The first trade in Australian Emissions Units (AEU) since the government released its blueprint for a carbon trading scheme was carried out on January 20, Reuters reported. The transaction, whose parties were not disclosed, provides an indication of the future cost of polluting in Australia, where an emissions cap scheme is set to begin in mid-2010.
 
A Newedge senior energy trader told Reuters of a transaction of 10,000 AEUs expiring on June 20, 2012, traded at AUD $22.25 each. It is the first such transaction since the government released its plans for the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. The first ever trade of AEUs in Australia was in May 2008, when AGL sold units to Westpac Banking Corp Ltd at AUD $19 a tonne.
 
The price of the Newedge trade was close to current pricing of Carbon Emission Reduction (CER) units on the European Climate Exchange. Calendar 2012 CERs were last quoted at 11.24 euros or AUD $22.01 a tonne, the trader told Reuters.