Media Coverage

The European Union’s proposed carbon border charge is essential to the survival of its own industries and the bloc will impose the levy on non-EU competitors unless they commit to lowering their emissions, the bloc’s climate policy chief said on Monday (18 January).

Frans Timmermans, European Commission executive vice-president at the Politics of Life After Covid Event conference event with Lord Mandelson.

Now, after three reforms that reduced the number of available permits, Europe’s Emissions Trading System (ETS) is back on track—even though production is lower because of the coronavirus pandemic. On Jan. 12 the cost of emitting a ton of CO₂ hit €35.42—a record—and consulting firm Energy Aspects predicts prices will reach €40 this year. “ETS has shown it’s a resilient system, and it’s now getting stronger,” says EU climate chief Frans Timmermans. “This is one of the best instruments we have to influence the behavior of industry and the necessary reduction in the use of carbon.”

Frans Timmermans, European Commission executive vice-president at the Politics of Life After Covid Event conference event with Lord Mandelson.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union’s proposed carbon border charge is essential to the survival of its own industries and the bloc will impose the levy on non-EU competitors unless they commit to lowering their emissions, the bloc’s climate policy chief said on Monday.

Frans Timmermans, European Commission executive vice-president at the Politics of Life After Covid Event conference event with Lord Mandelson.

Dr Harpreet Sood, Advisor to GC, spoke to the BBC Today programme on combatting disinformation on the covid vaccine being spread to South Asian communities. He said: "We need to be clear and make people realise there is no meat in the vaccine, there is no pork in the vaccine, it has been accepted and endorsed by all the religious leaders and councils and faith communities."

Global Counsel Senior Director Stephen Adams says that, while the rules of origin are like those found in any trade deal, the supply chain onto which they have been imposed is not. “Rules of origin are designed for a type of international trade very different to the supermarket distribution networks between the UK and Ireland. This is essentially a domestic distribution model which we now have to treat as an international trade problem.”

Mr Sunak’s approach stands in flattering contrast to the EU’s own position on access to its market by outsiders, which is looking increasingly unreliable and politicised, says Denzil Davidson.

Prominent Republican pollster Frank Luntz blasted President Trump and his campaign for focusing on Hunter Biden in the stretch run to Election Day, calling Trump’s campaign the worst he’s ever seen and saying the president’s advisers should be “brought up on charges of political malpractice.” Speaking at a briefing for the British strategic advising company Global Counsel, Luntz said Trump’s advisers have “their heads up their asses” if they think Hunter Biden will be a winning issue for them.

"There may well be cases where foreign investment in specific sensitive sectors poses too much of a risk. But creating a hostile environment for foreign investment is not the right approach." Max von Thun for City AM. 

"As Britain continues to negotiate its departure from the European Union, the OneWeb deal provides the country leverage in talks on security matters", Franck Thomas in the New York Times.

"The government needs to make sure it has an operation that is bigger than the sum of its parts, rather than simply relying on one or two star performers. It needs to trust more of the government’s own ministers to take meaningful decisions, rather than relying on Number Ten to get it right every time, all the time; it needs to get a thicker skin about criticism, understanding that some of it means well, even if much of it is partisan; and, even with its significant majority, it needs to pick its battles." Alex Dawson for GQ magazine.