Implications of the FRTB for Carbon Certificates: A Global Perspective

The Fundamental Review of the Trading Book (FRTB) includes higher capital charges for carbon trading under the standardized approach to market risk, which has implications for banks in their role as intermediaries in the emissions trading system (ETS).

In an earlier paper, ISDA investigated whether the regulatory treatment of carbon credit trading under the FRTB is justified by focusing on the EU ETS. The appropriate treatment is important as overly stringent capital requirements would impair the functioning of the carbon market and hamper the willingness of firms to invest in the transformation to a green economy.

This paper extends the findings by investigating the risk of carbon certificate trading in two North American markets – the Western Climate Initiative and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative – as well as the UK’s ETS.

Documents (1) for Implications of the FRTB for Carbon Certificates: A Global Perspective

ISDA Publishes Updated ISDA SIMM Governance

ISDA has published an updated version of the ISDA SIMM® Governance Framework, which sets out the principles under which the ISDA Standard Initial Margin Model® operates and the process through which it will be reviewed and amended on a consistent...

ISDA Response to PRA IMA Consultation

On September 18, ISDA, the Association for Financial Markets in Europe, the Institute of International Finance and UK Finance submitted a joint response to the UK Prudential Regulation Authority consultation on adjustments to the internal model approach (IMA) for the...

Calibration Test – IQ September 2026

Calibrating capital requirements is a highly complex undertaking and getting it wrong can have serious consequences. Too much lenience might lead to banks holding insufficient capital to mitigate their risks. But excess conservatism can put balance sheets under strain, forcing...