The Romanian state cashed in the month of April of this year EUR 17.9 million from trading greenhouse gas emissions certificates on the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), Agerpres reported, quoting data from the Finance Ministry. Some 3.76 million certificates, associated to stationary installations, were traded.

Last year, the Romanian state received EUR 195 million from the same source, including the sums coming from the aviation sector.

Romania has been a member of the EU Emission Trading Scheme since 2007.

The EU ETS operates in 31 countries, meaning all the 28 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. It limits emissions from more than 11,000 heavy energy-using installations (power stations & industrial plants) and airlines operating between these countries. It covers around 45% of the EU's greenhouse gas emissions.

The EU ETS works on the “cap and trade” principle. A cap is set on the total amount of certain greenhouse gases that can be emitted by installations covered by the system. The cap is reduced over time so that total emissions fall.

editor@romania-insider.com