Carbon Market Conversations: A Podcast by ICAP

In this episode of ICAP’s Carbon Market Conversations, host Trevor Laroche-Theune is joined by ICAP Carbon Market Experts, Iryna Holovko and Victor Alejandro Ortiz Rivera for an engaging discussion on the latest developments in compliance carbon markets worldwide. Building on insights from ICAP’s latest Status Report, the conversation explores how ETSs have evolved over the past year, delving into key trends, regional highlights, and cross-cutting themes that are shaping the global carbon market landscape. From the latest statistics to emerging system designs and alignment with net-zero targets, this episode unpacks the most significant milestones and challenges facing the carbon market community today. Our guests also share their perspectives on what they see as a critical issue that must be addressed to ensure the continued success of ETSs in the years to come. Access the full ICAP ETS Status Report here: https://icapcarbonaction.com/en/publications/emissions-trading-worldwide-icap-status-report-2025 Breakdown of topics covered: 0:55 - Introduction to today’s topic and our guests 3:25 - Highlight statistics related to ETS this year 4:45 - ETS revenues 6:00 - Carbon credit use in ETSs 9:00 - Latest developments in Europe and Central Asia 13:15 - Latest developments in Latin America and the Caribbean 15:10 - Latest developments in North America 19:00 - Latest developments in the Asia-Pacific 22:30 - Cross-cutting themes: alignment with net-zero targets 23:15 - Cross-cutting themes: emergence of diverse system designs 24:30 - Cross-cutting themes: scope expansion 25:30 - Cross-cutting themes: carbon border adjustment mechanisms 26:45 - A key challenge that must be properly addressed in the coming years in the compliance carbon market space and what steps can be taken toward its resolution 30:30 - Closing remarks

In this episode of ICAP’s Carbon Market Conversations, we dive into the crucial role of carbon pricing revenues in advancing climate action, economic resilience, and social equity. Host Trevor Laroche-Theune is joined by Diana Cárdenas Monar, Research Fellow at the Institute for Climate Economics, to reflect on why carbon pricing revenue use is so important and explore how governments worldwide are strategically allocating these revenues. From California to the EU, South Korea, and beyond, they discuss best practices, emerging trends, and the challenges of ensuring carbon revenues support a just transition. Diana also shares key insights from her recent work, Maximising benefits of carbon pricing through carbon revenue use: A review of international experiences, which outlines a four-step approach to maximizing the impact of carbon revenues. Read the full report here: https://www.i4ce.org/en/publication/maximising-benefits-carbon-pricing-through-carbon-revenue-use-review-international-experiences-climate/ Tune in for expert perspectives on revenue recycling, policy design, and the future of carbon pricing as a key tool for climate finance. Breakdown of topics covered: 0:55 - Introduction to today’s topic and our guest, Diana Cárdenas Monar 2:45 - Introduction to how carbon pricing instruments accrue revenue and why revenue recycling is an important concept and practice 5:00 - How revenues can affect environmental and economic objectives 6:35 - How revenues can contribute to a just transition and the social acceptability of carbon pricing 10:30 - The most common ways that jurisdictions allocate carbon pricing revenues and differences by country profile 15:00 - Further jurisdiction-specific examples that stand out 19:10 - A four-step approach to making the most of carbon pricing revenues 25:10 - Notable lessons from jurisdictions that have successfully implemented strategic revenue use 27:30 - Potential pitfalls or unintended consequences of revenue use and compensation measures and how policymakers can avoid such issues 29:50 - Future developments in carbon pricing revenue use strategies 32:45 - How global climate finance discussions influence revenue allocation 35:45 - A key challenge that must be properly addressed in the coming years of financing the transition to a low-carbon economy and what steps can be taken toward its resolution 38:05 - Closing remarks

In this episode of ICAP’s Carbon Market Conversations, we explore the critical intersection of climate action and energy development in low- and middle-income countries. Host Trevor Laroche-Theune sits down with Christophe de Gouvello and Harikumar Gadde, Senior Specialists at the World Bank, to discuss the findings of a landmark report jointly published by the World Bank, ICAP, and the International Energy Agency: Carbon Pricing in the Power Sector: Role and Design for Transitioning Toward Net-Zero Carbon Development. Together, they explore how well-designed carbon pricing instruments can drive effective transitions in the power sector, the unique considerations for low- and middle-income countries, and the technical, policy, and stakeholder strategies essential for transforming their power sectors to align with net-zero goals. Breakdown of topics covered 0:55 - Introduction to today’s topic and our guests, Christophe de Gouvello and Harikumar Gadde 3:55 - Introduction to the recently published report, Carbon Pricing in the Power Sector: Role and design for transitioning toward net-zero carbon development [https://icapcarbonaction.com/en/publications/carbon-pricing-power-sector-role-and-design-transitioning-toward-net-zero-carbon] and the impetus behind it 6:50 - Positive results that a well-designed carbon pricing instrument can achieve in the power sector 10:00 - How carbon pricing can align with development needs in low- and middle-income countries 13:00 - Rationale behind four selected case studies—China, Colombia, Kazakhstan, and South Africa—and the lessons that can be learned from them 16:10 - Critical questions that can guide policymakers in designing carbon pricing instruments for the power sector in low- and middle-income countries 16:40 - (1) When introduced in the power sector, would a carbon pricing instrument need to cover other sectors as well? 21:00 - (2) Who are the stakeholders along the value chain that can respond most effectively to a carbon pricing instrument? 26:00 - (3) What side effects can result from the interaction of a carbon tax or an ETS with existing sector regulations and other policy instruments? And how can these interactions be addressed to ensure consistency and effectiveness? 34:30 - Key challenges that must be properly addressed in the coming years of carbon pricing implementation in different global power sector contexts and what steps can be taken toward their resolution 42:10 - Closing remarks  You can find the carbon pricing in the power sector report here: https://icapcarbonaction.com/en/publications/carbon-pricing-power-sector-role-and-design-transitioning-toward-net-zero-carbon

In this episode of ICAP’s Carbon Market Conversations, host Trevor Laroche-Theune takes us on a deep dive into the UK ETS with Hannah Lewis, Head of UK ETS Policy and International Engagement with the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Sam Reed, Head of UK ETS Scope Expansion with the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Today’s conversation focuses on the UK ETS’s founding objectives and how it has developed since its inception, what to expect from the upcoming scope expansions, how it is preventing carbon leakage, plans for including engineered removals, and how it aligns with the UK’s broader climate goals. A more detailed breakdown of the topics explored and where you can listen to them is listed below. 0:55 - Introduction to today’s topic and our guests, Hannah Lewis and Sam Reed of the UK ETS Authority 3:10 - Introduction the UK ETS and its founding objectives 6:40 - Early challenges and opportunities transitioning from the EU ETS 9:20 - Significant developments since its launch: reduction of the cap, reduction of free allocation for industrial sectors, and announced plans to phase out free allocation for aviation, expand the ETS scope, and include GHG removals 12:20 - Similarities and differences with the EU ETS 14:00 - Rationale for scope expansions to maritime, waste incineration, and waste-to-energy sectors, and who expansions apply to 17:15 - Expectations for the scope expansions and challenges encountered 21:30 - Steps being taken to resolve challenges and recommendations for other jurisdictions that go through similar expansions 23:45 - Expectations for further scope expansions in the future 26:00 - Carbon leakage prevention - shifts in free allocation policy and the UK CBAM 32:50 - Plans for including engineered removals and the role they will play 34:50 - Making up the price difference for engineered removals to become an effective solution 36:30 - UK ETS alignment with the UK’s broader climate goals 39:40 - Outlook under the Starmer Government 41:00 - Key challenges that the UK ETS must get right in the coming years, and what steps can be taken toward their resolution 46:25 - Closing remarks More information about ICAP and the UK ETS can be found here: https://icapcarbonaction.com/en/ets/united-kingdom Further informative UK ETS resources mentioned in the episode: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-emissions-trading-scheme-long-term-pathway/the-long-term-pathway-for-the-uk-emissions-trading-scheme https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/developing-the-uk-emissions-trading-scheme-uk-ets

In this episode of ICAP's Carbon Market Conversations, host Trevor Laroche-Theune takes listeners on a deep-dive into the China National Emissions Trading System with Zheng Zhang, Director for Climate Finance at the Environmental Defense Fund Beijing Office. Today’s conversation focuses on what makes China’s ETS unique, how it has overcome challenges from its early stages, the expected impacts of the EU CBAM in China, the future outlook for ETS scope expansion, lessons that emerging economies can learn from China’s experience, and much more. A more detailed breakdown of the topics explored and where you can listen to them is listed below: 0:55 - Introduction to today’s topic and our guest, Zheng Zhang of the Environmental Defense Fund Beijing Office 2:25 - Introduction to the China National ETS and what makes it unique 3:40 - Main objectives of the ETS 4:15 - China’s climate goals and how the ETS aligns 6:08 - Historical development of the China National ETS 9:00 - Challenges that were faced and how they were addressed 11:40 - Expected impacts of EU CBAM for Chinese industry 13:30 - Expected impacts of EU CBAM for China’s approach to carbon pricing 16:00 - ETS scope expansion outlook and other opportunities for system development 18:45 - Carbon market linking potential 20:50 - Lessons for emerging economies that are implementing, developing, or considering an ETS 24:00 - The core challenge that China’s National ETS must get right in the coming years, and what steps can be taken towards finding its solution 27:25 - Closing remarks More information about ICAP and the China National ETS can be found here: https://icapcarbonaction.com/en/ets/china-national-ets [https://icapcarbonaction.com/en/ets/china-national-ets]