LONDON (June 1) - The second instalment of IETA’s oral history of the carbon market is now available, focusing on early emissions trading trials.

The overall project, From Kyoto to Paris, charts the path from the 1997 treaty to 2015 and the Paris Agreement. Comprised of both a series of videos and a book, it features interviews with key players in the market’s growth, including negotiators, government officials, project developers, traders and lawyers. 

Chapter two of From Kyoto to Paris, available online, focuses on efforts in the UK to build awareness of emissions trading and trading simulations by industry group EURELECTRIC. 

“Even before there were any compliance obligations in Europe, some visionaries led the way and played a role in educating industry and the power sector about what the future could look like,” says IETA President and CEO Dirk Forrister. “The lessons from this era helped inform the shape of the European carbon market – and are of value to those governments developing new markets today.”

Last week, IETA released the first chapter, which looked at how emissions markets came to be in the Kyoto Protocol. Subsequent chapters will look at the development of the EU ETS, the growth of the CDM, the role of carbon funds and the Paris Agreement, among other topics. 

Each week, IETA will release another video chapter of the story on our dedicated web page, www.ieta.org/kyototoparis. In early July, the book will be released via Amazon; please email oralhistory@ieta.org to ensure you don’t miss out!