Romania Could Collect Just EUR1.5B From Green Certificates

04.19.2011 By Andrei Circhelan

Emission certificate prices dropped some 50% since the 2009-2010 interval, which means Romania may only be able to collect EUR1.5 billion from selling such deeds, half of the sum estimated two years ago.

Emission certificate prices dropped some 50% since the 2009-2010 interval, which means Romania may only be able to collect EUR1.5 billion from selling such deeds, half of the sum estimated two years ago.

Romania has an excess of 300 million greenhouse gas certificates, evaluated two years ago at some EUR3 billion. The price of one green certificate dropped to some EUR5-6 per unit in 2011, compared to EUR10 in 2009-2010.

"We had better sell these certificates by 2012, because there's no telling whether they will be carried forward," said Florentinei Manea, director of the Climate Change Department within the Romanian Environment Ministry.

The money obtained from a sale would be managed by the Environment Fund, in eco projects.

Economy Ministry officials estimated one year ago that Romania could collect up to EUR2.5 billion from selling green certificates.

Under the Kyoto protocol, one green certificate allows the bearer to emit one ton of carbon dioxide.