Event

The future of the EU ETS

March 26 2026, 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM CET

Registration

📍 European Parliament (Room ANTALL 6Q1)

REGISTRATION IS CLOSED

The panel discussion moderated by Anna Gumbau included the following speakers: 

  • Sabine Frank, Executive Director, Carbon Market Watch

  • Antony Froggatt, Senior Director (Energy, Aviation & Shipping), Transport & Environment

  • Sarah Kuen, Climate Attaché (coordinator climate), Permanent Representation of Belgium to the EU

  • Ingeborg ter Laak, Member of the European Parliament (EPP)

  • Beatriz Yordi, Director, Carbon Markets and Clean Mobility, DG CLIMA, European Commission

The event, opened with introductory remarks from Ingeborg Ter Laak MEP, focused on the current state of the EU ETS and the challenges it faces towards the future, setting the scene for a broader discussion among policymakers and experts at a decisive moment for Europe’s climate policy. 

Speakers agreed that the ETS remains a central and effective tool for reducing emissions, particularly as sectors within its scope are delivering results while others lag behind. The system was widely recognised for providing a clear long-term signal for investment, and participants stressed that weakening it now would risk undermining trust and stability. As highlighted by Beatriz Yord, Director of DG CLIMA within the European Commission, the ETS has already driven significant emissions reductions over the past 20 years and continues to play a key role in competitiveness, energy security, and the expansion of renewables, while instruments such as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) are essential to ensure a level playing field globally. During the discussion, it was stressed that, while ETS2 will follow a similar gradual development as the existing system, it will be crucial to ensure social fairness and public acceptance from the outset. The importance of frontloading revenues was underlined as a way to provide early benefits to citizens, alongside the need for Member States to act proactively in implementing the system and using available regulatory and policy tools to support vulnerable households.

Antony Froggatt, Senior Director at T&E on Energy, Aviation, Shipping, emphasised that the ETS remains the cornerstone of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction strategy, but stressed that it must be complemented by complementary policies to fully deliver the transition, noting in particular the direct link between climate action and energy security.