Apparently, the carbon trading market – which has grown to more than $100 billion, the Washington Post reports – is attracting more than just businesses seeking viable ways to manage their CO2 emissions. 
Crooks, too, are drawn to carbon permit trading, as evidenced by last Wednesday's arrest by British customs agents of nine people in the London area suspected of a £38 million ($63 million) "carousel" carbon permit fraud...one important implication of carbon permit fraud for sustainable businesses could be its potential impact on the passage of
Obama's climate and energy policies, which feature a cap-and-trade bill. I can already see opponents to the bill (*cough* oil industry supporters) staking their claim: if passing climate legislation could encourage crime, it shouldn't be passed. (Carbon fraud could have a similar impact on the passage of an international climate change agreement – the topic of the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December.)
Crooks, too, are drawn to carbon permit trading, as evidenced by last Wednesday's arrest by British customs agents of nine people in the London area suspected of a £38 million ($63 million) "carousel" carbon permit fraud...one important implication of carbon permit fraud for sustainable businesses could be its potential impact on the passage of
Obama's climate and energy policies, which feature a cap-and-trade bill. I can already see opponents to the bill (*cough* oil industry supporters) staking their claim: if passing climate legislation could encourage crime, it shouldn't be passed. (Carbon fraud could have a similar impact on the passage of an international climate change agreement – the topic of the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December.)
In fact, the problem gives rise to a whole host of additional issues. For example, are cap-and-trade systems even effective if (a) companies can still over-produce CO2 (can trading carbon permits really trim a country's overall CO2 production?) and (b) crooks can chip away at the money a country makes through its clean tech investments and policies?
Please read full from Sarah Harper of TriplePundit
