Concept and establishment of the G7 Carbon Market Platform

Market-based climate instruments such as emissions trading and carbon taxes are capturing a key role in many countries’ climate strategies. Individual states’ actual measures and instruments for putting a price on carbon differ, however, and any prospective linking of these instruments towards the creation of a larger carbon market brings along with it tremendous challenges.

Against this backdrop, the German Federal Government has made the issue of carbon markets a top priority during its presidency of the G7, championing in particular a platform on which can be established a strategic dialogue on possibilities for developing the global carbon market. The final communiqué which emerged from the G7 summit in Elmau on the 7-8 June 2015 saw the G7 states issue a mandate to create such a platform.

adelphi supported the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) in the establishment of the Carbon Market Platform, via which the G7 states can share their experiences in carbon pricing and find new possibilities for common political activities. Amongst other things, the adelphi team developed a concept for the structure and content of the platform. In addition, adelphi was responsible for the planning, preparation, execution and follow-up of the platform’s launch event in Berlin in October 2015.