Romania probes carbon credits theft from Swiss Holcim Bucharest (AFP) Jan 31, 2011 Romanian prosecutors said Monday they had launched an investigation after the theft of 1.6 million carbon credits from the local branch of Swiss cement company Holcim. "A total of 1.6 million carbon credits, worth 24 million euros, have been transferred illegally," the Department Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) said in a statement. About 600,000 credits have been recovered, a DIICOT spokeswoman told AFP. Late November, Holcim informed authorities about "10 unauthorised transfers of polluting rights from two of its accounts opened at the national registry of carbon credits." Romanian prosecutors have requested rogatory commissions in Italy, Britain, Liechtenstein, Belgium and Israel. According to Romanian daily Gandul, the polluting rights were first transferred to Liechtenstein and then resold. The EU on Thursday extended a halt on trading in carbon credits ordered after hackers broke into national trading registries and stole and then sold millions of euros worth of polluting rights. Trading was first suspended on January 19. The European Union Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) is the largest multi-national, greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme in the world, with about 12,000 companies on the exchange. Limits are placed on the amount of carbon dioxide companies may emit, and those that pollute less are free to sell them to companies that need more. The system has frequently been attacked, with another halt ordered in trading in numerous countries last year after "phishing" emails tricked users into divulging their passwords.
Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links
Beacon Power Begins Commercial Operations In New York Tyngsboro MA (SPX) Jan 31, 2011 Beacon Power has announced that it has energized and interconnected eight megawatts (8 MW) of flywheel energy storage and is now earning revenue at its frequency regulation plant in Stephentown, New York. All interconnection systems between the Stephentown plant and local utility provider NYSEG's substation are operational to enable the full 20 MW plant to come online. Additional megawatts ... read more |
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2010 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |