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Reuters 17/04/13 The benchmark contract for European Union carbon futures fell to a record low on Wednesday, a day after the European Parliament rejected a plan to reduce supply to raise prices. EU carbon futures for December delivery dropped 20 per cent to as low as €2.46 ($A3.11) a tonne before recovering slightly to €2.55 by 1318 GMT. A rescue plan for the market was rejected by European Union lawmakers on Tuesday. Carbon prices have tumbled 90 percent since 2008 because of reduced demand amid the global economic slowdown. The rejection surprised many traders and prompted a sell-off that continued into Wednesday. “We’re oversold right now,” one emissions trader said, adding that the fall was largely because of speculative short-selling. Analysts have warned that prices could fall to less than 2 euros and even close to zero in the coming weeks. Traders said that the outcome of Tuesday’s vote was a setback for the market, but that they expect the proposal to be reworked and put before parliament again before July. Continue reading →