Industry must and can be relieved, but companies that invest in climate protection must be protected at all costs / ‘Performance must be rewarded’ – this must also apply to climate protection / There are many different reasons for the chemical industry's competitiveness problems / If emissions trading is abolished, global climate protection will collapse, and that would be irresponsible 

“European industry must be relieved of the burden of emissions trading in order to help companies in this difficult economic and geopolitical situation and to secure jobs. At the same time, however, we also need planning security for companies that invest in climate protection. 'Performance must be rewarded' – this must also apply to climate protection,” explained MEP Dr. Peter Liese, former rapporteur on the EU’s emissions trading system, ahead of Wednesday's meeting of European industry representatives in Antwerp and Thursday's competition summit of EU heads of state and government. 

Industry representatives, particularly from the chemical industry, had called for emissions trading to be abolished completely or at least drastically scaled back. After a German newspaper reported on ETS reform plans by the European Commission, the share prices of HeidelbergMaterials, a cement producer who invested heavily in decarbonization, plummeted. 

“Those who say we should not change anything about the ETS are wrong. The situation where there will be no more allowances from 2039 onwards cannot remain as it is. We cannot make industry across Europe completely climate-neutral by that date, nor can we do so in other sectors such as aviation. It is therefore right, first, to include negative emissions; second, to use international credits under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, at least indirectly, for ETS participants; and third, to adjust the factor by which allowances decrease each year.

However, we must proceed with caution here. Anyone who questions emissions trading in general or weakens it too much is responsible for losses, especially in companies that have behaved in an exemplary manner. Those who exaggerate in this direction are also responsible for a possible collapse of international climate protection. So far, only Trump has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement. None of the approximately 200 signatory states have followed suit.

However, if Europe puts its climate protection up for debate, I am firmly convinced that we will pull the plug on international climate protection. That would be irresponsible towards our children and grandchildren. The problems faced by individual industrial sectors are not solely or primarily caused by climate protection regulations. Company bosses act according to the motto: “What I can't explain, I blame on Europe.” In doing so, they are not only undermining climate protection, but also the acceptance of the European Union," emphasized Peter Liese, climate and environment expert of the largest political group in the European Parliament (EPP, Christian Democrats).