The EU’s new, more ambitious climate-change package, “Fit for 55”, aiming for a 55 percent reduction of carbon emissions by 2030, compared to 1990 levels, will prompt sharp price increases in diesel heating fuel costs as well as fossil-fuel powered transportation.

The prospective package, announced yesterday in the form of twelve legislative proposals, has already raised the question as to who will cover its cost – consumers, producers, or both.

The package will lead to wider implementation of the ETS for buildings and transportation.

Inevitably, less affluent households and smaller enterprises whose heating and transporation needs are exclusively covered by fossil fuels will face even greater pressure.

The European Commission has proposed a 61 percent reduction of carbon emissions from sectors covered in the EU’s existing Emissions Trading System (ETS), compared to 2005 levels, up from the previous target of 43 percent.