Expanding Carbon Markets through New Market-based Mechanisms: A synthesis of discussions and submissions to the UNFCCC

At the Durban meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Parties to the Convention and observer organisations were invited to make submissions on a number of issues relevant to the discussions on various approaches, including opportunities for using markets, to enhance the cost-effectiveness of mitigation actions. This Special Report, produced by the newly created CEPS Carbon Market Forum (CMF), reviews the submissions by Parties and observer organisations, with a view to facilitating progress in the expansion of a global carbon market. In this context, the report aims to contribute to the European debate on the development of new market mechanisms and carbon markets, as well as to the UNFCCC negotiating process. It attempts to identify some of the main issues that will need to be addressed this year, leading to the 18th Conference of the Parties (COP) in Doha, and discusses the various options proposed. As a first output of the CEPS CMF on this issue, and given the state of negotiations under the UNFCCC, it does not propose solutions.