Publications

Press release – Carbon pricing beyond 2020: Europe must recalibrate its Emissions Trading Scheme

1 December 2015 - Foreword of the week

Entitled “Exploring the EU ETS Beyond 2020: A first assessment of the EU Commission’s proposal for Phase IV of the EU ETS (2021-2030)”, the report, produced jointly by I4CE – Institute for Climate Economics and Enerdata, and in collaboration with IFPen, provides new, factual, independent and quantified analysis on EU ETS operationality by 2030, to examine the necessary conditions to improve its environmental and economic effectiveness.

Launched in September 2014, the research program on the COordination of EU Policies on Energy and CO2 (COPEC) with the EU ETS by 2030, aims to prepare economic policymakers for the debate on the revision of the European Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) in the framework of the 2030 Climate and Energy Package.

Over five chapters, the COPEC report analyses five major challenges to the successful implementation of Phase IV of the EU ETS:

    • Defining a CO2 reduction target in line with energy policies such as Renewables and Energy Efficiency,
    • Implementing the Market Stability Reserve,
    • Addressing carbon leakage risk through free allocation,
    • Extending the EU ETS scope to include emissions from the road transport sector,
    • Financing the low-carbon transition through various funding mechanisms based on auction revenues.

Download the Executive Summary

Download the Full Report

About the COPEC research program

Our events dedicated to the COPEC report

November 2015 – Conference in Washington, US

December 2015 – Side-event, COP 21

To learn more
  • 02/25/2026
    Adapting France to +4°C: current resources, additional needs, and funding options

    This report, originally published in French in September 2025, is first a contribution to the public debate on adaptation in France. The methodologies applied, the data collection process, as well as the analytical framework proposed, may inform broader discussions in Europe, as the preparations for an EU integrated framework for European climate resilience and risk management are well underway. 

  • 02/24/2026 Op-ed
    EU Member States set 2040 climate target – but is the Union on track for 2030 in the energy sector?

    An outlook on EU investment needs for the energy transition and the EU’s 2040 climate target. Just before the start of COP30 in Belém, EU Member States agreed to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by 90% in 2040 compared to 1990 levels, including a 5% flexibility through international carbon credits. 

  • 02/19/2026 Blog post
    Food sovereignty relies on ecological planning

    The upcoming food sovereignty conferences are likely to shape debates on the future of French agriculture in 2026. The main responses provided over the past two years can be summarised as follows: remove production constraints to produce more of everything (both animal and plant products), to recover market shares in France and abroad. Seeking to produce more of everything without considering adaptation or transition is a form of denial, at a time when climate change is hitting farmers hard and regularly, and when our dependence on imported fertilisers and oilseed meals undermines our sovereignty. The conferences must take these considerations into account — otherwise, they will serve only to perpetuate the notion of an illusory sovereignty. 

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Press contact Amélie FRITZ Head of Communication and press relations Email
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