Emissions marketplace

While development of carbon emissions trading regimes is a hot topic for Europe's fuel suppliers and power traders, the US remains mired in debate about whether to institute any kind of carbon control strategy at all. Some CO2 market proponents are trying to jump-start US trading ahead of government decisions, so far with little success. Emissions allowance trading, of sulfur dioxide and later nitrogen oxide allowances, was pioneered in the US and remains a steady trading market -- Platts' US broker indexes in SO2 and NOx, introduced September 2003, provide a new level of transparency for these commodities.

Europe has no SO2 or NOx market, but CO2 trading is in various stages of development and slated to begin within the European Union in 2005. Power generators are eying the EU effort for signals on what it will mean for the industry, but national governments have yet to specify emission allocations for each facility involved, and rules of the trading game have yet to be set.

This section offers an overview of the main issues involved in emissions trading as it develops around the globe.

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This feature aims to give an overview of the main issues related to emissions, and to prepare companies for what they might face looking ahead.

Created: June 4, 2003
Updated: Oct 18, 2004