LIFE NETS – Net-zero Emission Trading Systems

forthcoming

LIFE NETS – Net-zero Emissions Trading Systems – aims to support the objectives of the Paris Agreement by contributing to a better understanding of and support for ambitious climate policies. In particular, the European Union’s Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) will impact citizens significantly as carbon prices rise and are extended to road transport and buildings. The increase in carbon prices associated with the new climate ambition is leading to strong concerns about its acceptability, thus making the transparency, comprehensibility, and accountability of ETSs critical. Knowledge-sharing and capacity-building about ETSs are key to ensuring its success. LIFE NETS will create, analyse, and share scientific knowledge to improve the assessment and implementation of ETSs. The project will create and monitor data on the EU ETS and visualise the content in an innovative and user-friendly EU ETS Data Tracker. It will conduct a behavioural experiment to better understand public perceptions and provide training courses on the EU ETS to stakeholders and policymakers in Europe and worldwide. Through academic and policy dialogues, LIFE NETS will foster an exchange and discussion of knowledge to inform policy. The academic dialogues will enhance the capacity to assess ETSs, while the policy dialogues will address the challenges related to their implementation and integration by bringing together stakeholders, policymakers and academics. All these activities will build stronger networks and result in public information for enhanced ETS support. The concept of NETS, referring to NET zero emissions, Negative Emissions Technologies, NETwork analysis, social safety NETS, and NETworks of ETSs or experts, underlies all the project’s activities. Additionally, ETSs are de facto NETworks of actors. By contributing to the research and communication on ETSs and by creating forums for discussion, LIFE NETS will support the expansion and success of ETSs worldwide.