International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP)

ICAP engages in discussions on emissions trading to share knowledge and showcase the latest developments around the world.

We bring policymakers and experts from existing and emerging schemes together to discuss recent developments in ETS legislation, implementation, or plans in their jurisdictions, as well as achievements, lessons learned and future trends. These discussions include events at UNFCCC Conferences of the Parties, Carbon Expo, etc.

ICAP also organizes public conferences and workshop on specific ETS design issues, and participates in other events of institutions in the carbon market field. Find a list of all past ICAP events on the right.

ICAP Webinar Series

The 'ETS for Policy Practitioners Webinar Series' is hosted by ICAP with support from the European Commission. More information on and recordings for past webinars are available here:

Emission Trading, Coal Phase-Out and a Just Transition (5 May 2021)
Communicating Carbon Pricing (14 April 2021)
Using Revenue from ETS (10 March 2021)
Carbon Pricing for Land Use, Agriculture & Forestry (10 February 2021)
Electricity Market Regulation (13 January 2021)
Enabling a Green Recovery with Emissions Trading (3 December 2020)

ICAP aims to support the United Nations process on climate change by facilitating working relationships among governments and public authorities engaged in developing and implementing programs to combat climate change.

- ICAP Political Declaration, 2007

ICAP-IETA Carbon Market Virtual Pavilion
ICAP and the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) have partnered to organize a Carbon Markets Virtual Pavilion on 11-12 November 2020. Find recordings of all sessions from ICAP and IETA's Virtual Carbon Market Pavilion on the Pavilion website.
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ICAP side events at COP25 in Madrid
In cooperation with partner jurisdictions and organizations, ICAP hosted a number of side events on carbon markets during the first week of COP25 from 3-6 December 2019.
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ICAP Side Events at COP 24 in Katowice
In cooperation with partner jurisdictions and organizations, ICAP organized or presented at a number of side events on carbon markets during COP24 from 3-15 Dec. 2018.

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ICAP Side Events at COP 23 in Bonn
In cooperation with partner jurisdictions and organizations, ICAP organized or presented at a number of side events on carbon markets.

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IGES-ICAP-Tsinghua-CCC Side Event at COP 22 in Marrakesh
On 15 November 2016, the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), ICAP, the Institute of Energy, Environment and Economy (3E) of Tsinghua University, and the South Korean Climate Change Center (CCC) co-hosted a side event at COP22 in Marrakesh on carbon markets in Asia.

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ICAP-IETA Side Event at COP 21 in Paris
ICAP-IETA Side Event at COP 21 in Paris: Linking Emissions Trading and International Cooperation

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ICAP Side Event at COP 20 in Lima
On Monday 8 December 2014, the International Carbon Action Partnership hosted a side event at COP20 in Lima on trends and outlook of carbon pricing across North America and Asia.

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ICAP Side Event at COP 19 in Warsaw
On Monday, 18 November 2013, ICAP held a side event on "Emissions Trading Worldwide: Where Do We Stand, What Lies Ahead?" at COP 19 in Warsaw, Poland.

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ICAP Side Event at COP 18 in Doha
On 3 December 2012, ICAP hosted a side event on “Latest Developments of Emissions Trading Around the World: Updates and Outlook” at the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2012 (COP 18) in Doha, Qatar.

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ICAP Side Event at COP 17 in Durban
On 7 December 2011, ICAP hosted a Side Event on “Emissions Trading Around the World: Achievements and Prospects” at the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2011 (COP 17) in Durban, South Africa.

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ICAP Side Event at COP 16 in Cancun
On 6 December 2010, ICAP hosted a side event on "Recent Developments and Prospects for ETS Around the World" at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 16) in Cancun, Mexico.

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ICAP Side Event at COP 15 in Copenhagen
On 14 December 2009, ICAP hosted a side event at the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

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ICAP at New York Climate Action Week
The International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP), in partnership with the Under2 Coalition and supported by the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) Inc., Battery Park Authority and the International Emissions Trading Authority (IETA), hosted “Emissions Trading in Action: Trading, Transport and Linking Lessons” in New York City on 26 September 2018. The afternoon was well attended, bringing together emissions trading stakeholders from the U.S. East Coast and internationally to launch the ICAP Guide to Linking Emissions Trading Systems. Panels also discussed the latest emissions trading developments, as well as policies to reduce emissions in the transport sector.

The afternoon concluded with an evening reception to celebrate ten years since the first auction was held under RGGI. The East Coast cap-and-trade program, a compact of nine Northeastern and mid-Atlantic U.S. states, recently updated their program to tighten the cap and refine their market stability mechanisms, including an adjusted Cost Containment Reserve and a new Emissions Containment Reserve. The program may also expand in the future to include new states, such as New Jersey and Virginia.

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ICAP at the Global Climate Action Summit
On the sidelines of the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco, ICAP was a supporting organizer of the Carbon Pricing Delivering Climate Ambition side event on 11 September 2018. With over 400 attendees, the event brought together senior government officials, business leaders, international experts and non-governmental organizations to discuss key issues in carbon pricing.

Among others, ICAP discussed questions about economic competitiveness and how carbon pricing revenue can be used to drive low-carbon investments. Finally, ICAP also launched the Guide to Linking Emissions Trading Systems, a new publication that synthesizes key lessons from the practical experiences policymakers have gained through linking negotiations and operating joint carbon markets.
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ICAP-GIZ International Advanced ETS Course in Hainan, China
ICAP and GIZ, together with SinoCarbon, and local partners in Hainan are convening a joint international advanced ETS course for Chinese participants from 22-26 October 2018.

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ICAP Annual Meeting in New York City, 24-26 September 2018
ICAP MEETING: The 2018 ICAP annual meeting was held in New York City, NY (USA) on 24-26 September 2018.

Policymakers from a wide range of ICAP jurisdictions, ICAP co-chairs and members of the ICAP Secretariat convened in New York City in September, kindly hosted by the New York State Government.

The meeting brought together different jurisdictions to discuss the latest developments in emissions trading, including upcoming cap-and-trade programs in Mexico, as well as the state of play in New Zealand. Two technical workshops were held on emissions trading and companion policy interactions, as well as linking emissions trading systems (ETS). The meeting agenda also included an update on ICAP's capacity building activities, including an upcoming advanced course on emissions trading in China. In addition, discussions on ICAP activities, including the recently launched Guide to Linking, were also held at the meeting.
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ICAP at Innovate4Climate, 22-24 May 2018 in Frankfurt
ICAP co-organized and participated at several events at Innovate4Climate Finance and Markets Week in Frankfurt, Germany from 22-24 May, 2018.

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ICAP in China: Emissions trading events in December 2017
In the lead up to the launch of the Chinese national emissions trading system (ETS), ICAP organized and participated in a series of emissions trading events in the first half of December in China.

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In September 2017, ICAP Celebrated its 10-year Anniversary in Lisbon, Portugal
Twenty six jurisdictions endorsed a joint statement and celebrated ICAP's 10-year Anniversary in Lisbon.

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ICAP Tokyo Symposium, June 2017
On 14 June 2017, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) and ICAP held a Symposium on the recent and future developments of emissions trading in Asia.
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ADB and ICAP Launch ETS Knowledge Sharing Platform for Asia Pacific, November 2016
On 29 November 2016, the ADB and ICAP launched a regional platform for knowledge sharing on the development and linking of ETS in Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok, Thailand.

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BMUB-ICAP Side Event at Carbon Expo 2016
On 26 May 2016, the German Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) and ICAP co-hosted a side event on joint governance structures for linking. Benjamin Görlach, senior fellow at the Ecologic Institute, presented the findings of a report on the legal arrangements for linking, as well as the institutional frameworks for managing a joint carbon market. This was followed by a discussion with policymakers from Germany, New Zealand and Vermont.

Title: Governance and Perspectives of Linking Emissions Trading Systems

Speakers: Benjamin Görlach (Ecologic Institute), Dirk Weinreich (BMUB), Matthew Cowie (Ministry for the Environment, New Zealand), Justin Johnson (Vermont, USA).

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Carbon Expo side event: Seeking insight on ETS Design and Operations
The World Bank’s Partnership for Market Readiness (PMR) and the International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP) held a side event on Wednesday, 27 May 2015 at Carbon Expo.

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ICAP-IETA High-Level Carbon Pricing Dialogue in New York, 24 September 2014
ICAP and IETA co-hosted a High-Level Carbon Pricing Dialogue in New York City on 24 September 2014, the day after the UN Secretary General’s Climate Summit.
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ICAP Tokyo Cap and Trade Conference 2010
On 15 June 2010, ICAP held a public conference on Cap and Trade: Lessons Learnt, Achievements and Prospects for an International Carbon Market in Tokyo.

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ICAP China Conference 2009 on Emissions Data Management
On 12-13 October 2009 ICAP held its China Conference on Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data Management in Energy Intensive Industries and the Power Sector in Beijing.

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Second Global Carbon Forum 2008 on Auctioning
On 14 November 2008, ICAP hosted the second Global Carbon Market Forum on “Auctioning carbon allowances – towards robust auction design and implementation” in Washington, DC.

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ICAP Events

ICAP Webinar Series

ICAP-IETA Carbon Market Virtual Pavilion

ICAP side events at COP25 in Madrid

ICAP Side Events at COP 24 in Katowice

ICAP Side Events at COP 23 in Bonn

IGES-ICAP-Tsinghua-CCC Side Event at COP 22 in Marrakesh

ICAP-IETA Side Event at COP 21 in Paris

ICAP Side Event at COP 20 in Lima

ICAP Side Event at COP 19 in Warsaw

ICAP Side Event at COP 18 in Doha

ICAP Side Event at COP 17 in Durban

ICAP Side Event at COP 16 in Cancun

ICAP Side Event at COP 15 in Copenhagen

ICAP at New York Climate Action Week

ICAP at the Global Climate Action Summit

ICAP-GIZ International Advanced ETS Course in Hainan, China

ICAP Annual Meeting in New York City, 24-26 September 2018

ICAP at Innovate4Climate, 22-24 May 2018 in Frankfurt

ICAP in China: Emissions trading events in December 2017

In September 2017, ICAP Celebrated its 10-year Anniversary in Lisbon, Portugal

ICAP Tokyo Symposium, June 2017

ADB and ICAP Launch ETS Knowledge Sharing Platform for Asia Pacific, November 2016

BMUB-ICAP Side Event at Carbon Expo 2016

Carbon Expo side event: Seeking insight on ETS Design and Operations

ICAP-IETA High-Level Carbon Pricing Dialogue in New York, 24 September 2014

ICAP Tokyo Cap and Trade Conference 2010

ICAP China Conference 2009 on Emissions Data Management

Second Global Carbon Forum 2008 on Auctioning