Emissions trading and carbon markets

Governments across the world are striving to set up carbon markets at national, regional or local level in order to reduce the amount of harmful greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Various instruments have been developed to achieve this goal: emissions trading systems (ETS), offsetting mechanisms, such as the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), and Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs). These tools are used in parallel or in combination, and will be consolidated to form the international carbon market. This requires a political and economic agenda. Representatives from governments, institutions, research and business will discuss the conditions needed to achieve this goal and thus curb emissions of harmful climate gases at the international conference “Towards a Global Carbon Market” in Berlin on 11 and 12 April. The event was developed and organised by adelphi on behalf of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU).

adelphi is involved in a large variety of projects in the field of emissions trading and carbon markets. We manage numerous projects to evaluate emissions trading systems worldwide and other market mechanisms, and thus play an active role in helping to build the international carbon market. adelphi is active on various levels and draws on its conceptual skills, specialist knowledge and organisational expertise to offer its clients customised solutions. We provide expert advice, support dialogue processes, run training sessions and manage projects.

On behalf of the BMU, adelphi has supervised the Emissions Trading Working Group (AGE) since it was established ten years ago; it also coordinates the development and implementation of training measures to establish ETS in developing countries and supports the administrative office of the International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP). Whether facilitating a stakeholder process at national level, supporting bilateral cooperation or monitoring the exchange of knowledge on various ETS in a multilateral context, the strategic creation of dialogue processes on emissions trading is always central to adelphi's activities, underpinned by its specialist knowledge.

The existing emissions trading systems and those under development in the European Union, Australia, California and China, do not constitute an international carbon market on their own. In order to build this market, it is also important to enhance and gradually consolidate other mechanisms. On behalf of the Federal Environment Agency, adelphi conducted a study to examine the regulations on offset certification in various countries and organised a workshop to integrate them into a CDM reform process. adelphi is also active in the field of NAMAs. Its reference guide for good NAMA practice, developed on behalf of the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), provides practical guidelines for the development of climate protection projects and programmes.