Investing in a Cooler Future

摘要

Climate change policy has become one of the key issues facing the European Union and its member states. Indeed, the European Council the EU's main decision-making body - recently affirmed its commitment to the reduction of CO_2 and other greenhouse gases. Member states' focus on the issue of climate change has similarly been illustrated by the recent publication of the UK's Energy White Paper detailing the Labour Government's intention to encourage low-carbon sources of energy, even going as far as to introduce a mandatory carbon trading scheme for large organisations such as banks, supermarkets and central Government departments. Such a policy builds upon the international framework established by the EU's Emission Trading Scheme (ETS), encompassing the region's electricity generators and vertically integrated utilities.