News

EU ETS in pricing ‘no man’s land’

– 17 April 2024

Description

The EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) is entering a transitional phase in which traditional pricing drivers, especially from the power sector, are losing dominance.

At a recent conference in Florence, analysts pointed out that the carbon market now sits “in no man’s land,” caught between fading utility-based hedging and emerging industrial demand.

Stefan Feuchtinger, Head of Market Research & Analysis at Vertis, observed that while utilities have historically anchored carbon pricing, their hedging activity is much reduced today. He expects the carbon market to stay influenced by power sector dynamics until approximately 2026–27, at which point industrial forces may begin to assert greater pricing power.

  • Beyond this shift in price leadership, the article raises critical questions:
  • What happens when industrial emitters become the primary price setters?
  • Can carbon capture and storage reshape cost structures and expectations?
  • What price levels will incentivize meaningful decarbonisation in heavy industry?

In this article, we’ll unpack these themes, explain how this “in-between” state affects regulated entities, and suggest how companies can position themselves as the carbon market’s balance of power evolves.

Read the full article

Latest news

News

Europe’s Emissions Trading System in the Spotlight: Its Future Hinges on Industry Pressure

February 18, 2026

As the 2026 review of the EU ETS approaches, policy uncertainty is resurfacing, putting the equilibrium between market discipline and political discretion under renewe.....

News

An EU ETS for Political Survival: A Critical Analysis of the Upcoming 2026 Directive Revision

February 17, 2026

With the 2026 EU ETS revision on the horizon, regulatory risk is back in focus, and the balance between market discipline and political intervention is once again bein.....

Podcast

The Calm Before 2026: EUAs, Investors & Policy Expectations

December 9, 2025

Dive into the final 2025 episode of Carbon Trading Chronicles, where we break down a stable year in carbon and energy markets, key EUAs trends, investor profit-taking .....

Switching to