According to Henrik Hasselknippe, global head of carbon analysis at Point Carbon trading analytics & research, the recession has encouraged companies to trade their surplus carbon allowances. "Prices are lower due to the economic slowdown, but volumes are much higher as many depressed industry sectors in Europe have decided to trade their surplus carbon allowances illustrating how the economic slowdown is, in effect, increasing market activity in the carbon sector," he says.

Volumes of trade on