Antonio Gozzi, Special Adviser on European Strategic Autonomy, Competitiveness and the Mattei Plan at Confindustria, the main association representing Italian manufacturing and service companies, once again drew attention to the need to review the EU Emissions trading Rules (ETS), emphasizing the importance of adjusting certain mechanisms that currently risk undermining the competitiveness of European industry He made this statement in Brussels during a Confindustria press conference on the issue.
According to Gozzi, ETS has played an important role in the decarbonization of the European industry, but the events of recent years have made pragmatic actions necessary. He recalled that since 2017, the price of CO₂ has increased from about 5-8 euros per metric ton to almost 100 euros per metric ton, which has led to a sharp increase in costs for the European production system. He noted that this increase has no analogues in the main competing economies: for example, in markets such as California, the price of carbon is about $25 per metric ton.
Gozzi also stressed that the impact of ETS affects not only the direct emissions of companies, but also affects energy costs. According to various estimates, this mechanism increases electricity prices by about 25-30 euros per MWh during the hours when prices are set by gas-fired thermal power plants. He noted that this is a particularly important factor in Europe, where energy prices are already significantly higher than in other major economic zones.
For this reason, Confindustria calls for a pragmatic review of the ETS, with measures taken against mechanisms that have contributed to unduly reducing the availability of benefits and increasing costs for companies, while not questioning decarbonization goals. "It is positive that this issue has finally become the subject of a European debate," Gozzi said, reiterating that the goal should be to achieve a sustainable environmental transition and increase industrial competitiveness without putting European companies at a disadvantage compared to their international competitors.
Gozzi's latest remarks are part of a discussion that has already heated up in recent weeks, when he repeatedly highlighted the critical issues surrounding ETS and the need to correct its impact on European industry. This issue is in the broader context of increasing energy pressures and regulatory costs, which Confindustria believes should be addressed through measures that can support the transition process without jeopardizing the sustainability of the continent's industry.
Author: Editorial staff of SteelOrbis
