Carbon emission regulations in a historical perspective

In June 1999, the Danish Parliament adopted a bill on CO2 allowances for electricity production. This was a follow-up to the Danish Electricity Reform. This Act meant that individual electricity producers were allocated an annual CO2 emission permit in the period 2000-2003. These emission permits were tradable and could be saved up by companies.

If an emission permit was exceeded, the producer had to pay a levy to the Danish state of DKK 40 per tonne of CO2. The intention was to spend revenues from the levy on energy savings. Act no. 376 of 2 June 1999 on CO2 allowances for electricity production entered into force on 15 July 2000 after it had been approved by the European Commission in April 2000.

The EU Emission Trading Scheme covers a wider group of electricity producers and other producers within industry, heating and offshore.

See the links below for other countries’ websites with information about emission regulations.