Poland Says Has "Promising" Talks With Japan On AAUs
Date: 30-Oct-09
Country: POLAND
Author: Gabriela Baczynska
WARSAW - Poland's Environment Minister Maciej Nowicki said on Thursday he had held "very promising" talks with Japan on selling surplus greenhouse gas emissions rights (AAUs).
"It is a new opening. Japan still needs to buy some permits," Nowicki told a news conference.
The minister added a deal to sell AAUs (Assigned Amount Units) will be signed with Spain on November 9, but declined to give further details. Earlier this month Nowicki said there would be a similar deal with Ireland soon.
Poland has some 500 million tons of CO2 equivalent to sell under the global Kyoto Protocol as much of its highly polluting industry was closed since the end of communism in 1989.
Separately, the head of Nowicki's political cabinet told Reuters Poland will likely sign more agreements soon.
"We expect more such transactions by the end of the year.," Joanna Mackowiak-Pandera said.
"Poland wants to sell 50-100 million of AAUs in the near future, but the negotiations are still going on so it's hard to say if the whole amount will be sold by the end of 2009."
(Editing by Sue Thomas)