Hungarian Carbon Trade Forum

by Erzsebet Beliczay

On November 4, 2002 the Hungarian Energy Office, in consultation with concerned branches, large companies and representative bodies, established the Hungarian Carbon Trade Forum to support the international climate protection tasks of the government. The task of the Forum is to elaborate professional recommendations for regulating greenhouse gas emission rights. Compared to most EU countries, Hungary is in a healthy situation, and therefore carbon trading can provide considerable income to the country for at least the next few years.

Based on the related EU directive, about 4,000-5,000 companies will be obliged to participate in the exchange, including: the energy industry, oil refineries, coking plants, the iron and steel industries, the non-metallic mineral industry, cement, lime, glass and ceramics producers, and the paper industry.

It has not been decided yet how much of the income will be saved, spent on social, environmental or competitiveness programmes, or distributed to businesses as subsidies.
<www.eh.gov.hu>