Sistema de cap e comércio para licenças de emissão de gases de efeito estufa

O Sistema de Comércio de Emissões da UE (EU ETS)
O Sistema de Comércio de Emissões da UE explicou.
O sistema de comércio de emissões da UE (EU ETS) é uma pedra angular da política da UE para combater as alterações climáticas e a sua ferramenta chave para reduzir as emissões de gases com efeito de estufa de forma rentável. É o primeiro mercado de carbono do mundo e continua sendo o maior.
opera em 31 países (todos os 28 países da UE, mais a Islândia, o Liechtenstein e a Noruega) limita as emissões de mais de 11 mil instalações de energia pesada (centrais eléctricas e instalações industriais) e as companhias aéreas que operam entre esses países cobre cerca de 45% dos gases de efeito estufa da UE emissões.
Para uma visão geral detalhada, veja:
Um sistema "cap and trade".
O EU ETS trabalha no princípio do "capital e do comércio".
Um limite é fixado na quantidade total de certos gases de efeito estufa que podem ser emitidos por instalações cobertas pelo sistema. A tampa é reduzida ao longo do tempo para que as emissões totais caírem.
Dentro do limite, as empresas recebem ou compram licenças de emissão que podem trocar entre si, conforme necessário. Eles também podem comprar quantidades limitadas de créditos internacionais de projetos de poupança de emissões em todo o mundo. O limite do número total de permissões disponíveis garante que eles tenham um valor.
Depois de cada ano, uma empresa deve entregar subsídios suficientes para cobrir todas as suas emissões, caso contrário multas pesadas são impostas. Se uma empresa reduz suas emissões, ela pode manter os subsídios de reposição para cobrir suas necessidades futuras, ou então vendê-las para outra empresa que não possui subsídios.
O comércio traz flexibilidade que garante que as emissões sejam reduzidas, quando menos custa. Um preço robusto do carbono também promove o investimento em tecnologias limpas e com baixas emissões de carbono.
Principais características da fase 3 (2018-2020)
O EU ETS está agora em sua terceira fase - significativamente diferente das fases 1 e 2.
As principais mudanças são:
Um único limite de emissões a nível da UE aplica-se ao sistema anterior de capitais nacionais. O leilão é o método padrão para a alocação de licenças (em vez da alocação gratuita), e as regras de alocação harmonizadas se aplicam às licenças ainda concedidas gratuitamente. Mais setores e Os gases incluíram 300 milhões de licenças reservadas na Reserva dos Novos Participantes para financiar a implantação de tecnologias inovadoras de energia renovável e captura e armazenamento de carbono através do programa NER 300.
Sectores e gases abrangidos.
O sistema abrange os seguintes setores e gases com foco em emissões que podem ser medidas, reportadas e verificadas com um alto nível de precisão:
dióxido de carbono (CO 2) da geração de energia e geração de energia setores industriais intensivos em energia, incluindo refinarias de petróleo, siderúrgicas e produção de ferro, alumínio, metais, cimento, lima, vidro, cerâmica, celulose, papel, papelão, ácidos e produtos químicos orgânicos a granel Óxido de nitrogênio da aviação comercial (N 2 O) a partir da produção de ácidos nítrico, adípico e glioxílico e perfluorocarbonos de glioxal (PFCs) da produção de alumínio.
A participação no ETS da UE é obrigatória para as empresas desses sectores, mas.
Em alguns sectores, apenas as instalações acima de um certo tamanho estão incluídas, certas pequenas instalações podem ser excluídas se os governos implementarem medidas fiscais ou outras que reduzam suas emissões por um montante equivalente no setor de aviação, até 2018 o ETS da UE se aplica apenas aos vôos entre aeroportos localizados no Espaço Económico Europeu (EEE).
Fornecer reduções de emissões.
O ETS da UE provou que colocar um preço sobre o carbono e negociá-lo pode funcionar. As emissões das instalações no esquema estão caindo como previsto - em cerca de 5% em relação ao início da fase 3 (2018) (ver figuras de 2018).
Em 2020, as emissões dos setores abrangidos pelo sistema serão 21% menores do que em 2005.
Desenvolvendo o mercado do carbono.
Criado em 2005, o EU ETS é o primeiro e maior sistema internacional de comércio de emissões do mundo, representando mais de três quartos do comércio internacional de carbono.
O ETS da UE também está inspirando o desenvolvimento do comércio de emissões em outros países e regiões. A UE pretende ligar o EU ETS a outros sistemas compatíveis.
A legislação principal do EU ETS.
30/04/2017 - Versão consolidada da Directiva 2003/87 / CE do Parlamento Europeu e do Conselho que estabelece um regime de comércio de licenças de emissão de gases com efeito de estufa na Comunidade e que altera a Directiva 96/61 / CE do Conselho 23/04/2009 - Directiva 2009/29 / CE do Parlamento Europeu e do Conselho que altera a Directiva 2003/87 / CE de modo a melhorar e alargar o regime de comércio de licenças de emissão de gases com efeito de estufa da Comunidade 19/11/2008 - Directiva 2008/101 / CE do Conselho o Parlamento Europeu e o Conselho que altera a Directiva 2003/87 / CE, de modo a incluir actividades de aviação no âmbito do regime de comércio de licenças de emissão de gases com efeito de estufa na Comunidade 27/10/2004 - Directiva 2004/101 / CE do Parlamento Europeu e do O Conselho que altera a Directiva 2003/87 / CE que estabelece um regime de comércio de licenças de emissão de gases com efeito de estufa na Comunidade, no que diz respeito aos mecanismos de projecto do Protocolo de Quioto 13/10/2003 - Directiva 2003/87 / CE do Parlamento Europeu e do Conselho ncil que estabelece um regime de comércio de licenças de emissão de gases com efeito de estufa na Comunidade e que altera a Directiva 96/61 / CE do Conselho.
Relatórios do mercado de carbono.
23/11/2017 - COM (2017) 693 - Relatório sobre o funcionamento do mercado europeu do carbono 01/02/2017 - COM (2017) 48 - Relatório sobre o funcionamento do mercado europeu do carbono 18/11/2018 - COM 2018) 576 - Relatório sobre o funcionamento do mercado europeu do carbono 14/11/2018 - COM (2018) 652 - O estado do mercado europeu do carbono em 2018.
Revisão do RCLE da UE para a fase 3.
04/02/2018 - Conclusões do Conselho Europeu de 4 de fevereiro de 2018 (ver conclusões 23 e 24) 18/03/2018 - Orientações sobre a interpretação do Anexo I da Diretiva EET da UE (exceto atividades de aviação) 18/03/2018 - Orientação documento para identificar geradores de eletricidade 06/04/2009 - Comunicado de imprensa do Conselho sobre a adoção do pacote de clima e energia 12/12/2008 - Conclusões da Presidência do Conselho Europeu (11 e 12 de dezembro de 2008) 12/12/2008 - Conselho Europeu Declaração sobre a utilização das receitas de leilões 23/01/2008 - Proposta de directiva do Parlamento Europeu e do Conselho que altera a Directiva 2003/87 / CE, a fim de melhorar e alargar o sistema de comércio de licenças de emissão de gases com efeito de estufa da Comunidade 23 / 01/2008 - Documento de trabalho dos serviços da Comissão - Documento de acompanhamento da Proposta de directiva do Parlamento Europeu e do Conselho que altera a Directiva 2003/87 / CE, a fim de melhorar e alargar o sistema de comércio de licenças de emissão de gases com efeito de estufa da UE - Avaliação de impacto.
Implementação.
04/07/2018 - Projecto de regulamento alterado sobre a determinação dos direitos creditórios internacionais 05/06/2018 - Projecto de regulamento relativo à determinação dos direitos creditórios internacionais 05/05/2018 Regulamento (UE) n. º 389/2018 da Comissão, de 2 de Maio de 2018, que estabelece um cadastro da União nos termos do da Directiva 2003/87 / CE do Parlamento Europeu e do Conselho, decisões n. ° 280/2004 / CE e 406/2009 / CE do Parlamento Europeu e do Conselho e que revoga os Regulamentos (UE) n. ° 920/2018 da Comissão e N. º 1193/2018 Texto relevante para efeitos do EEE 18/11/2018 - Regulamento da Comissão que estabelece um Registo da União para o período de negociação com início em 1 de Janeiro de 2018 e períodos de negociação subsequentes do regime de comércio de emissões da União nos termos da Directiva 2003/87 / CE do o Parlamento Europeu e do Conselho e a Decisão 280/2004 / CE do Parlamento Europeu e do Conselho e que altera os Regulamentos (CE) n. º 2216/2004 e (UE) n. º 920/2018 - ainda não publicado no Jornal Oficial 07 / 10/2018 - Regulamento da Comissão (UE) n. º 920/2018 para um sistema de registos normalizado e seguro, nos termos da Directiva 2003/87 / CE do Parlamento Europeu e do Conselho e da Decisão n. º 280/2004 / CE do Parlamento Europeu e do Conselho - versão não incluindo as alterações introduzidas pelo Regulamento de 18 de Novembro de 2018 08/10/2008 - Regulamento (CE) n. º 994/2008 da Comissão para um sistema de registos normalizado e seguro, nos termos da Directiva 2003/87 / CE do Parlamento Europeu e do Conselho e Decisão no 280/2004 / CE do Parlamento Europeu e do Conselho - versão aplicável até 31 de Dezembro de 2018 26/10/2007 - Decisão do Comité Misto do EEE n. ° 146/2007 que liga o RCLE UE à Noruega, à Islândia e ao Liechtenstein 13/11 / 2006 - Decisão 2006/780 / CE da Comissão relativa à prevenção da contenção dupla de reduções das emissões de gases com efeito de estufa no âmbito do regime comunitário de comércio de licenças de emissão para as actividades dos projectos no âmbito do Protocolo de Quioto nos termos da Directiva 2003/87 / CE do Parlamento Europeu e do Conselho (n documentado no documento C (2006) 5362) 21/12/2004 - Versão consolidada do Regulamento (CE) n. º 2216/2004 da Comissão relativa a um sistema de registos normalizado e seguro, alterado pelo Regulamento (CE) n. º 916/2007 da Comissão, de 31 de Julho 2007, Regulamento (CE) n. º 994/2008 da Comissão, de 8 de Outubro de 2008, e Regulamento (UE) n. º 920/2018 da Comissão, de 7 de Outubro de 2018 - versão não incluída alterações introduzidas pelo Regulamento de 18 de Novembro de 2018.
Aplicação do IVA.
História legislativa da Directiva 2003/87 / CE.
Trabalho anterior à proposta da Comissão.
08/02/2000 - COM (2000) 87 - Livro Verde sobre o comércio de emissões de gases com efeito de estufa na União Europeia Mandato e resultados do Grupo de Trabalho 1 do ECCP: Mecanismos flexíveis 04/09/2001 - Resumo do Presidente da reunião da consulta das partes interessadas (com Indústria e ONGs ambientais) 19/05/1999 - COM (1999) 230 - Preparação para a implementação do Protocolo de Quioto 03/06/1998 - COM (1998) 353 - Alterações climáticas - Rumo a uma estratégia pós-Quioto da UE Âmbito do ETS da UE : 07/2007 - Instalações pequenas no sistema de comércio de licenças de emissão da UE 10/2006 - Inclusão de atividades e gases adicionais no sistema de comércio de licenças da UE Mais harmonização e maior previsibilidade: 12/2006 - A abordagem para novos operadores e fechamentos 10/2006 - Leilão das licenças de emissão de CO2 no RCLE-UE 10/2006 - Harmonização das metodologias de atribuição 12/2006 - Relatório sobre a competitividade internacional Grupo de trabalho do ECCP sobre o comércio de emissões sobre a revisão do RCLE da UE 15/06/2007 - Relatório final do 4º mee sobre a ligação com os sistemas de comércio de emissões em países terceiros 22/05/2007 - Relatório final da 3ª reunião sobre mais harmonização e previsibilidade aumentada 26/04/2007 - Relatório final da 2ª reunião sobre conformidade robusta e execução 09/03/2007 - Relatório final da 1ª reunião sobre o alcance da directiva.
Proposta da Comissão de outubro de 2001.
22/01/2002 - Documento não oficial sobre sinergias entre a proposta de comércio de emissões da CE (COM (2001) 581) e a Directiva IPPC 23/10/2001 - COM (2001) 581 - Proposta de directiva-quadro relativa ao comércio de emissões de gases com efeito de estufa dentro da Comunidade Europeia.
Reação da Comissão à leitura da proposta no Conselho e no Parlamento (incluindo a posição comum do Conselho)
18/07/2003 - COM (2003) 463 - Parecer da Comissão sobre as alterações do Parlamento Europeu à posição comum do Conselho respeitante à proposta de directiva do Parlamento Europeu e do Conselho 20/06/2003 - COM (2003) 364 - Comunicação da Comissão ao Parlamento Europeu relativa à posição comum do Conselho sobre a adopção de uma directiva que estabelece um regime de comércio de licenças de emissão de gases com efeito de estufa na Comunidade e que altera a Directiva 96/61 / CE do Conselho 18/03/2003 - Posição comum (CE ) N. º 28/2003 - Posição comum do Conselho sobre a adopção de uma directiva que estabelece um regime de comércio de licenças de emissão de gases com efeito de estufa na Comunidade e que altera a Directiva 96/61 / CE do Conselho 27/11/2002 - COM (2002) 680 - Proposta alterada para uma directiva do Parlamento Europeu e do Conselho que estabelece um regime de comércio de licenças de emissão de gases com efeito de estufa na Comunidade e que altera a Directiva 96/61 / CE do Conselho Faq.
Abra todas as perguntas.
Perguntas e Respostas sobre o Sistema de Comércio de Emissões revisado (dezembro de 2008)
Qual é o objetivo do comércio de emissões?
O objectivo do Sistema de Comércio de Emissões da UE (EU ETS) é ajudar os Estados-Membros da UE a cumprir os seus compromissos de limitar ou reduzir as emissões de gases com efeito de estufa de forma rentável. Permitir que as empresas participantes compram ou vendam permissões de emissão significa que os cortes de emissão podem ser alcançados ao menos custo.
O RCLE da UE é a pedra angular da estratégia da UE para lutar contra as alterações climáticas. É o primeiro sistema de comércio internacional de emissões de CO 2 no mundo e está em operação desde 2005. A partir de janeiro de 2008, aplica-se não apenas aos 27 Estados-Membros da UE, mas também aos outros três membros da Área Econômica Européia - Noruega, Islândia e Liechtenstein. Atualmente, abrange mais de 10.000 instalações nos setores de energia e industrial, que são coletivamente responsáveis ​​por cerca de metade das emissões de CO 2 da UE e 40% de suas emissões totais de gases de efeito estufa. Uma alteração à Directiva ETS da UE, acordada em Julho de 2008, trará o sector da aviação para o sistema a partir de 2018.
Como funciona o comércio de emissões?
O ETS da UE é um sistema de "capitalização e comércio", ou seja, indica que ele limita o nível geral de emissões permitido, mas, dentro desse limite, permite que os participantes no sistema compram e vendam as licenças conforme exigirem. Essas provisões são a "moeda" comercial comum no coração do sistema. Um subsídio dá ao titular o direito de emitir uma tonelada de CO 2 ou a quantidade equivalente de outro gás com efeito de estufa. O limite do número total de licenças cria escassez no mercado.
No primeiro e segundo período de negociação ao abrigo do regime, os Estados-Membros tiveram de elaborar planos nacionais de atribuição (NAPs) que determinassem o seu nível total de emissões de ETS e quantos subsídios de emissão cada instalação em seu país recebe. No final de cada ano, as instalações devem render subsídios equivalentes às suas emissões. As empresas que mantêm suas emissões abaixo do nível de suas licenças podem vender seus excedentes de licenças. Aqueles que enfrentam dificuldade em manter suas emissões de acordo com suas licenças têm a opção de tomar medidas para reduzir suas próprias emissões - como investir em tecnologia mais eficiente ou usar fontes de energia menos intensivas em carbono - ou comprar os subsídios extras que precisam no mercado , Ou uma combinação de ambos. Essas escolhas provavelmente serão determinadas por custos relativos. Desta forma, as emissões são reduzidas sempre que é mais rentável fazê-lo.
Há quanto tempo o EU ETS está operando?
O ETS da UE foi lançado em 1 de Janeiro de 2005. O primeiro período de negociação foi de três anos até o final de 2007 e foi uma fase de "aprendizagem por fazer" para se preparar para o segundo período de negociação crucial. O segundo período de negociação começou em 1 de Janeiro de 2008 e é executado por cinco anos até o final de 2018. A importância do segundo período de negociação decorre do facto de coincidir com o primeiro período de compromisso do Protocolo de Quioto, durante o qual a UE e outros os países industrializados devem atingir seus objetivos para limitar ou reduzir as emissões de gases de efeito estufa. Para o segundo período comercial, as emissões do ETS da UE limitaram-se a cerca de 6,5% abaixo dos níveis de 2005, a fim de garantir que a UE como um todo e os Estados-Membros individualmente cumprem os compromissos de Quioto.
Quais são as principais lições aprendidas com a experiência até agora?
O EU ETS colocou um preço sobre o carbono e provou que o comércio de emissões de gases de efeito estufa funciona. O primeiro período comercial estabeleceu com sucesso a livre negociação de licenças de emissão em toda a UE, implementou a infra-estrutura necessária e desenvolveu um mercado de carbono dinâmico. O benefício ambiental da primeira fase pode ser limitado devido à alocação excessiva de subsídios em alguns Estados-Membros e em alguns setores, devido principalmente à dependência das projeções de emissões antes que os dados de emissão verificados estejam disponíveis no âmbito do RCLE da UE. Quando a publicação de dados de emissões verificadas para 2005 destacou essa "sobreavaliação", o mercado reagiu como seria esperado pela redução do preço de mercado das licenças. A disponibilidade de dados de emissões verificadas permitiu à Comissão garantir que o limite das dotações nacionais na segunda fase se estabeleça em um nível que resulte em reduções reais de emissões.
Além de sublinhar a necessidade de dados verificados, a experiência até agora demonstrou que uma maior harmonização dentro do RCLE da UE é imperativa para garantir que a UE alcance os seus objetivos de redução de emissões pelo menos com custos e com distorções competitivas mínimas. A necessidade de mais harmonização é mais clara em relação à forma como o limite das licenças de emissão globais é definido.
Os dois primeiros períodos de negociação também mostram que métodos nacionais amplamente diferentes para alocação de licenças para instalações ameaçam uma concorrência leal no mercado interno. Além disso, é necessária uma maior harmonização, esclarecimento e aperfeiçoamento no que se refere ao alcance do sistema, ao acesso a créditos de projetos de redução de emissões fora da UE, as condições para vincular o ETS da UE aos sistemas de comércio de emissões em outros lugares e o monitoramento, verificação e requisitos de relatórios.
Quais são as principais alterações ao ETS da UE e a partir de quando serão aplicadas?
As alterações de design acordadas serão aplicadas a partir do terceiro período de negociação, ou seja, janeiro de 2018. Enquanto os trabalhos preparatórios serão iniciados imediatamente, as regras aplicáveis ​​não mudarão até janeiro de 2018 para garantir a manutenção da estabilidade regulatória.
O EU ETS no terceiro período será um sistema mais eficiente, mais harmonizado e mais justo.
O aumento da eficiência é alcançado por meio de um período de negociação mais longo (8 anos em vez de 5 anos), um limite de emissões robusto e anualmente decrescente (redução de 21% em 2020 em relação a 2005) e um aumento substancial da quantidade de leilão (de menos de 4% na fase 2 para mais da metade na fase 3).
Mais uma harmonização foi acordada em muitas áreas, inclusive no que se refere à definição de limite (um limite da UE em vez dos limites nacionais nas fases 1 e 2) e as regras para a alocação livre de transição.
A equidade do sistema foi substancialmente aumentada pela mudança para as regras de atribuição gratuita da UE para as instalações industriais e pela introdução de um mecanismo de redistribuição que permite aos novos Estados-Membros licitar mais subsídios.
Como o texto final se compara à proposta inicial da Comissão?
Os objectivos de clima e energia acordados pelo Conselho Europeu da Primavera de 2007 foram mantidos e a arquitectura geral da proposta da Comissão sobre o RCLE da UE permanece intacta. Ou seja, haverá um limite máximo da UE sobre o número de licenças de emissão e este limite diminuirá anualmente ao longo de uma linha de tendência linear, que continuará para além do final do terceiro período de negociação (2018-2020). A principal diferença, em comparação com a proposta, é que o leilão de licenças será gradualmente mais lento.
Quais são as principais mudanças em relação à proposta da Comissão?
Em resumo, as principais mudanças que foram feitas na proposta são as seguintes:
Alguns Estados-Membros podem beneficiar de uma derrogação facultativa e temporária da regra segundo a qual as licenças de emissão devem ser atribuídas gratuitamente aos geradores de electricidade a partir de 2018. Esta opção de derrogação está disponível para os Estados-Membros que cumpram certas condições relacionadas com a interconectividade de sua eletricidade grade, participação de um único combustível fóssil na produção de eletricidade e PIB / habitação em relação à média da UE-27. Além disso, a quantidade de licenças gratuitas que um Estado-Membro pode atribuir a usinas de energia é limitada a 70% das emissões de dióxido de carbono das plantas relevantes na fase 1 e diminui nos anos subseqüentes. Além disso, a alocação gratuita na fase 3 só pode ser dada às usinas que estejam operacionais ou em construção até o final de 2008. Veja a resposta à pergunta 15 abaixo. Haverá mais detalhes na directiva sobre os critérios a serem utilizados para determinar os setores ou subsectores considerados expostos a um risco significativo de vazamento de carbono e uma data anterior à publicação da lista da Comissão desses setores (31 de dezembro 2009). Além disso, sujeito a revisão quando um acordo internacional satisfatório for alcançado, as instalações em todas as indústrias expostas receberão 100% de licenças gratuitas na medida em que usem a tecnologia mais eficiente. A alocação gratuita para a indústria é limitada à participação das emissões dessas emissões nas emissões totais em 2005 a 2007. O número total de licenças atribuídas gratuitamente às instalações nos setores da indústria diminuirá anualmente de acordo com o declínio do limite de emissões. Os Estados-Membros podem também compensar certas instalações para os custos de CO 2 repercutidos nos preços da electricidade se os custos de CO 2 puderem, de outro modo, expô-los ao risco de vazamento de carbono. A Comissão comprometeu-se a modificar as orientações comunitárias relativas aos auxílios estatais a favor do ambiente a este respeito. Veja a resposta à pergunta 15 abaixo. O nível de leilão de licenças para a indústria não exposta aumentará de forma linear, conforme proposto pela Comissão, mas, em vez de atingir 100% até 2020, atingirá 70%, com vista a atingir 100% até 2027. Conforme previsto em Na proposta da Comissão, 10% das licenças para leilão serão redistribuídas de Estados-Membros com elevado rendimento per capita para pessoas com baixo rendimento per capita, a fim de reforçar a capacidade financeira destes últimos para investir em tecnologias amigáveis ​​com o clima. Foi adicionada uma provisão para outro mecanismo redistributivo de 2% das licenças de leilão para levar em consideração os Estados-Membros que em 2005 alcançaram uma redução de pelo menos 20% nas emissões de gases de efeito estufa em relação ao ano de referência estabelecido pelo Protocolo de Quioto. A participação das receitas de leilão que os Estados-Membros recomendam utilizar para combater e adaptar-se às alterações climáticas, principalmente na UE, mas também nos países em desenvolvimento, é aumentada de 20% para 50%. O texto fornece um complemento para o nível de uso permitido proposto de créditos JI / CDM no cenário de 20% para os operadores existentes que receberam os orçamentos mais baixos para importar e usar esses créditos em relação às alocações e acesso aos créditos no período 2008-2018. Novos setores, novos participantes nos períodos 2018-2020 e 2008-2018 também poderão usar créditos. O montante total de créditos que podem ser utilizados não excederá, no entanto, 50% da redução entre 2008 e 2020. Com base em uma redução mais rigorosa das emissões no contexto de um acordo internacional satisfatório, a Comissão poderia permitir o acesso adicional às RCE e UREs para os operadores do regime comunitário. Veja a resposta à pergunta 20 abaixo. O produto do leilão de 300 milhões de licenças da reserva dos novos participantes será utilizado para apoiar até 12 projetos e projetos de demonstração de captura e armazenamento de carbono que demonstram tecnologias inovadoras de energia renovável. Uma série de condições são anexadas a este mecanismo de financiamento. Veja a resposta à pergunta 30 abaixo. A possibilidade de excluir as pequenas instalações de combustão, desde que estejam sujeitas a medidas equivalentes, tenha sido ampliada para cobrir todas as pequenas instalações, independentemente da atividade, o limite de emissão foi aumentado de 10.000 para 25.000 toneladas de CO 2 por ano e o limite de capacidade que As instalações de combustão devem ser cumpridas, além disso, foram aumentadas de 25MW para 35MW. Com esses limiares aumentados, a participação das emissões cobertas que poderiam ser excluídas do sistema de comércio de emissões torna-se significativa e, consequentemente, uma provisão foi adicionada para permitir uma redução correspondente do limite máximo da UE em subsídios.
Ainda haverá planos nacionais de alocação (NAPs)?
Não. Nos seus PAN para os primeiros períodos de negociação (2005-2007) e segundo (2008-2018), os Estados-Membros determinaram a quantidade total de licenças de emissão a serem emitidas - o limite - e como estas seriam alocadas às instalações em questão. Esta abordagem gerou diferenças significativas nas regras de alocação, criando um incentivo para cada Estado-Membro favorecer sua própria indústria e gerou uma grande complexidade.
A partir do terceiro período de negociação, haverá um único limite para a UE e as licenças serão alocadas com base em regras harmonizadas. Os planos de alocação nacionais não serão mais necessários.
Como o limite de emissão na fase 3 será determinado?
As regras para o cálculo do limite da UE são as seguintes:
A partir de 2018, o número total de licenças diminuirá anualmente de forma linear. O ponto de partida desta linha é a quantidade total média de subsídios (limite de fase 2) a ser emitido pelos Estados Membros para o período 2008-12, ajustado para refletir o alcance ampliado do sistema a partir de 2018, bem como quaisquer pequenas instalações que o Membro Os Estados escolheram excluir. O fator linear pelo qual o montante anual deve diminuir é de 1,74% em relação ao limite da fase 2.
O ponto de partida para determinar o fator linear de 1,74% é a redução global de 20% dos gases com efeito de estufa em relação a 1990, o que equivale a uma redução de 14% em relação a 2005. No entanto, é necessária uma redução maior do ETS da UE porque é mais barato para reduzir as emissões nos setores ETS. A divisão que minimiza o custo total de redução equivale a:
uma redução de 21% nas emissões do sector ETS da UE em comparação com 2005 até 2020; uma redução de cerca de 10% em relação a 2005 para os sectores que não são abrangidos pelo RCLE da UE.
A redução de 21% em 2020 resulta em um limite de ETS em 2020 de um máximo de 1720 milhões de licenças e implica um limite médio de fase 3 (2018 a 2020) de cerca de 1846 milhões de licenças e uma redução de 11% em relação ao limite de fase 2.
Todos os valores absolutos indicados correspondem à cobertura no início do segundo período de negociação e, portanto, não levam em conta a aviação, que será adicionada em 2018 e outros setores que serão adicionados na fase 3.
Os valores finais dos limites anuais de emissão na fase 3 serão determinados e publicados pela Comissão até 30 de setembro de 2018.
Como o limite de emissão para além da fase 3 será determinado?
O fator linear de 1,74% usado para determinar o limite da fase 3 continuará a ser aplicado além do final do período de negociação em 2020 e determinará o limite para o quarto período de negociação (2021 a 2028) e além. Pode ser revisto até 2025, o mais tardar. De fato, as reduções significativas de emissões de 60% a 80% em relação a 1990 serão necessárias até 2050 para atingir o objetivo estratégico de limitar o aumento da temperatura média global para não mais de 2 ° C acima dos níveis pré-industriais.
Será estabelecido um limite máximo de licenças de emissão a nível da UE para cada ano. Isso reduziria a flexibilidade para as instalações em questão?
Não, a flexibilidade para as instalações não será reduzida. Em qualquer ano, os subsídios a serem leilados e distribuídos devem ser emitidos pelas autoridades competentes até 28 de fevereiro. A última data para os operadores renderem subsídios é 30 de abril do ano seguinte ao ano em que as emissões ocorreram. Assim, os operadores recebem subsídios para o ano em curso antes de terem que entregar subsídios para cobrir suas emissões para o ano anterior. Os subsídios permanecem válidos durante todo o período de negociação e quaisquer subsídios excedentes agora podem ser "depositados" para uso em períodos de negociação subsequentes. A este respeito, nada mudará.
O sistema permanecerá com base nos períodos de negociação, mas o terceiro período de negociação durará oito anos, de 2018 a 2020, em oposição a cinco anos para a segunda fase de 2008 a 2018.
Para o segundo período de negociação, os Estados-Membros geralmente decidiram atribuir quantidades iguais iguais de subsídios para cada ano. A diminuição linear de cada ano a partir de 2018 corresponderá melhor às tendências de emissões esperadas ao longo do período.
Quais são os números preliminares preliminares do ETS para o período de 2018 a 2020?
Os valores iniciais preliminares são os seguintes:
Estes valores baseiam-se no âmbito do RCLE aplicável na fase 2 (2008 a 2018) e as decisões da Comissão sobre os planos nacionais de atribuição para a fase 2, no montante de 2083 milhões de toneladas. Estes números serão ajustados por vários motivos. Em primeiro lugar, será feito o ajuste para levar em consideração as extensões do escopo na fase 2, desde que os Estados Membros comprovem e verifiquem suas emissões resultantes dessas extensões. Em segundo lugar, o ajuste será feito com relação a extensões adicionais do escopo do ETS no terceiro período de negociação. Em terceiro lugar, qualquer opt-out de pequenas instalações levará a uma redução correspondente do limite. Em quarto lugar, os números não levam em conta a inclusão da aviação, nem as emissões da Noruega, da Islândia e do Liechtenstein.
Os subsídios ainda serão alocados gratuitamente?
Sim. As instalações industriais receberão alocação livre de transição. E, nos Estados-Membros elegíveis para a derrogação facultativa, as centrais eléctricas podem, se o Estado-Membro assim o decidir, também receberem licenças gratuitas. Estima-se que pelo menos metade dos subsídios disponíveis a partir de 2018 serão leiloados.
Embora a grande maioria das licenças de emissão tenha sido atribuída gratuitamente às instalações no primeiro e segundo períodos de negociação, a Comissão propôs que o leilão de licenças de emissão se tornasse o princípio básico para a alocação. Isso porque o leilão melhor garante a eficiência, transparência e simplicidade do sistema e cria o maior incentivo para investimentos em uma economia de baixo carbono. É melhor cumprir com o princípio do "poluidor-pagador" e evita dar lucros inesperados a certos setores que passaram o custo nocional de subsídios para seus clientes, apesar de recebê-los gratuitamente.
Como as permissões serão entregues de graça?
Até 31 de dezembro de 2018, a Comissão adotará regras a nível da UE, que serão desenvolvidas no âmbito de um procedimento de comitê ("Comitologia"). Essas regras harmonizarão completamente as dotações e, portanto, todas as empresas em toda a UE com as mesmas atividades ou atividades similares estarão sujeitas às mesmas regras. As regras garantirão, na medida do possível, que a alocação promova tecnologias eficientes em carbono. As regras adotadas estabelecem que, na medida do possível, as alocações devem basear-se nos chamados benchmarks, p. Ex. uma série de licenças por quantidade de produção histórica. Essas regras recompensam os operadores que tomaram medidas adiantadas para reduzir os gases de efeito estufa, refletem melhor o princípio do poluidor-pagador e oferecem incentivos mais fortes para reduzir as emissões, já que as alocações não dependerão mais das emissões históricas. Todas as alocações devem ser determinadas antes do início do terceiro período de negociação e não serão permitidos ajustes ex-post.
Quais instalações receberão alocações gratuitas e quais não serão? Como evitar os impactos negativos sobre a competitividade?
Tendo em conta a sua capacidade de repercutir o aumento do custo das licenças de emissão, o leilão completo é a regra a partir de 2018 para os geradores de eletricidade. However, Member States who fulfil certain conditions relating to their interconnectivity or their share of fossil fuels in electricity production and GDP per capita in relation to the EU-27 average, have the option to temporarily deviate from this rule with respect to existing power plants. The auctioning rate in 2018 is to be at least 30% in relation to emissions in the first period and has to increase progressively to 100% no later than 2020. If the option is applied, the Member State has to undertake to invest in improving and upgrading of the infrastructure, in clean technologies and in diversification of their energy mix and sources of supply for an amount to the extent possible equal to the market value of the free allocation.
In other sectors, allocations for free will be phased out progressively from 2018, with Member States agreeing to start at 20% auctioning in 2018, increasing to 70% auctioning in 2020 with a view to reaching 100% in 2027. However, an exception will be made for installations in sectors that are found to be exposed to a significant risk of 'carbon leakage'. This risk could occur if the EU ETS increased production costs so much that companies decided to relocate production to areas outside the EU that are not subject to comparable emission constraints. The Commission will determine the sectors concerned by 31 December 2009. To do this, the Commission will assess inter alia whether the direct and indirect additional production costs induced by the implementation of the ETS Directive as a proportion of gross value added exceed 5% and whether the total value of its exports and imports divided by the total value of its turnover and imports exceeds 10%. If the result for either of these criteria exceeds 30%, the sector would also be considered to be exposed to a significant risk of carbon leakage. Installations in these sectors would receive 100% of their share in the annually declining total quantity of allowances for free. The share of these industries' emissions is determined in relation to total ETS emissions in 2005 to 2007.
CO 2 costs passed on in electricity prices could also expose certain installations to the risk of carbon leakage. In order to avoid such risk, Member States may grant a compensation with respect to such costs. In the absence of an international agreement on climate change, the Commission has undertaken to modify the Community guidelines on state aid for environmental protection in this respect.
Under an international agreement which ensures that competitors in other parts of the world bear a comparable cost, the risk of carbon leakage may well be negligible. Therefore, by 30 June 2018, the Commission will carry out an in-depth assessment of the situation of energy-intensive industry and the risk of carbon leakage, in the light of the outcome of the international negotiations and also taking into account any binding sectoral agreements that may have been concluded. The report will be accompanied by any proposals considered appropriate. These could potentially include maintaining or adjusting the proportion of allowances received free of charge to industrial installations that are particularly exposed to global competition or including importers of the products concerned in the ETS.
Who will organise the auctions and how will they be carried out?
Member States will be responsible for ensuring that the allowances given to them are auctioned. Each Member State has to decide whether it wants to develop its own auctioning infrastructure and platform or whether it wants to cooperate with other Member States to develop regional or EU-wide solutions. The distribution of the auctioning rights to Member States is largely based on emissions in phase 1 of the EU ETS, but a part of the rights will be redistributed from richer Member States to poorer ones to take account of the lower GDP per head and higher prospects for growth and emissions among the latter. It is still the case that 10% of the rights to auction allowances will be redistributed from Member States with high per capita income to those with low per capita income in order to strengthen the financial capacity of the latter to invest in climate friendly technologies. However, a provision has been added for another redistributive mechanism of 2% to take into account Member States which in 2005 had achieved a reduction of at least 20% in greenhouse gas emissions compared with the reference year set by the Kyoto Protocol. Nine Member States benefit from this provision.
Any auctioning must respect the rules of the internal market and must therefore be open to any potential buyer under non-discriminatory conditions. By 30 June 2018, the Commission will adopt a Regulation (through the comitology procedure) that will provide the appropriate rules and conditions for ensuring efficient, coordinated auctions without disturbing the allowance market.
How many allowances will each Member State auction and how is this amount determined?
All allowances which are not allocated free of charge will be auctioned. A total of 88% of allowances to be auctioned by each Member State is distributed on the basis of the Member State's share of historic emissions under the EU ETS. For purposes of solidarity and growth, 12% of the total quantity is distributed in a way that takes into account GDP per capita and the achievements under the Kyoto-Protocol.
Which sectors and gases are covered as of 2018?
The ETS covers installations performing specified activities. Since the start it has covered, above certain capacity thresholds, power stations and other combustion plants, oil refineries, coke ovens, iron and steel plants and factories making cement, glass, lime, bricks, ceramics, pulp, paper and board. As for greenhouse gases, it currently only covers carbon dioxide emissions, with the exception of the Netherlands, which has opted in emissions from nitrous oxide.
As from 2018, the scope of the ETS will be extended to also include other sectors and greenhouse gases. CO 2 emissions from petrochemicals, ammonia and aluminium will be included, as will N2O emissions from the production of nitric, adipic and glyocalic acid production and perfluorocarbons from the aluminium sector. The capture, transport and geological storage of all greenhouse gas emissions will also be covered. These sectors will receive allowances free of charge according to EU-wide rules, in the same way as other industrial sectors already covered.
As of 2018, aviation will also be included in the EU ETS.
Will small installations be excluded from the scope?
A large number of installations emitting relatively low amounts of CO 2 are currently covered by the ETS and concerns have been raised over the cost-effectiveness of their inclusion. As from 2018, Member States will be allowed to remove these installations from the ETS under certain conditions. The installations concerned are those whose reported emissions were lower than 25 000 tonnes of CO 2 equivalent in each of the 3 years preceding the year of application. For combustion installations, an additional capacity threshold of 35MW applies. In addition Member States are given the possibility to exclude installations operated by hospitals. The installations may be excluded from the ETS only if they will be covered by measures that will achieve an equivalent contribution to emission reductions.
How many emission credits from third countries will be allowed?
For the second trading period, Member States allowed their operators to use significant quantities of credits generated by emission-saving projects undertaken in third countries to cover part of their emissions in the same way as they use ETS allowances. The revised Directive extends the rights to use these credits for the third trading period and allows a limited additional quantity to be used in such a way that the overall use of credits is limited to 50% of the EU-wide reductions over the period 2008-2020. For existing installations, and excluding new sectors within the scope, this will represent a total level of access of approximately 1.6 billion credits over the period 2008-2020. In practice, this means that existing operators will be able to use credits up to a minimum of 11% of their allocation during the period 2008-2018, while a top-up is foreseen for operators with the lowest sum of free allocation and allowed use of credits in the 2008-2018 period. New sectors and new entrants in the third trading period will have a guaranteed minimum access of 4.5% of their verified emissions during the period 2018-2020. For the aviation sector, the minimum access will be 1.5%. The precise percentages will be determined through comitology.
These projects must be officially recognised under the Kyoto Protocol’s Joint Implementation (JI) mechanism (covering projects carried out in countries with an emissions reduction target under the Protocol) or Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) (for projects undertaken in developing countries). Credits from JI projects are known as Emission Reduction Units (ERUs) while those from CDM projects are called Certified Emission Reductions (CERs).
On the quality side only credits from project types eligible for use in the EU trading scheme during the period 2008-2018 will be accepted in the period 2018-2020. Furthermore, from 1 January 2018 measures may be applied to restrict the use of specific credits from project types. Such a quality control mechanism is needed to assure the environmental and economic integrity of future project types.
To create greater flexibility, and in the absence of an international agreement being concluded by 31 December 2009, credits could be used in accordance with agreements concluded with third countries. The use of these credits should however not increase the overall number beyond 50% of the required reductions. Such agreements would not be required for new projects that started from 2018 onwards in Least Developed Countries.
Based on a stricter emissions reduction in the context of a satisfactory international agreement , additional access to credits could be allowed, as well as the use of additional types of project credits or other mechanisms created under the international agreement. However, once an international agreement has been reached, from January 2018 onwards only credits from projects in third countries that have ratified the agreement or from additional types of project approved by the Commission will be eligible for use in the Community scheme.
Will it be possible to use credits from carbon ‘sinks’ like forests?
No. Before making its proposal, the Commission analysed the possibility of allowing credits from certain types of land use, land-use change and forestry (‘LULUCF’) projects which absorb carbon from the atmosphere. It concluded that doing so could undermine the environmental integrity of the EU ETS, for the following reasons:
LULUCF projects cannot physically deliver permanent emissions reductions. Insufficient solutions have been developed to deal with the uncertainties, non-permanence of carbon storage and potential emissions 'leakage' problems arising from such projects. The temporary and reversible nature of such activities would pose considerable risks in a company-based trading system and impose great liability risks on Member States. The inclusion of LULUCF projects in the ETS would require a quality of monitoring and reporting comparable to the monitoring and reporting of emissions from installations currently covered by the system. This is not available at present and is likely to incur costs which would substantially reduce the attractiveness of including such projects. The simplicity, transparency and predictability of the ETS would be considerably reduced. Moreover, the sheer quantity of potential credits entering the system could undermine the functioning of the carbon market unless their role were limited, in which case their potential benefits would become marginal.
The Commission, the Council and the European Parliament believe that global deforestation can be better addressed through other instruments. For example, using part of the proceeds from auctioning allowances in the EU ETS could generate additional means to invest in LULUCF activities both inside and outside the EU, and may provide a model for future expansion. In this respect the Commission has proposed to set up the Global Forest Carbon Mechanism that would be a performance-based system for financing reductions in deforestation levels in developing countries.
Besides those already mentioned, are there other credits that could be used in the revised ETS?
Sim. Projects in EU Member States which reduce greenhouse gas emissions not covered by the ETS could issue credits. These Community projects would need to be managed according to common EU provisions set up by the Commission in order to be tradable throughout the system. Such provisions would be adopted only for projects that cannot be realised through inclusion in the ETS. The provisions will seek to ensure that credits from Community projects do not result in double-counting of emission reductions nor impede other policy measures to reduce emissions not covered by the ETS, and that they are based on simple, easily administered rules.
Are there measures in place to ensure that the price of allowances won't fall sharply during the third trading period?
A stable and predictable regulatory framework is vital for market stability. The revised Directive makes the regulatory framework as predictable as possible in order to boost stability and rule out policy-induced volatility. Important elements in this respect are the determination of the cap on emissions in the Directive well in advance of the start of the trading period, a linear reduction factor for the cap on emissions which continues to apply also beyond 2020 and the extension of the trading period from 5 to 8 years. The sharp fall in the allowance price during the first trading period was due to over-allocation of allowances which could not be “banked” for use in the second trading period. For the second and subsequent trading periods, Member States are obliged to allow the banking of allowances from one period to the next and therefore the end of one trading period is not expected to have any impact on the price.
A new provision will apply as of 2018 in case of excessive price fluctuations in the allowance market. If, for more than six consecutive months, the allowance price is more than three times the average price of allowances during the two preceding years on the European market, the Commission will convene a meeting with Member States. If it is found that the price evolution does not correspond to market fundamentals, the Commission may either allow Member States to bring forward the auctioning of a part of the quantity to be auctioned, or allow them to auction up to 25% of the remaining allowances in the new entrant reserve.
The price of allowances is determined by supply and demand and reflects fundamental factors like economic growth, fuel prices, rainfall and wind (availability of renewable energy) and temperature (demand for heating and cooling) etc. A degree of uncertainty is inevitable for such factors. The markets, however, allow participants to hedge the risks that may result from changes in allowances prices.
Are there any provisions for linking the EU ETS to other emissions trading systems?
Sim. One of the key means to reduce emissions more cost-effectively is to enhance and further develop the global carbon market. The Commission sees the EU ETS as an important building block for the development of a global network of emission trading systems. Linking other national or regional cap-and-trade emissions trading systems to the EU ETS can create a bigger market, potentially lowering the aggregate cost of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The increased liquidity and reduced price volatility that this would entail would improve the functioning of markets for emission allowances. This may lead to a global network of trading systems in which participants, including legal entities, can buy emission allowances to fulfil their respective reduction commitments.
The EU is keen to work with the new US Administration to build a transatlantic and indeed global carbon market to act as the motor of a concerted international push to combat climate change.
While the original Directive allows for linking the EU ETS with other industrialised countries that have ratified the Kyoto Protocol, the new rules allow for linking with any country or administrative entity (such as a state or group of states under a federal system) which has established a compatible mandatory cap-and-trade system whose design elements would not undermine the environmental integrity of the EU ETS. Where such systems cap absolute emissions, there would be mutual recognition of allowances issued by them and the EU ETS.
What is a Community registry and how does it work?
Registries are standardised electronic databases ensuring the accurate accounting of the issuance, holding, transfer and cancellation of emission allowances. As a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol in its own right, the Community is also obliged to maintain a registry. This is the Community Registry, which is distinct from the registries of Member States. Allowances issued from 1 January 2018 onwards will be held in the Community registry instead of in national registries.
Will there be any changes to monitoring, reporting and verification requirements?
The Commission will adopt a new Regulation (through the comitology procedure) by 31 December 2018 governing the monitoring and reporting of emissions from the activities listed in Annex I of the Directive. A separate Regulation on the verification of emission reports and the accreditation of verifiers should specify conditions for accreditation, mutual recognition and cancellation of accreditation for verifiers, and for supervision and peer review as appropriate.
What provision will be made for new entrants into the market?
Five percent of the total quantity of allowances will be put into a reserve for new installations or airlines that enter the system after 2018 (“new entrants”). The allocations from this reserve should mirror the allocations to corresponding existing installations.
A part of the new entrant reserve, amounting to 300 million allowances, will be made available to support the investments in up to 12 demonstration projects using the carbon capture and storage technology and demonstration projects using innovative renewable energy technologies. There should be a fair geographical distribution of the projects.
In principle, any allowances remaining in the reserve shall be distributed to Member States for auctioning. The distribution key shall take into account the level to which installations in Member States have benefited from this reserve.
What has been agreed with respect to the financing of the 12 carbon capture and storage demonstration projects requested by a previous European Council?
The European Parliament's Environment Committee tabled an amendment to the EU ETS Directive requiring allowances in the new entrant reserve to be set aside in order to co-finance up to 12 demonstration projects as requested by the European Council in spring 2007. This amendment has later been extended to include also innovative renewable energy technologies that are not commercially viable yet. Projects shall be selected on the basis of objective and transparent criteria that include requirements for knowledge sharing. Support shall be given from the proceeds of these allowances via Member States and shall be complementary to substantial co-financing by the operator of the installation. No project shall receive support via this mechanism that exceeds 15% of the total number of allowances (i. e. 45 million allowances) available for this purpose. The Member State may choose to co-finance the project as well, but will in any case transfer the market value of the attributed allowances to the operator, who will not receive any allowances.
A total of 300 million allowances will therefore be set aside until 2018 for this purpose.
What is the role of an international agreement and its potential impact on EU ETS?
When an international agreement is reached, the Commission shall submit a report to the European Parliament and the Council assessing the nature of the measures agreed upon in the international agreement and their implications, in particular with respect to the risk of carbon leakage. On the basis of this report, the Commission shall then adopt a legislative proposal amending the present Directive as appropriate.
For the effects on the use of credits from Joint Implementation and Clean Development Mechanism projects, please see the reply to question 20.
Quais são os próximos passos?
Member States have to bring into force the legal instruments necessary to comply with certain provisions of the revised Directive by 31 December 2009. This concerns the collection of duly substantiated and verified emissions data from installations that will only be covered by the EU ETS as from 2018, and the national lists of installations and the allocation to each one. For the remaining provisions, the national laws, regulations and administrative provisions only have to be ready by 31 December 2018.
The Commission has already started the work on implementation. For example, the collection and analysis of data for use in relation to carbon leakage is ongoing (list of sectors due end 2009). Work is also ongoing to prepare the Regulation on timing, administration and other aspects of auctioning (due by June 2018), the harmonised allocation rules (due end 2018) and the two Regulations on monitoring and reporting of emissions and verification of emissions and accreditation of verifiers (due end 2018).

Emissions cap and allowances.
The overall volume of greenhouse gases that can be emitted by the power plants, factories and other fixed installations covered by the EU emissions trading system (EU ETS) is limited by a 'cap' on the number of emission allowances. A separate cap applies to the aviation sector. Within these Europe-wide caps, companies receive or buy emission allowances which they can trade as needed.
Each allowance gives the holder the right to emit.
one tonne of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), the main greenhouse gas, or the equivalent amount of two more powerful greenhouse gases, nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and perfluorocarbons (PFCs).
Some allowances are allocated or auctioned specifically to aviation operators. Airlines can use any allowances for compliance purposes, but fixed installations cannot use aviation allowances.
Cap for fixed installations decreases each year.
The 2018 cap for emissions from fixed installations was set at 2,084,301,856 allowances. During phase 3 of the EU ETS (2018-2020), this cap decreases each year by a linear reduction factor of 1.74% of the average total quantity of allowances issued annually in 2008-2018. This amounts to a reduction of 38,264,246 allowances each year.
The linear reduction factor determines the pace of emission reductions in the EU ETS. It is a feature without an end date and as such it gives investors certainty about the return on investment in emission reductions.
Thanks to the decreasing cap, the number of allowances that can be used by fixed installations to cover emissions will be 21% lower in 2020 than in 2005 .
To achieve the target of cutting EU emissions by 40% by 2030 compared to 1990, agreed by EU leaders as part of the 2030 climate and energy framework, the cap will need to be lowered by 2.2% per year from 2021 .
This would reduce emissions from fixed installations to around 43% below 2005 levels by 2030 . By 2050, emissions would be reduced by around 90% compared to 2005.
Aviation cap set at 210 million allowances for 2018-2020.
The aviation sector cap remains the same in each year of the 2018-2020 trading period.
The cap has been provisionally set at 210,349,264 aviation allowances per year, which is 5% below the average annual level of aviation emissions in the 2004-2006 base period.
The cap will be adjusted to include additional aviation activities arising from Croatia's full integration into the aviation part of the EU ETS on 1 January 2017.
Useful documents.
Abra todas as perguntas.
Emissions trading: Questions and Answers concerning the second Commission Decision on the EU ETS cap for 2018 (October 2018)
What is the EU ETS cap and why are two steps needed to set it?
The EU ETS cap is the total amount of emission allowances to be issued for a given year under the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). Since each allowance represents the right to emit one tonne of CO 2 - or an amount of another greenhouse gas giving the same contribution to global warming as one tonne of CO 2 - the total number of allowances, i. e. the “cap”, determines the maximum amount of emissions possible under the EU ETS.
In July 2018, the Commission adopted a decision that determined the cap for 2018 based on the current scope of the EU ETS, ie the installations covered in the 2008-2018 period. The second decision, adopted today, takes into account the extended scope of the EU ETS as from 2018.
Which new sectors and gases are covered under the extended scope?
The EU ETS covers installations performing specific activities. Since its launch in 2005 the system has covered, above certain capacity thresholds, power stations and other combustion plants, oil refineries, coke ovens, iron and steel plants and installations producing cement, glass, lime, bricks, ceramics, pulp, paper and board. As for greenhouse gases, it currently covers only carbon dioxide emissions, with the exception of the Netherlands and Austria, which have opted to include emissions from nitrous oxide ( N2O) emissions from some specific installations.
As from 2018, the scope of the ETS will be extended to include other sectors and greenhouse gases. Inter alia, more CO 2 emissions from installations producing bulk organic chemicals, hydrogen, ammonia and aluminium will be included, as will N2O emissions from the production of nitric, adipic and glyocalic acid production and perfluorocarbons from the aluminium sector. Installations performing activities which result in these emissions will be included in the EU ETS as from 2018.
What is the cap for 2018 and how has it been determined?
The cap for the year 2018 has been determined at 2,084,301,856 allowances..
This figure is based on the national allocation plans of Member States for the period from 2008 to 2018 but also takes into account the extended scope of the EU ETS as from 2018 as well as installations 'opted in' to the system by Member States from 2008. It is composed of the following elements:
The Union-wide quantity of allowances which have been issued by Member States in accordance with the Commission Decisions on the National Allocation Plans of Member States for the period from 2008 to 2018. This amounts to 1,976,784,044 in 2018. The average annual quantity of allowances which have been issued by Member States to installations that Member States have 'opted in' to the EU ETS. This amounts to 2,678,155. The quantity of allowances that takes into account the effect of the extended scope of the EU ETS, i. e. installations which will be included as from 2018. This concerns installations emitting the following greenhouse gases: CO 2 emissions from petrochemicals, ammonia and aluminum, N2O emissions from the production of nitric, adipic and glyocalic acid production and perfluorocarbons from the aluminum sector.
From this quantity, the quantity of allowances that represent the effect of installations opted out from the EU ETS would need to be deducted. The corresponding amount deducted was 4,751,898.
Since the cap for 2018 is calculated from the midpoint of the period 2008 to 2018, i. e. 2018, the linear reduction factor of 1.74% (in absolute figures: 38,264,246 allowances) had to be applied three times (in 2018, 2018, 2018), in order to arrive at the total absolute Union-wide quantity of allowances (cap) for 2018, i. e. 2,084,301,856 allowances.
How have the various figures been established at the 2018 level?
The figure representing the quantity of allowances to be issued in accordance with the National Allocation Plans has been established applying the same methodology as used in the Commission's July decision [2] . Basically, it means that the total quantity actually available in the period from 2008 to 2018 has been added up and divided by five. However, as set out in this Decision, additional information has been taken into account, mainly related to new entrants and closed installations. As a consequence, the corresponding figures are now slightly higher than those indicated in the July decision.
The figure representing the effect of the opt-ins has been established in a similar manner as the figure above, i. e. the relevant annual average for 2018 has been calculated by adding up the total amount of allowances opted in for the period from 2008 to 2018 and dividing it by the relevant number of years.
In order to determine the quantity of allowances by which the cap has to be adjusted in order to reflect the extended scope of the EU ETS as from 2018, Member States had to ensure that operators of installations carrying out activities that will be included in the EU ETS only from 2018 onwards submitted duly substantiated and independently verified emissions data..
Member States had to notify duly substantiated data to the Commission by 30 June 2018. The data notified to the Commission cover different years of verified emissions and are therefore not easily comparable. The Commission had to establish an approach with a view to providing a level playing field for all installations included in the EU ETS as from 2018. To this end and for the purpose of establishing the Union-wide quantity of allowances for 2018, the Commission assumed that installations to be included as of 2018 had undertaken the same level of emission reduction efforts as those installations already included before 2018. For this reason, the linear reduction factor of 1.74% was applied to the annual average figure from the midpoint of the period covered by the verified emission data notified by each Member State. The outcome would represent the level of emissions in 2018, had the installations concerned already been included in the EU ETS.
How have the emission data for the new sectors and gases been collected?
Member States have collected the necessary data from installations performing activities which will be included in the EU ETS as from 2018. These data had to be independently verified before the operators of the relevant installations submitted them to the competent authorities of their respective Member State (for which the deadline was 30 April 2018). Where Member States found these data duly substantiated, they could notify them to the Commission by 30 June 2018. On the basis of these notifications, the Commission took into account the extended scope of the EU ETS as from 2018.
Is the 2018 cap now final?
In practice and to a large extent yes. However, marginal fine-tuning is likely to be needed over time, for the following potential reasons:
Before the end of 2018 more new entrants may enter the market requesting allowances from certain Member States 'new entrants' reserves which could not be taken into account in the calculation of the cap thus far. These reserves have not been taken into account either because the Member State has decided not to sell or auction allowances that have not been distributed to new entrants by the end of 2018, or because it has not yet decided whether or not to sell or auction such allowances. Only the new entrants' reserves of Member States which have decided to sell or auction such allowances have been taken into account so far. Emission-reduction projects planned under the Kyoto Protocol's Joint Implementation (JI) mechanism (or in some cases under the Clean Development Mechanism) may not materialise and thus may not yield credits that can be used to offset emissions in the EU ETS. For this reason, allowances may be allocated from the so-called "JI set aside"; Member States may still 'opt in' to the EU ETS installations and activities not covered by the scope of the Directive; Member States may exclude in the 3rd trading period some specific small installations if equivalent measures are in place. As any corresponding measures will not be notified to the Commission before the end of September 2018, they could not be taken into account in this Decision.
For these reasons, final figures for the 2018 cap may thus not be available before 2018. However, in order to keep the public informed, the Commission will update the figures in 2018 or later. These updates should lead only to marginal changes in the overall quantity of allowances available from 2018 onwards.
What will happen to the cap after 2018?
The cap will decrease each year by 1.74% of the average annual total quantity of allowances issued by the Member States in 2008-2018. In absolute terms this means the number of allowances will be reduced annually by 37,435,387. This annual reduction will continue beyond 2020 but may be subject to revision not later than 2025.
What happens if the EU increases its greenhouse gas reduction target for 2020 from 20% to 30%?
If the EU decided to move to a 30% reduction target the cap would need to be revised. Today's decision reflects the 20% reduction target from 1990 levels as enshrined in current legislation. This translates into a 21% cut in emissions from installations in the EU ETS by 2020 compared with 2005 levels.
Is aviation included in the decision?
Aviation is not included in this decision. The cap to be allocated to aircraft operators will be determined by a separate decision of the Commission, as requested in the legislation [3] which will bring aviation into the EU ETS as from 2018.

Regulation respecting a cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas emission allowances Quebec.
Document description.
The purpose of this Regulation is to set rules for the operation of the cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas emission allowances. For that purpose, it determines which emitters are required to cover their emissions, the terms and conditions for registering for the system, the emission allowances that can be validly used, the terms and conditions for the issue, use and trading of emission allowances, and the information that must be provided by emitters and other participants in the system.
Recent updates that mention this document.
Notice: Upcoming Greenhouse Gas Emissions Auction on Oct 13, 2018 Notice: Upcoming Greenhouse Gas Emissions Auction on Jun 22, 2018 Notice: Upcoming Greenhouse Gas Emissions Auction on Mar 28, 2018 Amended: Regulation respecting a cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas emission allowances on Dec 29, 2018 Notice: Upcoming Greenhouse Gas Emissions Auction on Sep 30, 2018.
To access this legislation and track changes to it you must upgrade your account or create an account today.
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Governing Law - This Agreement shall be governed by and interpreted according to the laws of the Province of Quebec, judicial district of Montreal, Canada.
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Nós respeitamos sua privacidade. We will not misuse, sell, or exploit any information provided to us. All of your information provided to us is for the express purpose of billing or rendering the NimonikApp service. By supplying such information, we will retain only the information needed to offer you access to relevant information in your industrial sector, legal jurisdiction, and areas of interest. We may also collect infomration relevant to invoicing and billing. Any information provided to us will not be shared with any other company or 3rd Party.
Nimonik staff and contractors will not access your corporate information unless given explicit permission by an authorized person at your organization. This permission may be granted to help train or debug your account. The access granted by you to Nimonik may be revoked at any time.
We protect the security of your personal information during transmission by using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) software, which encrypts the information you transmit. For full security details on our web service, please download the PDF document found here: nimonik/security. pdf.
We value your continued business and will be happy to answer any and all of your questions. You can reach us by phone at 808-608-7511, or via email at support@nimonik.
Standard mail at Nimonik inc., 602-5445 ave de Gaspé, Montréal, QC, Canada H2T 3B2.

Regulation respecting a cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas emission allowances Quebec.
Document description.
The purpose of this Regulation is to set rules for the operation of the cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas emission allowances. For that purpose, it determines which emitters are required to cover their emissions, the terms and conditions for registering for the system, the emission allowances that can be validly used, the terms and conditions for the issue, use and trading of emission allowances, and the information that must be provided by emitters and other participants in the system.
Recent updates that mention this document.
Notice: Upcoming Greenhouse Gas Emissions Auction on Oct 13, 2018 Notice: Upcoming Greenhouse Gas Emissions Auction on Jun 22, 2018 Notice: Upcoming Greenhouse Gas Emissions Auction on Mar 28, 2018 Amended: Regulation respecting a cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas emission allowances on Dec 29, 2018 Notice: Upcoming Greenhouse Gas Emissions Auction on Sep 30, 2018.
To access this legislation and track changes to it you must upgrade your account or create an account today.
STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS.
These terms and conditions govern the use of the online database (the “Site”) and its content (the “Licensed Content”) by licensed users (“Users”) provided by Nimonik. They are an integral part of the contractual agreement between the Client and Nimonik.
Disclaimer - The online database is intended solely to give users convenient access to information regarding legislation and other industry standards. While Nimonik cannot guarantee that there are no errors in its Site, it endeavours, where appropriate, to correct those which are drawn to its attention. Accordingly, the data and information contained herein is for informational purposes only. No person should act or rely upon the information in the Site without seeking professional legal consultation.
Nimonik makes a best effort attempt to provide timely and accurate information in the Site. Regardless, you agree that Nimonik will not be liable for any errors or omissions of any nature in the content or use of the Site. The information is thereby provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. Nimonik hereby disclaims all warranties, whether express or implied, oral or written, with respect to the information including, without limitation, all implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for any particular purpose.
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Nimonik accepts no responsibility for the content of other Internet sites to which its portal is or may be linked or to which reference is or may be made.
Proprietary Rights - Nimonik owns, solely and exclusively, or licenses all rights, title and interest in and to the Site, all the content (including, for example, audio, photographs, illustrations, graphics, other visuals, video, copy, text, software, titles, etc.), code, data and materials thereon, the look and feel, design and organization of the Web Site, and the compilation of the content, code, data and materials on the Site, including but not limited to any copyrights, trademark rights, patent rights, database rights, moral rights, sui generis rights and other intellectual property and proprietary rights therein. Any content, code, data or materials the Users may access on or through the Site belonging to Nimonik is not granted to the Users.
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Links to Other websites – The Site users can access links to websites belonging to other companies or organizations. These links are provided as a courtesy for user convenience only. Nimonik in no way controls, endorses or guarantees the sites linked to this gateway and cannot be held responsible for their content or practices, particularly with respect to the protection of personal information and privacy.
Representations and warranties – Services provided by Nimonik in performance of the Agreement shall be rendered without any warranty, express or implied. Nimonik assumes no responsibility for the accuracy or reliability of any reproduction derived from the legal materials on the Site. The legal materials on the Site have been prepared for convenience of reference only and have no official sanction.
Site changes - Nimonik may from time to time change or add to the Site without notice. While Nimonik will do their best to provide the most accurate and up to date information on the site, Nimonik inc. is not liable to the user or anyone else if errors occur in the information in this database or if that information is not up-to-date.
Force Majeure - In the event that either party is prevented from performing, or is unable to perform, any of its obligations under this Agreement due to any cause beyond the reasonable control of the party invoking this provision, the affected party's performance shall be excused and the time for performance shall be extended for the period of delay or inability to perform due to such occurrence.
Invoices and payment - Invoices are submitted prior to the beginning of service, and payment is net thirty (30) days of the invoice date. After thirty days, a fifteen (15) percent annual interest is applied to the invoiced amount. A failure to pay invoices after sixty (60) days will incur a cessation of access to the Site.
If the Client wishes to pay the invoiced amounts within ten (10) days of the submitted invoice, a two (2) percent discount will be applied to the total amount.
Refunds - Nimonik does not issue any refunds. You can cancel or downgrade your account at anytime and no charges will be applied.
Insurance - Nimonik carries Errors and Omissions insurance and Commercial General Liability Insurance, contact Nimonik representatives for details on coverage.
Publicity - Nimonik expressly authorizes the Client to publicly disclose and acknowledge that Nimonik is providing the Client with the services contracted to any interested party that the Client so chooses, and the Client expressly authorizes Nimonik to disclose and acknowledge that Nimonik is providing said services to the Client to other Nimonik clients or potential clients that express such an interest. The Client expressly authorizes Nimonik to reproduce its corporate logo on promotional material and Nimonik commits to using this logo in respect with all of the Client’s guidelines. Should the Client request that its name, brand, logo or its relationship with Nimonik not be publicly disclosed, the Client shall inform Nimonik and provide Nimonik with a sixty (60) day grace period to make appropriate adjustments.
Changes to Terms of Use - We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to change, modify, add or remove any portion of the Terms and Conditions, in whole or in part, at any time. Changes in the Terms and Conditions will be effective when posted. Your continued use of the Site and/or the services made available on or through the Site after any changes to the Terms and Conditions are posted will be considered acceptance of those changes.
Governing Law - This Agreement shall be governed by and interpreted according to the laws of the Province of Quebec, judicial district of Montreal, Canada.
POLÍTICA DE PRIVACIDADE.
Nós respeitamos sua privacidade. We will not misuse, sell, or exploit any information provided to us. All of your information provided to us is for the express purpose of billing or rendering the NimonikApp service. By supplying such information, we will retain only the information needed to offer you access to relevant information in your industrial sector, legal jurisdiction, and areas of interest. We may also collect infomration relevant to invoicing and billing. Any information provided to us will not be shared with any other company or 3rd Party.
Nimonik staff and contractors will not access your corporate information unless given explicit permission by an authorized person at your organization. This permission may be granted to help train or debug your account. The access granted by you to Nimonik may be revoked at any time.
We protect the security of your personal information during transmission by using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) software, which encrypts the information you transmit. For full security details on our web service, please download the PDF document found here: nimonik/security. pdf.
We value your continued business and will be happy to answer any and all of your questions. You can reach us by phone at 808-608-7511, or via email at support@nimonik.
Standard mail at Nimonik inc., 602-5445 ave de Gaspé, Montréal, QC, Canada H2T 3B2.

Cap and trade system for greenhouse gas emission allowances

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Québec has an enforceable emissions reduction mandate requiring that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions be reduced by 20% below 1990 levels by 2020.
For all participating members of the Western Climate Initiative (WCI), the adoption of the Regulation establishing the cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas emission allowances (Regulation) is the first of two main steps toward the emergence of a regional North American carbon market. The second step will consist of concluding a series of recognition agreements, between the different partners, to link their systems together. Such a linking, with the California cap-and-trade, is underway.
First compliance periods in the Québec cap-and-trade scheme starts on 1 January 2018 and ends on 31 December 2017. The following periods are of 3 calendar years as of 1 January 2018.
Pursuant to the said notification, however, the first year of implementation of the system will begin on January 1, 2018 and it will be a transition year. It will allow emitters and participants to familiarize themselves with how the system works.
Over the course of the year 2018, emitters will also be able to make any adjustments that may be necessary to meet their obligations under the system for capping and reducing GHG emissions, which will come into force on January 1, 2018.
Registration of participants for the scheme.
Industrial establishments subject to the system are those that emit 25 000 tonnes or more of CO2 equivalent per year (emissions threshold). Starting in 2018, companies that import or distribute in Québec fuels that are used in the transportation and building sectors (and whose combustion generates an amount of GHGs greater than or equal to 25 000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year) will also be subject to the capping and reduction of their emissions.
An application for registration for the system must be sent to the Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks (Minister):
(1) on or after 1 May 2018 but not later than 1 September 2018, in the case of an emitter other than an emitter referred to in point (2) whose reported emissions for 2009, 2018 or 2018 for an establishment are equal to or exceed the emissions threshold;
(2) on or after 1 May 2018 but not later than 1 September 2017, in the case of an emitter pursuing fuel distribution activities whose reported emissions for 2018 or 2018 are equal to or exceed the emissions threshold prior to 1 January 2017;
(3) not later than 1 September following the submission of the first emissions report reporting emissions equal to or exceeding the threshold, in the case of an emitter referred to in points 1 or 2 above, whose verified emissions for an establishment are equal to or exceed the emissions threshold during a year following the years mentioned in those points.
The interesting feature of Québec cap-and-trade (distinguishing it from the EU ETS) is that subject to the scheme is also an entity that acquires electricity generated outside Québec, except electricity produced in a territory under the responsibility of a government other than that of Québec with which an appropriate agreement specified in the Québec regulations has been entered into, for its own consumption or for sale in Québec, if the greenhouse gas emissions attributable to the generation of the quantity of electricity acquired, calculated in accordance with the Regulation, are equal to or exceed the emissions threshold.
Every person, other than an emitter, interested in purchasing Québec emission allowances must apply to the Minister for registration for the system as a participant. In such a case an application for registration in the system may be submitted to the Minister on or after 1 May 2018.
The Québec cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas emission allowances applies the concept of the holding limit constituting the total number of emission units that an emitter or a participant may hold in its general account and, where applicable, its compliance account.
Holding limit is calculated using equation:
HLi = 0.1 x Baseline + 0.025 x (Ci – Baseline)
where specific symbols used mean:
HLi = holding limit for year i ;
0.1 = maximum proportion of the number of emission units constituting the Baseline that an emitter or a participant may hold;
Baseline = 5,000,000, being the estimated number of emission units that will be auctioned in 2018;
0.025 = maximum proportion of the number of emission units in excess of the Baseline and issued in year i that an emitter or a participant may hold;
Ci = annual cap of emission units for year i .
Notwithstanding that, emission units recorded in the compliance account of an emitter and needed to cover estimated GHG emissions for the current year or verified emissions for preceding years are not subject to the holding limit. Furthermore, pursuant to the Regulation an emitter or a participant that reaches or exceeds one-half of its holding limit must, at the Minister’s request, explain its strategy and the reason for holding the emission units concerned.
Every transaction notice for emission units that would cause the buyer’s holding limit to be exceeded will be refused by the Minister.
For the purposes of the holding limit related entities are considered to be a single entity with an overall holding limit that they can distribute among themselves by allotting percentage shares.
The distribution must be disclosed to the Minister when the related entities register for the system or, in the case of a new business relationship, within 30 days from the creation of that relationship. The information must, however, be sent to the Minister within 60 days prior to an auction when one of the related entities wishes to be registered as a bidder.
Pursuant to the Regulation the emissions allowances auctions in the Québec cap-and-trade system consist of a single round of bidding, using sealed bids. The emission units will be auctioned in lots of 1,000 units of the same vintage.
There is also foreseen the minimum price of the emission units sold at an auction, which is set at:
(1) 10 Canadian dollars per emission unit, for auctions conducted in 2018;
(2) for auctions conducted in any year after 2018, the price set in point (1) increased annually by 5%.
The Regulation applies also auction purchase limit which consists in that the quantity of emission units that may be purchased by a single bidder at an auction held prior to 1 January 2018 is limited to:
(1) for vintage 2018 and 2017 emission units 15% in the case of an emitter (with some exceptions), or 4% in the case of any other participant;
(2) for vintage 2018 and subsequent emission units, 25% in the case of any bidder.
When bidders are related entities, the purchase limit applies to all those entities. They must indicate to the Minister, in the application for registration for the auction the distribution of the overall purchasing limit among the related entities, in percentages.
Similarities with California cap-and-trade program.
Interesting comparisons for the two North American cap-and-trade programs can be found in the document released by California Air Resources Board titled ‘Proposed Amendments to the California Cap on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Market-Based Compliance Mechanisms to Allow for the Use of Compliance Instruments Issued by Linked Jurisdictions, Staff Report: Initial Statement of Reasons’ of 9 May 2018 (available at arb. ca. gov). The basic parameters in that regard are as follows:
Baseline year – 1990.
Like California, Quebec requires the authorities to establish a 2020 GHG emissions level for Québec relative to a 1990 emissions baseline.
Emissions thresholds for inclusion.
Emissions thresholds for inclusion are identical for both programs. Québec and California each adopted two levels of emissions thresholds: 25,000 MTCO2e and 10,000 MTCO2e. At the level of 25,000 MTCO2e emissions per year or greater, each jurisdiction requires reporting entities to meet rigorous reporting requirements (e. g., annual reporting, specific reporting methods, third party verification, accuracy requirements). For determining if the 25,000 MTCO2e threshold is met, Québec includes emissions from all six Kyoto Protocol gases, plus nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), but excludes any CO2 emissions from combustion and fermentation of biomass and biofuels. California includes CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions from sources explicitly specified in the GHG reporting regulation.
Facilities with 10,000 to 25,000 MTCO2e of annual emissions are also required to report their emissions under both programs, to monitor for leakage of facilities that are close to the cap-and-trade threshold requirements.
Québec‘s program, similar to California covers the same 7 GHGs listed in AB 32; carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3).
Currently, Québec does not cover biomethane and geothermal emissions in its GHG reporting regulation because there is no presence of these sources in the province. Although these emissions are required to be reported under the California reporting regulation, both are exempt from California‘s cap-and-trade program. In addition, Québec‘s reporting regulation does not cover CO2 suppliers, but oil and gas production sources are required to report. Beginning in 2018, all fuels are covered under the cap.
The regulators assume that one feature that must be identical in both programs is the quarterly auction. This will enable joint auctions in the regional cap-and-trade program. Provisions that must be identical in policy and practice cover requirements regarding eligibility for auction participation, publication of auction-related information, process for tie breaks in an auction, settlement for an auction, purchase limits by auction participant type, bidding process, dates for auctions, and financial requirements. A single auction provider and a single compliance instrument tracking system that will facilitate a joint auction for California and Québec are also envisioned.
The two programs are proposing the same holding limits.
Allowance Price Containment Reserve.
Both the California and Québec program have incorporated the concept of an Allowance Price Containment Reserve (Reserve) which allows regulated entities to purchase allowances at quarterly auctions at set prices.
Start dates for enforcement.
Start dates for enforcement are identical for both programs. In Québec‘s program, covered entities will have a compliance obligation for their GHG emissions starting on January 1, 2018. Unlike California‘s program, Québec‘s program only requires a compliance obligation surrender after each compliance period instead of both a partial annual compliance obligation surrender and then a triennial compliance obligation surrender after each compliance period (Government of Québec 2018 and Title 17, California Code of Regulations section 95853, section 95855, and section 95856). This difference does not affect the ability to link the programs; it only requires California entities to provide evidence of periodic acquisition and surrender of compliance instruments during the compliance period.
Every entity that is covered by Québec‘s cap-and-trade program is required to surrender compliance instruments equal to its covered GHG emissions. As with California‘s program, compliance instruments can be either an allowance or an offset credit. As in California‘s program, a covered entity in Québec can only meet eight percent of its compliance obligation surrender using offset credits.
It is anticipated that Québec will issue its own compliance offsets. Under these proposed amendments, Québec issued compliance offsets could be used by California entities to meet their compliance obligation, up to the 8 percent limit.
Requirements for determining the boundaries of reporting entities.
Overall, Québec and California have similar requirements for determining the boundaries of their reporting entities.
December 2018 update.
In December 2018, Québec finalised its regulations that support its cap-and-trade program.
In effect both the California and Québec programs have final regulations with equivalent detail related to know-your-customer requirements, disclosure of corporate associations, and auction participation requirements.
The Québec compliance offset program is also equivalent to the California program. For the destruction of ozone depleting substances protocol, Québec clarified that only materials extracted from equipment in Canada would be eligible for offset credit under their program. Québec has also created a very narrow early action program similar to California’s early action program. This early action program would allow some of existing landfill projects to transition to Québec’s compliance offset protocol and continue to operate and generate offset credits.