ABSTRACT
Carbon markets do not trade existing carbon, they trade the reduction of carbon emissions into the atmosphere. Like other emissions trading schemes, such as the sulfur dioxide market that helped to reduce the acid rain problem here in the U.S. over the past few decades, carbon markets would theoretically mitigate carbon emissions. Carbon markets are predominantly based on the idea of greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction and the growing concern about a warming planet. The idea may be sincere but quickly becomes complex in terms of actual measured emission reduction as well as unintended consequences.
