http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-02/european-carbon-climbs-to-a-4-week-high-as-germany-s-electricity-advances.html

European Union carbon-dioxide permits jumped to an almost four-week high as German power prices rose, increasing demand for pollution rights.

EU allowances for delivery in December gained as much as 1.3 percent to 17.37 euros a metric ton, the highest level since April 5, and traded at 17.36 euros as of 3:13 p.m. on London’s ICE Futures Europe exchange. Trading volume was 3.95 million tons compared with a daily average of 11.9 million tons the past 30 days. The U.K. market closed today for a holiday.
German baseload power for next year, a European benchmark, increased 1.1 percent to 59.85 euros a megawatt-hour in Berlin, according to broker prices on Bloomberg, the highest intraday level since April 11. Power markets can affect the price of carbon as utilities buy emissions permits for future production.
United Nations carbon offsets also increased as the EU data today showed companies in the European emissions trading system used a record 137 million UN credits in 2010. More than 12,000 facilities in the EU cap-and-trade program are allowed to use UN credits as a cheaper way to comply with pollution quotas. One permit gives the right to discharge one ton of CO2.
UN Certified Emission Reductions for December rose 1.2 percent to 13.11 euros. The usage of CERs, issued under the UN Clean Development Mechanism for investment in projects that cut greenhouse gases in developing countries, increased to 117 million tons last year from 78 million tons in 2009, the data published by the European Commission showed.
In 2010, EU emitters also surrendered 20 million Emission Reduction Units generated under the UN Joint Implementation program, according to the commission’s figures. In 2009, 3.2 million ERUs were used for compliance with the EU quotas.