Financial Indicators
European Union Allowances (EUAs) have steadily increased since the inception of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). Over the past decade, their annualized Return on Investment is over 25%, outperforming most traditional assets.
The trend in EUA prices has not been linear, but the scheme’s structure is intended to drive long-term price growth, after all. In the initial phases of the scheme were a “test period” for regulators to determine the optimal design for the system. During this time, prices remained low due to a structural oversupply, a situation that has been progressively addressed since then.
The uneven path of the good EUA price performance can also be explained by temporary events such as the crisis in Ukraine and disruptions in the gas markets.
What makes EUAs unique is their steady decreasing supply. The scheme is designed with an objective: progressively increase the cost of carbon emissions. Policy makers are making it more and more expensive for industries to pollute. As a result, carbon allowances are anticipated to continue their strong financial performance in the future.
EUA prices have shown good historical performance despite some fluctuations due to temporary factors. They are set to keep rising as they fulfill the regulators' goal of making carbon a commodity that the economy cannot afford.