Trading in CO2 Credits: Tax Issues to Consider

Maureen Francis Mascha, PhD, and J. William Harden, PhD, and James Trebby, PhD

The issue of limiting carbon emissions has recently commanded international attention. Starting with the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, world markets have begun to coalesce around the notion that carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions should be controlled or capped. There are three generally accepted methods for limiting the emission of CO2: 1) a carbon tax that charges producers a fee for emissions that exceed a prespecified amount; 2) an auction, in which organizations bid on credits that are then used to offset the amount of actual CO2 emitted; and 3) a “cap and trade” system.