European industrialists are rich in carbon credits
The crisis is good for the atmosphere! Figures released Thursday by the European Commission confirmed. In 2009, 12 569 industrial facilities belonging to the EU subject to a quota system for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have seen their greenhouse gas emissions fall by 11%.
Main reason for this improved environmental performance: the recession. Manufacturers must report annually their copy in Brussels on March 31, that provide estimates of their emissions of CO2 duly verified. Crisis forces, thousands of factories have emitted less tons of CO2 that the annual ceiling that has been allocated for the period 2008-2012.In other words, "there is a huge surplus of allowances," says Emmanuel Fages, an analyst at market CO2 Orbeo, a subsidiary of Societe Generale.
When the allocation of quotas by country and by industry, by 2008, some sectors have been able to negotiate generous limits, said Emmanuel Fages. This lobbying coupled with the crisis allowed them to return today holders of "carbon credits" worth tens of millions of euros, they may at their discretion to sell on the market. Thus, preliminary analysis of 12 569 lines of picture released Thursday in Brussels, European steelmakers (including mining) are left with 93 million tonnes of CO2 "in his pocket." In the spot market price on the spot exchange BlueNext Paris (12.65 euros a tonne on Thursday), this represents 1.17 billion euros of Treasury.The cement for their part have 53 million surplus allowances (670 million) cash fast now. As electricians, they have instead passed their overall ceiling of 100 million tonnes of carbon they will buy on the market.
In France, among the 1 118 facilities (power plants, boilers) subject to quotas, ArcelorMittal, with its two plants Gandrange and Mediterranean, has a surplus of 2.9 million tonnes, 36.9 million treasure euros at market prices. Ten plants of Lafarge cement totaled 1.3 million tons, 16.9 million euros.
In the automotive sector, emissions of four plants Peugeot-Citroen reflect the depressed activity. PSA has a credit of 138 000 tonnes.Even Disneyland in Marne-la-Vallee, low emitter of greenhouse gases but nevertheless subject to quotas liberates carbon credit of 3 650 tonnes. The raw data do not explain the case of crisis or the effect of efforts to produce heat and electricity more green.
Should we expect massive sales of CO2 by companies tempted to rake in cash, and thus a decline in the price of carbon on the European market? Although official figures for CO2 emissions, one indicator of demand for this very special market, falling only once a year, and analysts expect the industry. "There is therefore no surprise," says Emmanuel Fages. "We do not wait more sales," says the analyst Orbeo.
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