As the federal government rolls back on its climate commitments, Clean & Prosperous Institute brought a delegation of 40 Pacific Northwest lawmakers, Tribal, labor, business, and community leaders to the capital of the European Union (EU) on our Study Mission 5.0: Brussels and Beyond. We’re forging ahead with subnational to international partnerships, and we want to share all the great lessons and ideas we brought home!
On the first day of our study mission, we met with officials from the Directorate-General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA) at the Berlaymont Building, which is the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels. DG CLIMA oversees the Emissions Trading System (ETS), which is the EU’s version of the Climate Commitment Act (CCA). Launched in 2005, the ETS is the world’s longest-running carbon market, and has successfully reduced EU greenhouse gas emissions by 38 percent compared to 1990 levels.
DG CLIMA shared lessons from operating their carbon market and briefed our delegation on what’s next, including ETS2 to broaden the carbon market to cover more sectors, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to address emissions leakage, the Social Climate Fund investment approach, and efforts to catalyze sustainable aviation.
From backing out of the Paris Agreement, to gutting clean energy support in the Inflation Reduction Act, to damaging innovative energy businesses’ ability to compete in the international marketplace, the current federal administration is sacrificing the United States’ standing and influence on climate action. In that breach, subnational entities like Washington can and should build partnerships with international governing bodies, including the European Union.
Washington state’s subnational leadership is gaining notice! Earlier this week, the Financial Times published a story featuring European Union officials highlighting how subnational entities in the United States are traveling to Brussels to continue advancing climate action – regardless of federal retrenchment. Our bipartisan Washington delegation was mentioned alongside other subnationals including California and New York. You can read more here.
Ultimately, our briefing with DG CLIMA underscores what we have long known in Washington: Carbon markets like the Climate Commitment Act are the most effective, proven method for reducing emissions and supercharging the clean energy transition.
Turning Waste Gas from Steel Production into Ethanol
On the second day of our Study Mission, we visited the Steelanol facility in Ghent and received a briefing from our hosts LanzaTech. The Steelanol facility is the first large-scale plant to capture waste gas from steel production and turn it into ethanol, a fuel that can replace fossil fuels in hard-to-decarbonize sectors, including maritime transportation.
Cutting-edge scientific developments like LanzaTech’s carbon recycling are incredibly relevant for Washington state, particularly as we evaluate our own efforts to regulate and decarbonize energy-intensive industries.
Follow CPI on Social Media
Follow Clean & Prosperous Institute on social media to learn more about our Study Mission 5.0: Brussels and Beyond. You can find us on these channels:
- LinkedIn: @clean-prosperous-institute
- Instagram: @cleanprosperousinstitute
- Bluesky: @cleanandprosperous.bsky.social
Thank You to Our Study Mission Sponsors
We are incredibly grateful to our sponsors who made our Study Mission: Brussels and Beyond possible.
