Kazakhstan ETS suspended until 2018

The Kazakhstan Emissions Trading System (KETS) is temporarily suspended until 2018. Corresponding amendments to the Environmental Code were passed and came into force on 22 April (press release, Russian). The amendments aim to improve the monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) system, as well as the overall greenhouse gas emissions regulation and KETS operation. The KETS will restart in 2018 with new allocation methods and trading procedures for all market participants. The MRV regime will still apply from 2016-2018 but it is not clear how its enforcement will function while the suspension is in place.