EU ETS prices fall sharply
Allowance prices in EU’s emissions cap-and-trade scheme drop by a third as lower power prices hit demand
Prices in the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS) have fallen by almost a third since the start of the year, as low power prices discourage utilities from forward hedging and supply of allowances is boosted by the impact of the REPowerEU frontloading scheme. Prices opened the year at more than €80/t of CO₂e ($86.5/t) and hit a low of €51.10/t of CO₂e in late February, before recovering to trade at €55–56/t of CO₂e. Utilities are the main buyers of allowances in the EU ETS and their behaviour therefore has a strong impact on prices. Typically, utilities buy power, allowances and gas or coal at the same time on forward curves, locking in margins. But such behaviour has been limited in recent mon
Also in this section
23 January 2025
The return of Donald Trump gives further evidence of ‘big oil’ as an investable asset, with the only question being whether anyone is really surprised
21 January 2025
The new president must put his cards on the table and tell the American people, and the world, if the US is formally abandoning the energy transition
14 January 2025
Bioenergy will be a key part of the energy transition as the world decarbonises, and Brazil is set to be a major player in the sector
14 January 2025
The region has ample resources of both gas and renewable energy and developing both will be vital to the global effort to reduce emissions