Pollutants Emission Trading Starts in Chongqing      

The Chongqing municipality launched the emission credit trading for major pollutants on December 25th, 2009. On the first trading day, five companies bought the emission rights for 80 tons of COD (chemical oxygen demand) and 1 189 tons of sulfur dioxide through bidding.
   The first transaction included the emission right for 378 tons of sulfur dioxide held by Chongqing Changshou District Cement Plant. At a starting price of RMB3 000 per ton, the emission right for the sulfur dioxide was sold at RMB6 100 per ton after 33 rounds of electronic bidding in a competition among three companies that were present.
   Chongqing started a pilot emissions trading work in September 2009, in a bid to promote the emission trading market for COD and sulfur dioxide, the two major pollutants on the premise that the environmental quality is met and the overall pollutants emission is under control.
   It required that in areas where COD and sulfur dioxide indicators do not meet environmental standards, a buyer could only purchase emission rights from sellers in this area.