Update on Carbon Trading

摘要

Worldwide trading in carbon, pursuant to the Kyoto Protocol, increased five-fold from 2004 to 2005. Carbon emission rights traded rose from 119 million metric tons (Mt) to 696 million Mt. The lion's share of the increase came from the European Union (EU), which increased its trading from 9 million Mt to 322 million Mt over 12 months, according to a recent World Bank report (www.ieta.org/ ieta/www/pages/download.php?docID=1674). The tiger's share of the increase came in the flexible mechanisms market set up by the Kyoto protocol, which rose from 100 million Mt in 2004 to 374 million Mt in 2005. The value of trades in the EU market was 6.4 billion euros (US $8.2 billion), while trade in the flexible mechanisms market was valued at US $2.7 billion. This works out to average trading prices of almost 20 euros (just over US $25) per ton of carbon on the European market and US $7.20 per ton in the flexible mechanisms market.