British Glass, the representative body for the UK glass industry, has joined over 40 companies in signing an open letter to government on the importance of linking the new UK Emissions Trading System (ETS) with the EU’s.
Addressed to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the letter calls for the two trading system’s to be linked together “as soon as practicable” to allow the UK to reach net zero both faster and more cost effectively.
Linking the UK and EU ETS before the UN Climate Change Conference 2021 (COP26) in November would “reaffirm the UK and the EU as climate leaders” and see benefits such as a level playing field in terms of carbon pricing, avoiding competitive distortions, and aligned cost implications for industry across the UK and the European Economic Area.
Paul Pearcy, Senior EHS Adviser at British Glass, said, “To ensure that the UK glass industry is not at a competitive disadvantage with the EU it is critical that the UK links with the EU ETS to ensure that our industry has a level playing field in terms of carbon price.
“That’s why we’re joining together with companies from across the foundation industries, including paper, ceramics and oil and gas, to support what we believe is a reasonable request of our government.”
Other companies that have signed the open letter include the Confederation of British Industry, Energy UK, British Ceramic Confederation, Oil & Gas UK and Wind Europe.
Read the full letter here.