Policy risk
UN seeks alternatives to CDM
Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects will not ultimately deliver, so the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) CDM Executive Board is looking at alternative mechanisms to implement beyond 2012, said Martin Hession, who is…
Piecing things together post-Copenhagen
Abyd Karmali, global head of carbon markets at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, gives Pauline McCallion a first-hand account of the December 2009 UN climate change talks, discussing the likely future impact on global carbon markets
Where to now for the carbon markets?
The Copenhagen climate talks, widely dismissed as a failure, did achieve certain things. Olga Gassan-zade and Kristian Tangen of Point Carbon analyse what the conference means for emissions trading from here
China’s CDM market: Will Shanghai say goodbye to CERs?
With China widely blamed for the failure of Copenhagen, some experts believe CDM investors could now shun the country in favour of India and Brazil, or that the EU may even take action again Chinese CDM certificates, creating a two-tier market. Lianna…
Indian CDM: does it have a future?
The CDM market in India has boomed since its 2007 inception, but its development has been dogged by both domestic and international regulatory uncertainty. Katie Holliday looks at the challenges faced by the Indian CDM market and asks whether it has a…
Yvo de Boer: Cop 16 won’t produce binding agreement
Countries such as China and India will not enter a legally binding agreement at the next United Nations Climate Change conference (Cop16) in Cancun, Mexico at the end of 2010, predicts Yvo de Boer, the executive secretary of the United Nations Framework…
UNFCCC official: Exec Board to announce CDM changes
In a move designed to better streamline the development of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects, the CDM Executive Board (EB) is set to announce some changes to the CDM technical framework, a United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change …
India woos foreign investment with CDM reforms
The Indian government is proposing a set of reforms to Kyoto Protocol standards for Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects, which involve scrapping further charges to developers, to push through more CDMs and keep investment flows alive, the Indian…
New US coalition targets fair electricity transmission
The Coalition for Fair Transmission Policy (CFTP) has been launched in Washington, DC to campaign for more efficient development of the US electricity grid.
Two-thirds of ETRM users plan new systems in 2010
Some 67% of respondents to Energy Risk’s 2010 Software Survey say they will be investing in new energy trading risk management (ETRM) systems this year, to tackle dissatisfaction with the speed and usability of existing software systems, as well as…
Romania bans OTC emissions trading to combat fraud
Romanian authorities have banned European Union carbon emissions allowances (EUA) in the over-the-counter derivatives market to prevent EUA tax fraud, after ruling that these contracts are now classed as equity securities and therefore can only be bought…
EPA lays out GHG regulation timetable
The regulation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is set to begin in 2011 with a higher-than-expected threshold, according to the latest details from the agency.
Market fears two-tier EU ETS post-2012
Following a lack of collective will to determine a binding agreement at the Climate Change conference in Copenhagen (Cop15), analysts say the West may take steps to either ban or restrict most Chinese certified emissions reduction (CER) credits in the…
Icap Energy head: Oil broking screen a response to "regulatory times"
Interdealer brokerage Icap Energy will launch a combined voice-electronic broking service for over-the-counter (OTC) crude, fuel oil and middle distillate swaps, subject to regulatory approval. The service, entitled Icap TrueQuote, will offer straight…
Oil majors go solo with emissions campaign
BP and ConocoPhillips will not renew their respective memberships of the US Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), announcing separate plans to engage policymakers as individual organisations.
State drops out of regional carbon trading scheme
Arizona has pulled out of the Western Climate Initiative (WCI) cap-and-trade scheme over fears it would put the state at a competitive disadvantage.
CFTC to open risk management office
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) will use funding under the Obama Administration’s new budget to create two offices focusing on risk management.
Obama admits Senate may need to drop carbon trading
US President Barack Obama has acknowledged the potential need to strip cap and trade out of US energy legislation currently being re-drafted in the US Senate in order to pass the bill.
More legislation threatens EPA regulation of GHGs
The chairman of the US House Agriculture Committee has introduced bipartisan legislation designed to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from regulating greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act.
Obama boosts biofuels and clean coal
US President Barack Obama has announced a series of measures designed to boost biofuel production and reduce US dependence on foreign oil.
Best practices in compliance
With regulators’ power set to increase and individual executives increasingly likely to be prosecuted when there is a compliance breach, it is crucial that the compliance function is properly structured. In part two of their series, Michael Berry and…
Dry freight and regulation: Tides of change
The dry freight FFA market has undergone significant changes in the past two years, with a marked increase in clearing and financial players. Participants are now looking at how potentially tighter OTC regulation may impact trading. By Pauline McCallion
US budget drops fossil fuel subsidies
US President Barack Obama has used his 2011 budget to call for an end to fossil fuel subsidies, apportioning funds to the clean energy sector instead.