More than 50 companies, business associations and civil society organisations, including The Green Tank, have co-signed a joint letter calling on EU Member States to implement ETS2 in 2028, as agreed, without further delay. The Green Tank has signed the letter both as an organisation and as part of the LIFE Effect consortium.
ETS2 – the EU’s new carbon pricing system for buildings and road transport – is an important tool for drastically reducing the reliance of these two sectors on expensive fossil fuels, which drive up energy costs for households and businesses, strengthening energy security through electrification and energy efficiency, and creating demand for clean technologies in Europe.
The letter stresses the importance of stability and predictability in the agreed ETS2 framework. Businesses, SMEs, clean-tech investors and consumers have already prepared and invested based on the agreed timeline. Delaying or reopening ETS2 at this stage would create uncertainty and weaken investment incentives for the clean energy transition.
At the same time, Member States should use the period before ETS2 starts to prepare for the effective use of its revenues. Early and frontloaded revenues can help support the most vulnerable households in their transition to cleaner energy solutions, while strengthening their resilience to future energy price shocks. Measures can include energy efficiency, clean heating and sustainable transport.
The signatories call on governments to:
- implement ETS2 in 2028, without further delay;
- adopt robust Social Climate Plans and make effective use of ETS2 revenues and the Social Climate Fund to protect vulnerable consumers; and to
- accelerate the deployment of energy efficiency, clean heating and sustainable transport measures.
The letter also calls for any further changes to ETS2 to be considered through its scheduled review in 2029, preserving regulatory certainty in the meantime.
Read the joint letter, sent on 6 October 2026, here.
Support a fair and effective energy transition. Sign the LIFE Effect campaign petition: https://life-effect.org/petition/
