New Emissions Trading Method Tested Using Valentine's Day Cards

Japan's National Institute of Informatics (NII) and four companies, Toppan Printing Co., Nihon Unisys, Ltd., Seven & I Holdings Co., and Mitsubishi UFJ Lease & Finance Co., tested a new CO2 emissions trading method in a demonstration trial using information and communications technology from February 9 to 13, 2012.

NII and these four companies have been conducting research focused on a method for reducing the unit size of traded emission rights (carbon offsets) to a smaller, more easily transferable and purchasable quantity. Emission rights are usually managed and traded in units of between 1 and 1,000 tons. This research-based trial reduced the size of the trading unit for emission rights (J-VER) created by three forest cooperative associations based in Kamaishi City and other areas in Iwate Prefecture that were struck by the Great East Japan Earthquake. The emission rights were attached to greeting cards that were then sold for 100 yen (US$1.30) a piece.

More specifically, 10 kilograms of emission rights were attached to Valentine's Day cards sold at the Yokohama Sogo Department Store. Card recipients were able to access a test website using a cell phone or other device and then select an organization they wished to support from among three reconstruction assistance organizations. The selected organization could then offset the CO2 emissions from their reconstruction activities.

The trial was designed to examine the effectiveness of a small-unit, simplified emissions trading method proposed by research, while simultaneously benefiting reconstruction assistance in the disaster area.

Environment Ministry Registers 3 Projects for J-VER Credit Scheme (Related JFS article)

Posted: 2012/05/25 06:00:15 AM