Päästöoikeudesta

Päästöoikeus, known in English as an emissions allowance or carbon credit, is a permit that allows its holder to emit a certain amount of greenhouse gases. These allowances are a cornerstone of emissions trading systems, designed to reduce pollution by creating a market for emission reductions. In such systems, a cap is set on the total amount of emissions allowed, and allowances are distributed or auctioned to companies within the covered sectors.

Companies that emit less than their allocated allowances can sell their surplus to companies that exceed their limits. This mechanism incentivizes companies to invest in cleaner technologies and practices, as reducing emissions becomes economically beneficial. Conversely, companies that cannot reduce their emissions cost-effectively must purchase allowances, making pollution a direct financial cost.

The most prominent example of such a system is the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), which covers a significant portion of the EU's greenhouse gas emissions from power stations, industrial plants, and aviation within the European Economic Area. Similar systems exist in other regions, and international agreements also utilize the concept of emissions trading to achieve global climate goals. The concept of a päästöoikeus is thus central to market-based approaches to environmental regulation.