The EU emissions trading scheme (EU ETS) installations emitted 164 MtCO2 less than their freely received carbon allowances in 2012. It shows that EU ETS installations emitted – in total – 8% less CO2 than the number of allowances they received for free.
In 2012, EU countries allocated to their installations a total of 2,034 million allowances (an allowance is a permit to emit one tonne of CO2). Verified emissions data submitted so far show that these installations emitted during the same period 1,786 MtCO2. This represents an average decrease in CO2 emissions of 1.4% per installation in 2012 over 2011. In 2012, only two countries allocated to their installations – in aggregate - less free allowances than they emitted: Germany (29 Mt) and the United Kingdom (2.5 Mt).
These figures are derived from the verified emissions data submitted so far by 95% (in volume) of the 11,300 installations currently included in the trading scheme and includes the 27 EU countries except Bulgaria and Cyprus.