Emissions Trading Registry
Who can use the EU ETS Registry?
In the UK, the EU/UN Registry is operated by the Environment Agency (EA) meaning they carry out the role of Registry Administrator. The Registry Administrator is able to monitor and approve all accounts. Any individual can open an account on the UK Registry providing they are able to supply the necessary legal documentation and satisfy all the security checks. New account applications will incur an administrative charge payable to the Environment Agency.
For more information on how to open a Registry account - visit the Environment Agency website.
What is a Registry?
Computerised registries are key components of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) and wider international emissions trading under the UNFCCC's (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) Kyoto Protocol. The EU ETS legislation Directive 2003/87/EC sets out that Member States must put in place a standardised, electronic National Registry. Similarly, Parties to the UNFCCC who have ratified the Kyoto Protocol must put in place a National Registry to facilitate wider international emissions trading from 2008.
A Registry allows account holders to hold, transfer, or acquire EU allowances and Kyoto units. They also enable regulators and nominated competent authorities to manage regulated industries (those with legal emissions reduction targets), and monitor national compliance and performance against international emissions reductions obligations.
An Emissions Trading Registry is a web-based application that records:
- CO2 allowances and units that are allocated to and held in installation accounts
- Annual verified emissions for installations
- The movement of allowances to and from accounts
- Annual compliance status of installations.
The EU Commission and the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) secretariat determined the functional requirements of the Registry.
Key functions of the EU ETS Registry
- Account management - allows operators and Registry administrators to create, update, and close holding accounts as well as record emissions
- Surrender and Retirement - allows regulated companies (surrender) and national competent authorities (retirement) to demonstrate compliance with national emissions reduction targets.
- Internal and External transfers - allows accounts holders within the same Registry and those in other national Registries to transfer units and allowances between their accounts.
- Cancellation and replacement, and carry over - of units and allowances in accordance with the emissions trading rules. This allows the Registry to comply with both the EU and UN regulations as EU units can be replaced with Kyoto units.
- Reconciliation - with the Community Independent Transaction Log and the UNFCCC Independent Transaction Log on a periodic basis to ensure Registry records are consistent.
- A range of administration functions
- Generation of reports and compliance status tables.
Page published: 10 December 2007