e-Learning: Emissions Trading Systems: Using Markets to Promote Low Emissions Development

To participate, please click here to register by March 31st.

Course Overview
As the world seeks to enhance global greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation efforts, countries are exploring innovative approaches to scale-up emissions reductions and foster private sector investment in mitigation technologies. Economic instruments, such as emissions trading schemes and carbon taxes, can help to achieve domestic emission reduction goals and targets in a cost-effective way. Economic instruments also encourage innovation and investment in clean technologies, and are means for countries to scale-up climate change mitigation efforts. During recent years, there has been increasing interest on Emissions Trading Systems (ETS), with new systems being implemented in California, New Zealand, Australia, Quebec, Kazakhstan and Korea. Concurrently, various developing countries are exploring the use of cap-and-trade and other market-based mechanisms for limiting GHG emissions in select sectors.
The course Emissions Trading Systems: Using Markets to Promote Low Emissions Development provides an overview of the theory and practice of Emissions Trading Systems.

Course Objectives
The overall objective of this course is to inform policy planners and climate change practitioners on the rationale behind emissions trading, how emissions trading schemes work, their key design elements, and the key roles and decisions affecting emissions-trading governance.

This course provides practical knowledge and skills to:

• Appreciate the rationale for using market-based instruments in the context of GHG mitigation;
• Understand the key principles and design elements for emissions trading schemes;
• Discuss critically the important trade-offs inherent in ETS design and governance;
• Learn from design and implementation experiences of existing emissions trading schemes around the world.

Structure of the Course
This course is divided into 2 modules. Each module contains three lessons embedded in multimedia presentations, exercises and quizzes. Completion of each module requires about 120 minutes. The learning experience is more rewarding if the lessons are spread out over several days or weeks according to the pre-arranged schedule set by your course facilitator.

Module 1 – ETS Objectives, Context, Economics & Readiness
This module aims to equip students with a basic of understanding of how emissions trading works, how it compares to other policy instruments in theory and practice, and which questions and factors policy-makers must consider in the process of designing an Emissions Trading Scheme.
Module 2 – ETS Design and Governance
This module aims to equip students with an understanding of basic and advanced issues related to the design, implementation, and governance of emissions trading schemes.

This course was funded by the Carbon Finance Assist Trust Fund and developed and delivered in collaboration with the Partnership for Market Readiness, PMR