Briefing: Fresh concerns over the transparency of the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS)

NGOs express concern over a European Commission draft proposal that would treat all information in the EU ETS Union Registry, including account holdings and serial numbers, as confidential. The briefing argues that removing serial numbers would eliminate the traceability necessary to enforce the ban on industrial gas (HFC and N2O) carbon credits and verify the eligibility of Kyoto units based on issuance dates. The authors urge EU Member States to maintain open access to installation and account data to ensure market accountability and the effective implementation of the scheme.

• A European Commission draft proposal presented on 5th May suggests that all information in the Union Registry and the EUTL, including account holdings, transactions, and serial numbers of allowances or Kyoto units, should be considered confidential.
• Removing serial numbers from Kyoto units would create a lack of traceability, making it impossible to verify if a unit is eligible for use in the EU ETS because eligibility depends on the date of issuance, which is only available via the serial number.
• The loss of serial number transparency would specifically hinder the enforcement of the ban approved by EU Member States on industrial gas carbon credits, specifically HFC and N2O, for use within the EU ETS.
• Public access to installation data, operator holding accounts, and emissions information is described as essential for monitoring the scheme, identifying irregularities, and ensuring the integrity of the carbon market.

APA

Elsworth, R. (2011). Briefing: Fresh concerns over the transparency of the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS). Carbon Market Watch. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/publications/briefing-eu-ets-transparency/

Chicago

Elsworth, Rob. Briefing: Fresh concerns over the transparency of the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS). Carbon Market Watch, 2011. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/publications/briefing-eu-ets-transparency/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Elsworth |first1=Rob |title=Briefing: Fresh concerns over the transparency of the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS) |publisher=Carbon Market Watch |date=17 May 2011 |url=https://carbonmarketwatch.org/publications/briefing-eu-ets-transparency/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{elsworth2011briefing, author = {Elsworth, Rob}, title = {{Briefing: Fresh concerns over the transparency of the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS)}}, institution = {Carbon Market Watch}, year = {2011}, month = may, url = {https://carbonmarketwatch.org/publications/briefing-eu-ets-transparency/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }