Electricity Swap Shop for Noxious Gases

NEWS European electricity producers are going online to trade greenhouse gas emission permits, as countries struggle to meet global pollution limits. The scheme, organised by the European Association of Electricity Producers and Distributors and the International Energy Agency, has been running on a specially-built Internet server provided by the ParisBourse stock exchange. The 18 electricity providers were given fictional profiles detailing their production capacity, carbon dioxide limitations and customers. This entitles companies which reach their emissions limit to electronically buy permits from others which haven't. The ParisBourse is currently considering whether to launch a similar scheme for other utility sectors. The move comes as calls grow for a worldwide scheme to enable trading of emissions permits, which could help cap greenhouse gas production.