What Sandbag does

Sandbag Climate Campaign ASBL is a Brussels-based non-profit think tank founded in 2011 that conducts data-driven, evidence-based advocacy to improve EU climate policy. The organisation focuses on the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), the EU Innovation Fund, and industrial decarbonisation in sectors including steel, aluminium, cement, chemicals, and hydrogen. Its core deliverables are technical briefs, policy reports, consultation responses, and a portfolio of five interactive data tools — the EU ETS Simulator, CBAM Simulator, EU ETS Dashboard, Carbon Price Viewer, and EU ETS + CDR Simulator — that allow stakeholders to model policy scenarios and explore sectoral emissions data.

Underlying the offering is Sandbag's proprietary supply-demand modelling framework for EU carbon markets, sector-specific emissions data analysis, and scenario simulation methodology. The technology differentiator is described as 'scale/reliability' across four simulators and 'novel method architecture' for the ETS+CDR Simulator. Sandbag's analytical work is cited by the European Commission, European Parliament (including by named rapporteurs such as MEP Mohammed Chahim), and the European Court of Auditors, and the organisation holds formal seats in three European Commission expert groups (DG TAXUD CBAM, DG CLIMA Climate Policy, Innovation Fund).

Sandbag is funded almost entirely through grants and donations; it sells no commercial products and distributes its publications, data tools, and policy briefs free of charge. Its 'customer' base is composed of EU policymakers (primary), media and journalists, civil society organisations and NGOs, and energy-intensive industrial sectors, reached through digital channels (website, LinkedIn, X/Twitter, Bluesky, newsletter), earned media (Bloomberg, China Dialogue, Energy Monitor, Carbon Pulse, Clean Energy Wire, among others), webinars, expert-group participation, and joint NGO coalition letters.

Name

Sandbag

Legal name

Sandbag Climate Campaign ASBL

Website

https://sandbag.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sandbag is a Brussels-based non-profit think tank founded in 2011 that produces data-driven analysis, interactive simulators, and policy briefs to improve the EU Emissions Trading System, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, and industrial decarbonisation policy for EU policymakers, NGOs, journalists, and industry stakeholders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climate Policy Research

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Carbon Market & Policy Advisory (Compliance Schemes, ETS Design, Article 6) (EUABADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support (BPADALAA), Supply Chain & Product Carbon Advisory (Scope 3 Procurement, PCF Support) (EUABADAJ)

Keywords

• EU climate policy
• Carbon market analysis
• EU ETS modelling
• CBAM research
• Environmental think tank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ixelles (Brussels)

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Grants and Donations: Nearly all of Sandbag's funding comes from grants and donations. Donations are tax deductible and a receipt can be provided upon request.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Sandbag is a Belgium-registered non-profit climate think tank that produces data-driven analysis and advocacy to improve EU climate policy, with a primary focus on the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). It builds and maintains a portfolio of interactive simulation and dashboard tools (EU ETS Simulator, CBAM Simulator, EU ETS Dashboard, Carbon Price Viewer, EU ETS + CDR Simulator) and publishes technical briefs, consultation responses, and policy reports that are distributed freely to policymakers, journalists, NGOs, and industrial stakeholders. The organisation is funded through grants and donations and operates without commercial product sales.

Product overview

Sandbag is a climate policy think tank that offers a portfolio of interactive data visualization and simulation tools focused on EU climate policy analysis. The core offerings include the EU ETS Simulator, CBAM Simulator, EU ETS Dashboard, Carbon Price Viewer, and EU ETS + CDR Simulator. These tools enable policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders to analyze emissions trading system impacts, model policy adjustments, explore carbon pricing trends, and assess carbon border adjustment mechanism effects. The company also produces policy briefs, technical reports, and publications on industrial decarbonization, hydrogen, circular economy, and climate financing topics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EU ETS Simulator Interactive online tool that enables users to analyse the impact of policy adjustments on the EU Emissions Trading System, modelling supply/demand dynamics under different emission reduction and policy scenarios. Targeted at EU policymakers, researchers, and other stakeholders evaluating ETS policy options.
• CBAM Simulator Interactive tool that allows users to explore real-world trade impacts of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism using Sandbag's data-based model, helping assess CBAM coverage, costs, and circumvention risks for traded goods.
• EU ETS Dashboard Interactive data visualisation tool that enables users to explore sector-specific emissions data within the EU Emissions Trading System at various levels of granularity, supporting analysis of industrial decarbonisation trends.
• Carbon Price Viewer Interactive tool that allows users to explore carbon price trends under the EU ETS over time, supporting analysis of price signals, market stability reserve effects, and policy impacts on the carbon market.
• EU ETS + CDR Simulator Specialised simulator that visualises and explores the impact of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) integration on the EU ETS, assesses CDR demand pathways, and highlights potential consequences of different integration choices on ETS emissions reductions, carbon prices, and negative externalities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sandbag analysis on Innovation Fund was cited in the European Court of Auditors' special report on the Innovation Fund (March 2026)
• +4 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• 35 Civil Society Organisations (Joint NGO Letter on EU ETS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Sandbag joined 35 civil society organisations in calling on EU leaders to protect the integrity of the EU Emissions Trading System ahead of the March 2026 European Council meeting.
• 14 NGO Organisations (Joint Letter on ICC Reform)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025Sandbag joined 14 NGOs in calling on the European Commission to reform the Indirect Cost Compensation (ICC) scheme before expanding it, warning that current proposals risk diverting ETS revenues into fossil subsidies.
• DG TAXUD CBAM Expert GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSandbag participates as a member of the European Commission's DG TAXUD Expert Group on CBAM, submitting concerns regarding treatment of metal scrap and other implementation issues that could risk circumvention of the carbon border levy.
• DG CLIMA Expert Group on Climate Change PolicycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSandbag participates in DG CLIMA's Expert Group on Climate Change Policy, presenting proposals to improve free allocation effectiveness and other ETS reform aspects.
• Innovation Fund Expert GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSandbag participates in the Innovation Fund Expert Group, coordinating stakeholder input for the revision of the EU's key innovation financing programme for low-carbon technologies.
• Carbon Market Watch (Joint Blog on Innovation Fund)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSandbag co-authored a joint blog with Carbon Market Watch titled 'Fixing the Innovation Fixation' (May 2023), presenting shared recommendations on how the Innovation Fund should be reformed to be more effective and less wasteful.
• EuRIC (European Recycling Industries' Confederation) - Joint Letter on CircularityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSandbag and EuRIC issued a joint letter stating that the reform of the EU ETS and CBAM should not discourage circularity in the steel and metals sector.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• E3G: Climate think tank working on EU and international climate policy, with comparable expert-group participation, publication cadence, and influence across EU institutions on energy and climate files.
• Transport & Environment: Brussels-based NGO producing rigorous technical and economic analysis to influence EU climate and transport policy; comparable in being a Brussels policy specialist with expert-group access and member-driven funding model.
• CAN Europe (Climate Action Network Europe): European coalition of environmental and climate NGOs coordinating joint positions on EU climate legislation; highly comparable as a coalition-convening actor with overlapping civil society partners and shared policy files.
• Carbon Market Watch: Brussels-based climate think tank focused on carbon markets, EU ETS, and CBAM; directly comparable in mission, geography, advocacy style, and policy topics, and a frequent co-author with Sandbag (e.g. 'Fixing the Innovation Fixation').
• Ember: Independent climate think tank producing data-driven analysis on European and global power sector decarbonisation; comparable as a small, data-led climate think tank producing policy-relevant analysis cited by EU institutions.
• Wuppertal Institut: German research institute producing applied climate, energy, and industrial policy research for EU and German policy; comparable in producing technical, simulator-style analysis cited in EU policy debates around decarbonisation.
• Climate Action Tracker: Independent scientific assessment of government climate action; comparable in producing evidence-based, citation-worthy analysis that directly informs EU and global policy debates on ETS ambition and climate targets.

Emerging players

• InfluenceMap: Independent think tank producing data-driven analysis of corporate climate lobbying; comparable in using proprietary data tools and quantitative analysis to shape EU climate policy narratives, though focused on corporate behaviour rather than market design.

Broad incumbents

• Environmental Defense Fund Europe: European arm of a large global environmental NGO active on EU ETS, CBAM, and industrial decarbonisation; comparable in policy targets and expert-group access, but with substantially more resources and a broader portfolio.

Others

• Clean Energy Wire: Independent climate and energy journalism service that regularly cites Sandbag's work and serves as a channel for Sandbag's analysis to reach journalists; comparable as part of the same EU climate information ecosystem but operates as a media outlet rather than a policy advocate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sandbag_eu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sandbag-climate-campaign-eu
• Instagrambsky.app/profile/sandbag-eu.bsky.social

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sandbag