BRUSSELS — The European Commission has confirmed it will allow EU industry to continue emitting planet-warming gases well into the 2040s and offer more free pollution permits for longer, as part of an overhaul of the bloc’s Emissions Trading System.
The commission released the long-awaited revision on Friday after a full night of talks, following internal division over the details of the sweeping reforms to the EU’s most powerful tool for tackling climate change.
The final proposal represents a significant watering down of ambition, and is likely to spark a fight in Parliament and among member countries between those who want more concessions for industry, and those who want to accelerate the path to climate neutrality.
Swedish Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari said her government will “fight tooth and nail against this weakening of the framework.”
