T&E

NEW: Tweaking the flight plans of only very few flights to avoid contrails could reduce contrail warming by half by 2040. Contrails – the white lines in the sky created by planes – have a net warming effect on the planet, but only 3% of flights generate 80% of this warming. On those few flights where re-routing will happen, 80% of the contrail warming can be avoided, with an extra fuel burn of just 5%. The climate benefits from contrail avoidance would be 15 to 40 times larger than the climate impact from the extra fuel burned. The best part? This simple climate action is also a cheap one. Rerouting these flights to avoid contrail warming would cost as little as €4 per ticket. Contrails should be monitored on all flights departing from and arriving to the EU as of 2027 while regulators prepare the European airspace for inclusion of contrail avoidance. Contrails are being discussed for the first time at COP 29 this year. This is a huge opportunity for global leaders to take action on warming from aviation by agreeing to tackle non-CO2 effects like contrails. Read our new report at the link in our comments. #Contrails #NonCO2 #COP29

In this year’s UN climate summit, global leaders will agree to a new global finance climate goal. Shipping - a highly polluting sector - has traditionally avoided environmental and corporate taxation. It’s therefore high time that shipping contributes to global climate finance. The EU’s maritime carbon market can generate revenues for climate finance. Extending the Emissions Trading System (ETS) to cover 100% of voyages between EEA and non-EEA ports (as opposed to the 50% that is currently priced) would raise €4bn. What’s more, the EU’s shipping ETS has little impact on low-income countries. On average only 7% of the seaborne trade of low-income countries would be impacted by the EU ETS. The EU’s maritime ETS has become a model for global carbon pricing, with other countries, such as the UK and Turkey, exploring ways to price their shipping sector emissions. It’s time to continue that leadership to achieve the dual objective of higher climate ambition and global equity. Check out our latest study at the link in our comments.

Contrails from planes have a net warming effect on the planet at least as important as the one caused by aviation’s CO2 emissions. But the good news is only 3% of flights are responsible for most of this warming, making contrail avoidance in these few flights an easy climate win. Geography and flight latitude have a strong influence on whether a contrail is warming. Flights over North America, Europe and the North Atlantic region accounted for more than half of global contrail warming in 2019. Time of day also influences the climate effects of contrails. Those formed by evening and night flights have the largest warming contribution. Seasonality is also important: the most warming contrails tend to occur in winter. If we make small tweaks to the flight plans of these 3% of flights, we can make a huge difference in the warming effect from aviation. Link to our latest report in the comments. #Contrails #NonCO2

'The world won't wait' said Teresa Ribera during tonight's hearing. What's needed is regulatory stability and support to help our industry and its workforce to make the transition.

The maritime sector is undertaxed and has so far avoided carbon pricing. Join us for a side-event at COP 29 in Baku co-organised by Ferdi and T&E, in partnership with the Paris Pact for People and the Planet, to explore regional and global policy initiatives to incentivise shipping decarbonisation. The panel will examine how initiatives like a shipping tax can be used as a source of climate finance in a manner that is just and fair for vulnerable countries. This hybrid event will be streamed via the UN Climate Change events YouTube channel. Learn more about the event ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eUuFdcdY #COP29 #ShippingTax

As tailpipe emissions reduce to zero, green steel is a key piece of the puzzle when it comes to decarbonising road transport. Using just 40% steel made with green hydrogen and electric arc furnaces, or produced from scrap by 2030 could save the same amount of CO2 from 3.5 million cars annually. It is also relatively cheap. Using green steel can massively cut the climate impact of car production for as little as €57 a vehicle. Europe has a huge opportunity to tap into this market as an industrial leader. The auto industry can become a lead market for green steel production in Europe… but lawmakers must set content requirements to make this a reality. The ongoing revision of the End of Life Vehicles regulation (ELVR) offers an opportunity. The EU should use this to set green steel targets for carmakers to unlock its potential for Europe. Find out more in our report ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dX6zU5Zg #GreenSteel

The EU's climate targets for carmakers provide certainty to the industry and are here to stay, the Climate Commissioner-designate said today. "Now we have clarity, carmakers should recall their lobbyists, stop sowing confusion, and refocus on building the great, affordable, electric vehicles the Europeans need," said T&E executive director william todts in reaction to the confirmation hearing of Wopke Hoekstra.

The nominee for EU Transport Commissioner stood firm over e-mobility and the EU’s 2035 car CO2 target when questioned by MEPs in last night’s confirmation hearing, while emphasising that helping industry – not weakening EU targets – is the way forward. Commissioner-designate Apostolos Tzitzikostas defended Green Deal measures for cars, trucks and planes, and showed a commitment to solving rail ticketing. But despite his warm words on a promised EU initiative to electrify corporate car fleets, after repeated questioning Mr Tzitzikostas did not make a clear legislative commitment. Didn’t stay up to watch last night’s hearing? Read T&E’s full take on the evening in our latest article ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eDxmq_6K

The upcoming hearings for the new Commissioner candidates in front of MEPs are much more than just formalities—they're a moment for democratically elected Parliamentarians to make sure the next EU Commission College is up to the task of addressing the EU’s climate and transport challenges. The hearings are the one opportunity for MEPs to scrutinize whether the proposed Commissioners have the expertise, commitment, and vision required for their portfolios and challenges ahead - whether on the industry decarbonisation transition, upholding the EU’s climate commitments or ensuring a competitive Europe with cleantech technologies Made in Europe. The Parliament must push nominees to demonstrate a credible long term vision for EU countries and companies, plans to accelerate emission reduction, ensuring financing and smart regulatory guidance is in place and building on EU manufacturing leadership in essential sectors like automotive. Check out our alliance's full list of questions for the new Commission ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eW5QxPCE #CommissionerHearings

Tonight the European Parliament Transport Committee will decide during their hearing if they will approve candidate Apostolos Tzitzikostas yes or no as the future EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport. Getting a clear commitment from him to come forward with an EU Regulation that sets binding electrification targets for large company fleets should be a key condition for approving him. This is would be a smart climate AND industrial policy: as our in-house analysis shows, setting EV targets for large fleets will boost demand and support carmakers in meeting their binding 2030 CO2 targets. With the hearings, members of the EU Parliament have a lot of leverage to set the future agenda of the European Commission. They should make good use of it demanding climate policies that are socially just and strengthen Europe's competitiveness. Valérie Devaux Kai Tegethoff Virginijus Sinkevičius Michael Bloss Bas Eickhout Pascal Canfin Tom Berendsen Nina Carberry Andreas Schieder François Kalfon Peter Van Kemseke European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) Transport & Environment (T&E) william todts Julia Poliscanova (she/her) POLITICO Europe Euractiv Jana Kugoth Henrik Mortsiefer Platform for Electromobility Lucien Mathieu