European Union Emissions Trading Scheme
The European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS), launched in 2005, is one of the most important market-driven initiatives in support to the global commitment to fight the climate changes and foster sustainable development. The scheme design evolution, comprising four phases, was characterized by continued ineffectiveness in driving emissions reduction, mainly for industries outside the power generation sector. This chapter brings an analysis of the EU-ETS design evolution, aiming at providing an overview on how the EU-ETS design features improvements impacted its effectiveness. The emissions trading scheme's main design features are listed, followed by the description of the EU-ETS design evolution in terms of scope, allowances allocation process, and emissions cap (among others). The greenhouse gases emissions trends, the carbon price behavior, and the availability of allowances in the EU carbon market are presented and discussed as key factors in support to the EU-ETS effectiveness assessment.