2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2022 Annual Report

Carbon Markets 3.0 tracks the evolution of carbon markets through a series of issue-based articles tackling MRV, policy certainty, decarbonisation in emerging economies, scaling carbon markets, and technological innovations.

The report is structured around the first iteration of carbon markets, emerging ones, and the future of the carbon market. Articles include a reflection on the market’s transformation and lessons learned by carbon market pioneer Ken Newcombe, a look at how the EU ETS is reforming for future challenges, how South Korea is using emissions trading to balance a growing population and economy with environmental goals, the carbon pricing landscape in Colombia, and the technology that’s shaping the markets of tomorrow.

The report also includes The Business of Net Zero, a piece produced with Forbes on how businesses are transforming, and a profile of the Climate Action Data Trust, a blockchain-based data initiative from IETA, the World Bank and the Government of Singapore.

2021 Annual Report

The Anatomy of the Carbon Market lays out the different parts of the carbon market and how to ensure its health – recognising a need to ensure the many new entrants to emissions trading understand what is meant by “the carbon market”. 

The report is structured around the market’s nerve centre, connective tissue, and health measures, covering topics such as key trends in emissions trading, how to maximise climate ambitions, the role for offsets, and how to grow a robust voluntary carbon market. The report also includes an overview of Blue-Sky Thinking, a project conducted jointly with ITN Productions Industry News on the race to net-zero emissions, which also encompasses the different parts of the carbon market. 

Other highlights include how markets can support the move to net-zero emissions, the interaction between climate and trade policies, the role of the financial sector in the carbon market, how Article 6 can be used, and why transparency is vital.

2020 Annual Report

Vision 2050, includes two carbon market scenarios by Baker McKenzie, how the voluntary market can play a role in driving ambition and the latest on net-zero pledges from IETA members. 

Other highlights include how a swathe of government net-zero pledges is pulling the world closer to meeting the Paris Agreement’s goals, how the EU ETS is being changed for the future, and moving from planning to carbon pricing implementation in developing countries. It also includes a series of mini-profiles of innovations by IETA members which are transforming the way things are done, from sustainable farming to green steel, as well as a look at what policies are needed to deliver on the technology for tomorrow.

The report also looks at how to ensure a just transition in a resource-rich economy, focusing on South Africa, and how to successfully fight back against legal challenges to carbon pricing policies.

2019 Annual Report

The report includes the key lessons from the past 20 years, prepared by IETA Fellow and climate policy veteran Bill Kyte, a history of IETA’s origins by Frank Joshua, who was instrumental in establishing the association in 1999, and a look at the Voluntary Carbon Standard’s development, including IETA’s role in its conception.

Other highlights include a piece by Annie Petsonk from Environmental Defense Fund on the programmes bidding to supply the future aviation market, Refinitiv on how the EU is already inherently on track for a more ambitious 2030 target, and a summary of how a robust Article 6 mechanism could accelerate emissions reductions under the Paris Agreement, based on IETA’s work with the University of Maryland. It also includes an article from the Chilean government, which is presiding over this year’s UN climate talks, on how Article 6 can transform the world’s economy.

The report also includes the latest carbon pricing approaches across North America, an innovative approach to value nature in carbon markets, how Article 6 can benefit African nations, an outlook for EU ETS prices, and a look at pilot market efforts in Asia.

Two Countries, Two Approaches to Carbon Pricing

Two short case studies of carbon pricing in Canada and Mexico, prepared by ClearBlue Markets and MexiCO2

Piloting for Post 2020 Carbon Markets

The article, written by VK Duggal from the Asian Development Bank, looks at an initiative to prepare nations in the region for the next wave of carbon markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. 

The Power of Cooperation

Written by Juan Pedro Searle Solar, negotiations advisor for markets and Head of Article 6 cluster for the COP25 Presidency, the article looks at what’s at stake in the Article 6 negotiations and the transformative impact for Chile of a fully-functional international market mechanism.

On the Origins of IETA

This month marks IETA's 20th Anniversary. One of its founders, Frank Joshua, recounts the IETA origin story.

Synopsis: Which way up?

Prices in the EU ETS have been volatile in recent months. Jahn Olsen at BloombergNEF analyses what's been driving them and where things could head in the closing months of Phase III of the world's oldest carbon market.

For more information on future articles or the end of year report, please contact Katie Kouchakji at kouchakji@ieta.org. Please contact Lisa Spafford for sponsorship opportunities at spafford@ieta.org.

Synopsis: Can Article 6 benefit African Countries?

Prepared by Mandy Rambharos from Eskom, the article takes a look at how Article 6 can power sustainable development in Africa – a timely topic as Africa Climate Week gets underway in Accra, Ghana. We hope it gives you food for thought on how markets can drive the ambitions held by African nations and the role that international cooperation needs to play. 

For more information on future articles or the end of year report, please contact Katie Kouchakji at kouchakji@ieta.org. Please contact Lisa Spafford for sponsorship opportunities at spafford@ieta.org.

2018 IETA INSIGHTS NO. 4

The final edition of IETA Insights 2018 focuses on the Paris Agreement, the future of markets, and what carbon markets are achieving. IETA President and CEO Dirk Forrister spells out why guidance on Article 6 of the Agreement is crucial, while Alessandro Vitelli takes a close look at expectations for the EU ETS in 2019. ENGIE and Hydro, named industry leaders in RobecoSAM’s Corporate Sustainability Assessment, say how carbon pricing has changed their business.

For more information or content suggestions for future issues, please contact Katie Kouchakji on kouchakji@ieta.org. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Lisa Spafford at spafford@ieta.org.

The latest edition of IETA Insights 2018 shines a light on carbon pricing activity across the Americas, kicking off with a high-level overview of the Declaration on Carbon Pricing in the Americas and an update on what signatories have achieved so far. The issue also features analysis of the implications of moves by Ontario’s new government to walk away from the province’s climate change policies, and shines a light on how Peru is leading the way on nested REDD+ projects. Rounding out the issue is a look at the intersection of voluntary renewable energy purchasing by corporates with emissions markets, drawing from experience in the US.

For more information or content suggestions for future issues, please contact Katie Kouchakji on kouchakji@ieta.org. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Lisa Spafford at spafford@ieta.org.

The second edition of IETA Insights 2018 takes a close look at activity across Asia Pacific, including an update on China’s ETS and why the region is vital for an impactful climate change response. Voluntary action is also in the spotlight, with an examination of how the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures recommendations are impacting business and how the voluntary offset market can help corporates raise their climate ambitions.

For more information or content suggestions, please contact Katie Kouchakji on kouchakji@ieta.org. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Lisa Spafford at spafford@ieta.org.

IETA is proud to release the first edition of the IETA Insights for the year.

For more information or content suggestions, please contact Alessandro Vitelli on press@ieta.org. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Lisa Spafford at spafford@ieta.org.

IETA is proud to release the final edition of IETA Insights for the year, rounding up all the developments from 2017 and looking at what will come in the next 12 months.  

The issue features an introduction by IETA President and CEO Dirk Forrister, a roundup of key market developments around the world over the year, prepared by the team at Carbon Pulse, and a preview of what to expect in 2018.

Other articles include a close look at Singapore’s carbon tax proposal, the role for voluntary carbon markets in the Paris Agreement era, and how to build confidence in financing for REDD+.

For more information or content suggestions, please contact Katie Kouchakji on press@ieta.org. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Lisa Spafford at spafford@ieta.org.

IETA is proud to release the 2017 COP23 edition of IETA Insights, profiling global climate action and the latest thought-leadership on Article 6. 

Ambassador Nazhat Shameem Khan, Chief Negotiator for the incoming COP23 Fijian Presidency, introduces the issue by setting out the country’s vision for the talks, which start next week, and the role business can play. 

This third issue of IETA’s quarterly publication also features six climate change initiatives around the world, IETA’s latest thinking on bringing Article 6 to life, how blockchain can help the implementation of the Paris Agreement, and the investment opportunities arising from Colombia’s new carbon price.

For more information or content suggestions, please contact Katie Kouchakji on press@ieta.org. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Lisa Spafford at spafford@ieta.org.

This second edition of IETA Insights shines a light on carbon market activity across Asia Pacific. Several initiatives are in place or preparation, including a national ETS in China which will be the world’s largest market – and which is featured in this issue. It also includes an article on what to expect in Phase 2 of the Korea ETS, the first cap-and-trade system for the region.

We are proud to present IETA Insights, our new quarterly report!

Carbon pricing efforts are developing at a quickening pace around the world, spurred in part by the collaborative ethos of the Paris Agreement forged in 2015. Support for market-based measures remains at the core of IETA’s ethos, and IETA Insights will chart these developments and look at the innovative ways in which policies are enacted to suit national, regional and sectoral circumstances.

Published four times a year, IETA Insights will keep the business case for emissions trading in focus and expand the understanding of market-based policies to fight climate change. We hope you enjoy reading it, and always welcome your feedback – please contact Katie Kouchakji on kouchakji@ieta.org. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Lisa Spafford on spafford@ieta.org.

To read more about this report, click here.

IETA is proud to present its GHG Market Report for 2016/2017, entitled “Bridging the Ambition Gap: The Rise, Reach and Power of Carbon Markets.”

With the Paris Agreement entering legal force on November 4, the day after the Report’s publication, the global fight against climate change entered a new era. 

From 2020 a new set of market mechanisms will take up the challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions at lowest cost. Our 20167/2017 report considers the lessons of the past and offers constructive support to lawmakers as they craft the markets of the future.

If you have any questions about the publication, please don’t hesitate to contact Alessandro Vitelli (vitelli@ieta.org).

To read more about the GHG Market report, click here.

IETA is pleased to release the 11th Edition of Greenhouse Gas Market Report, entitled Markets Matter. The publication brings together carbon market professionals, policy-makers, academics and NGOs to provide in-depth analysis and perspectives on the main issues affecting carbon policy worldwide – including a scene-setter by UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres.

IETA is global in its outreach and the publication features latest developments and best practice in current and emerging carbon markets, as well as taking a step back to consider the wider implications of climate policy design and implementation. This year’s report is structured around three main themes where markets matter: climate finance, low-carbon technology and emissions trading.

IETA expresses its gratitude to all authors who have contributed to this publication, to the editorial committee, and all others who have worked on the publication.

IETA would also like to thank our sponsors, AEP, AitherCO2, EcoWay and EEX.

If you have any questions about the publication, please do not hesitate to contact Katie Kouchakji (kouchakji@ieta.org).

The International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) is pleased to release its annual flagship publication, IETA Greenhouse Gas Market 2012, sponsored by EcoWay,on October 1. The publication is a comprehensive guide to the latest developments in global carbon markets, bringing together market specialists in a series of expert contributions.

This year's publication features over 30 articles addressing a wide range of pertinent issues affecting global carbon markets. Contributors come from a range of perspectives, including industrial, legal, multilateral, financial, diplomatic, academic and non-governmental sectors.

2012 has seen a continued expansion in global carbon markets despite difficulties in core markets in the European Union and the Kyoto Mechanisms. New cap-and-trade programs are emerging, particularly in the Pacific Rim region, as nations embrace the use of market-based mechanisms to reduce emissions. Meanwhile, the UNFCCC is concentrating on the development of a new market mechanism to compliment the existing CDM and JI mechanisms. Alongside this, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) considers avenues and instruments for catalyzing investment in climate finance. Additionally, new technologies such as CCS, and new sectors such as REDD+, continue to be explored at the international level as possibilities for facilitating emissions reductions.

Asia and Beyond: the Roadmap to Global Carbon & Energy Markets

In this edition of IETA’s Greenhouse Gas Market report, authors from within and outside IETA’s membership pick out issues that they think will be particularly important for the development of the market in the year or years ahead. Though starting from an Asia-Pacific perspective, the report wends its way through national situation reports, updates on policies complementary to trading, interfaces between trading and other international policies and developments, and aspects of the trading and climate change agendas that need to be developed or re-thought - as the reality of living in a different, more fragmented, but still dynamic, greenhouse gas market comes closer.

Post Copenhagen and Climate Policy:  Where Global Emissions Trading Goes from Here

This 2010 GHG Market Report, “Post Copenhagen and Climate Policy: Where Global Emissions Trading Goes from Here” covers a wide variety of topics and regions and is more comprehensive than ever . Articles in this year’s Report cover the current challenges and the development of emissions trading systems spanning the globe.

Piecing Together a Comprehensive International Agreement for a Truly Global Carbon Market

This 2008 GHG Market Report, titled “Piecing Together a Comprehensive International Agreement for a Truly Global Carbon Market”, covers a range of topics and regions that is more comprehensive than ever before. Articles in this year’s Report demonstrate how emissions trading systems are not only spreading out across the globe but are also increasing in scope as new sectors and gases are brought into the fold.

There is something for everyone in this Report; it includes the most comprehensive coverage of issues of immediate interest that IETA has been privileged to bring together in one publication. The issues discussed reflect the immense experience and enlightened viewpoints of the IETA membership and a few invited guests who agreed to share their special knowledge. These authors dig far into the development of emissions trading around the world, to explain what is most important for businesses as well as policymakers.

Building upon a Solid Foundation: The Emergence of a Global Emissions Trading System

The papers in this publication reflect the experiences and views of our membership authors, reflecting upon their insight on the development of emissions trading around the world. They tell the story of prevalent growth and evolvement, promising to shed new light on the global GHG marketplace.

2006 IETA Greenhouse Gas Market

Moving to Action

The title of the 2006 GHG Market Report, “Moving to Action”, illustrates well the stage of development we have reached in the GHG market. The market has grown rapidly in 2005 and first half of 2006 both in terms of EUAs and CERs traded. It responded well to the signals it received, especially during the release of verified data in May 2006 when we saw significant price variability.

The papers in this publication reflect the experiences and views of our membership authors – sharing with you what has happened in 2006 and what they see as the future. They tell the story of growth both in terms of experience and the size of the market and as such provide a unique and interesting perspective.

The Rubber Hits the Road

The 2005 IETA GHG Market Report was issued at COP/MoP 1 in Montreal. We hope that this publication provides a good overview on how the market has developed over the last year.

At the same time, COP/MOP1, as the first Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, represents an important milestone in the process of addressing climate change. Negotiations related to the Kyoto Protocol and Marrakech Accords have been largely completed and all stakeholders need to examine how well the current instruments, including market approaches, have served it before engaging in the debate to design the post 2102 architecture.

Emissions trading has taken off this year following the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol by Russia and with the introduction of the European emissions trading system (EU ETS). Although the CO2 market is growing fast, it remains narrow compared to others. Nevertheless, it is beginning to play a role as an instrument to promote economic and environmental efficiency in the fight against climate change.

Our main regret for this year is the slow progress on the Clean Development Mechanism which could provide such an incentive to invest in greening the development path of many of those economies whose emissions are growing fastest. We believe that bureaucratic obstacles, often put in place with the intention of ensuring rigour, but resulting in paralysis, are the main problem. IETA has put forward a series of ideas to improve the situation that we hope will be implemented next year.

Ready for Take-Off

For our 2004 Market Report we chose the title "Ready for Take-Off" a few months ago, and it turned out to be a fortunate choice. The GHG market "world" has once more changed. President Putin's signature is now all that is needed to bring the Kyoto Protocol into force. From a GHG market point of view what this brings is the increasing certainty that the market derives from the global agreement that underpins the EU commitment, as well as current Canadian and Japanese efforts in the market. CDM and JI and their products look more certain.

Activity in the GHG  market has increased, not only in Europe where the start of the EU ETS is around the corner, but also in Japan, whose business community has become the biggest purchaser of CDM credits. There is enthusiasm in the market with the volumes increasing rapidly, new entrants from the financial sector and exchanges being created, indices coming on line, multiple master contracts being reconciles to increase liquidity.

Challenges remain. In North America, the Canadian Large Final Emitter program is still being developed. In the US the North East states are developing their program wile other programs are actively pursuing efforts for cross recognition. We will continue to work and provide our support to the CDM EB to ensure that it fulfills its promise. The shape of the EU ETS during the second allocation period will require learning from what we have done so far.

As IETA we must be proud that we are playing an active role, that we have become recognized as a valid, thoughtful and credible voice of business, one that has environmental credibility.