" of countries' NDCs with investment plans. Baerbock stressed the idea goes beyond getting the countries together to improve their NDCs. It would, for instance, ensure that fossil fuel producers announcing plans to reduce their production do not get penalised by a cut to their credit rating on the financial markets, she said. And it would be about facilitating matchmaking between the private sector in developed countries, and bringing together the ambitions enshrined in the NDCs with instruments ensuring they can be financed, Baerbock said. She gave the example of Barbados, which she said is using its NDC "not just as a national climate action plan but also as a national investment plan", by creating a bank that brings together various factors "linking climate-policy planning, project implementation, and public and private financing". Both Scholz and Baerbock reiterated calls for larger developing countries that have "significantly" contributed to emissions in the past 30 years, and which have the financial means to contribute, to do so. Cop 29 will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November. Finance will be a key topic as countries must decide on a new global goal, the so-called New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on Climate Finance, to replace the pledge missed by developed countries to give $100 bn/yr to developing countries by 2020. Baerbock called for a new annual climate finance budget for developing countries of $1 trillion. Germany plans to modernise its bilateral debt conversion programme, Scholz said. "This is not a panacea, but vulnerable middle-income countries that are willing to reform could also be eligible for climate debt conversion in the future," he said. By Chloe Jardine Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
MDBs, parties must deliver on finance: Cop 29 president
MDBs, parties must deliver on finance: Cop 29 president
Edinburgh, 25 April (Argus) — Cop 29 president-designate Mukhtar Babayev pointed to insufficient action from multilateral development banks (MDBs) despite encouraging discussions, and urged all countries to play their part to deliver on climate finance negotiations this year. Climate finance discussions will be an important part of climate negotiations this year, having been "one of the most challenging climate diplomacy topics over the years", Babayev said today at the 15th Petersberg climate dialogue in Berlin — a forum for multilateral discussions. The meeting is a key milestone in climate discussions, paving the way for Cop 29 negotiations. The topic will be key as countries must decide on a new global finance goal to replace the $100bn/yr by 2020 pledge to developing countries made in 2009 and missed by developed countries. Babayev said he was working with a range of actors including MDBs, which have a "special role" as "multilateral public finance contributed the single largest part of the [$100bn/yr] target". Babayev said progress from the MDBs was essential, but while he "had many encouraging engagements during the World Bank and IMF spring meetings in Washington last week , we heard a great deal of concern and worry that we did not yet see adequate and sufficient action". "That must change," he said. He also warned that there is no single initiative able to unlock and increase climate finance flows to trillions of dollars, and instead pointed to "many interconnected elements" that countries will need to consider to set this new finance goal — the so-called NCQG. He added that the NCQG working group has already identified many options. "We know that [there are] strong and well-founded views on all sides," he said. "We are listening to all parties to understand their concerns and help them refine official landing zones based on a shared vision of success so we can deliver a fair and ambitious new goal," he added. "We need everyone to play their part so that we can build up unstoppable momentum where everyone is confident that their contribution is fairly matched by the contributions of others". Germany's foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said industrialised countries need to live up to their responsibilities. "Financial contributions from developed countries and multinational development banks will remain the basis of our efforts," she said, confirming that Germany has a €6bn climate goal for 2025. But she also said that "the world has changed" since the UN climate body the UNFCCC established a list of climate finance donors in 1992. The list has just 24 countries, plus the EU, as contributors. "In 1992, the two dozen countries that provided international climate finance made up 80pc of the world's economy. Now, that share is down to 50pc, and the share of all other countries has more than doubled," she said. She urged other countries in the G20, including China, "to join our effort". She pointed out that the donor base was broader for the loss and damage fund — to tackle the unavoidable and irreversible effects of climate change. Cop 28 host the UAE, which is not part of the 1992 list of donors, was the first contributor of the new fund created in Dubai last year. Babayev said that finance will not be the only important topic discussed at Cop 29 and that work must be done to get "the loss and damage fund up and running". Finalising the Article 6 negotiations will also be a key issue. "We cannot leave everything to market mechanisms," he said. By Caroline Varin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
US-led carbon initiative misses launch date
US-led carbon initiative misses launch date
Houston, 23 April (Argus) — The Energy Transition Accelerator (ETA), a global initiative to use voluntary carbon market revenue to speed the decarbonization of developing countries' power sectors, has missed its planned Earth Day launch but continues to prepare for doing business. At the Cop 28 climate conference in Dubai last year, the initiative's leaders said they hoped to formally launch the program on 22 April 2024 . That didn't happen, but the program's leaders last week announced that the US climate think tank Center for Climate and Energy Solutions will serve as the ETA's new secretariat and that former US special presidential envoy for climate John Kerry will serve as the honorary chair of an eight-member senior consultative group that will advise the ETA's design and operations. The ETA plans to spend 2024 "building" on a framework for crediting projects they released last year. ETA leaders said the initiative could ultimately generate tens of billions of dollars in finances through 2035. The ETA also said the Dominican Republic had formed a government working group to "guide its engagement" as a potential pilot country for investments and that the Philippines would formally participate as an "observer country" rather than as a direct participant immediately. The ETA is still engaging Chile and Nigeria as potential pilot countries too, the initiative told Argus . The ETA is being developed by the US State Department, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Bezos Earth Fund and would be funded with money from the voluntary carbon market. The initiative's ultimate goal is to allow corporate and government offset buyers to help developing countries decarbonize their power sectors through large projects that accelerate the retirement of coal-fired power plants and build new renewable generation. As of now, the ETA's timeline for future changes and negotiations with countries and companies is unclear. The program's goals are ambitious, especially at a time when scrutiny of some voluntary carbon market projects from environmentalists has weighed on corporate offset demand. By Mia Westley Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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