Coal support set to continue under EU ETS reform deal

Some coal-fired power stations will be eligible for continued support under a late-night deal between MEPs and national government delegates over reforms to the EU’s emissions trading system. The European Commission and trading carbon sectors welcomed the deal, but environmentalists have slammed the compromise as inadequate for Paris commitments.

Lawmakers agreed to prevent revenue from pollution permits being used to fund coal plants via a ‘modernisation fund’ for less wealthy EU countries – the only exception being district heating facilities in Bulgaria and Romania – although they rejected a European Parliament proposal to attach an emissions performance standard of 450g/kWh to the subsidy.