Carbon markets, also known as emissions trading schemes (ETS), are regulatory tools that facilitate the achievement of all or part of the politically determined greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets.
The European Union has set up a carbon market since 2005 to measure, control and reduce the emissions of its industry and electricity producers. The carbon market is a cornerstone of European energy and climate policy.
Intertek provides accredited third-party verification services to help organizations comply with the EU-ETS regulatory requirements. As a global leader in sustainability assurance, Intertek supports the industry’s transition to a low-carbon future through expert emissions verification, supply chain transparency, and risk mitigation.
What is EU-ETS?
EU-ETS is one of the European Green Deal’s instruments, supporting the EU’s climate policy. EU-ETS is established by Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 2003 establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community.
The EU-ETS:
- requires polluters to pay for their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions;
- launched in 2005, it is the world’s first carbon market and among the largest ones globally;
- helps bring overall EU emissions down while generating revenues to finance the green transition;
- covers emissions from the electricity and heat generation and industrial manufacturing;
- operates in all 27 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, and is linked to the Swiss ETS (since 2020).
As part of the 2023 revisions of the EU-ETS Directive, a new emissions trading system named EU-ETS 2 was created, separate from the existing EU-ETS. This new system covers the GHG emissions from fuel combustion in buildings, road transport and additional sectors (mainly small industry not covered by the existing EU-ETS).
How Intertek Supports EU-ETS Compliance
Intertek’s EU-ETS verification services are part of a broader portfolio of sustainability solutions for all types of organizations, including the industry, helping clients meet regulatory requirements while building resilient and responsible operations.
Find more about your verification journey.
Our services include:
- Review of Monitoring Plans
- Independent verification of annual emissions reports, activity level reports and climate-neutrality reports
- Trainings and Gap analysis for new or expanding organizations
Intertek brings globally verification capabilities and deep expertise in all sectors to support your EU-ETS compliance. Our services form part of a broader Total Quality Assurance approach, helping all stakeholders align with international standards, build transparency across their value chains, and meet stakeholder expectations for environmental accountability.
Accreditation
Intertek is currently accredited against ISO 17029 and ISO 14065 standards to perform EU-ETS and EU-ETS2 verifications under the requirements of the AVR.
Learn more about our accreditation bodies and the scope of our EU-ETS accreditation here.