London, 23 August 2011

Carbon exchange EEX will from September 1 offer monthly cash bonuses of up to 20,000 euros to its best customers in a move designed to wrestle market share away from market leader ICE Futures Europe, the bourse said Tuesday. EEX will give 10,000 euros to a maximum of three companies that trade more than 2 million units per month, rising to 20,000 euros if they trade more than 4 million, the Leipzig-based exchange said in a statement.

Firms operating as market-makers on EEX- Eurex will not qualify as the platform already operates an incentive scheme for those companies, EEX added.

EEX’s share of carbon trade has fallen from 4 percent at the start of the year under 1 percent, according to Point Carbon News data.

Its incentive plan is the latest move by a number of bourses seeking to break into the lucrative market for hosting and clearing carbon credit trade, which is dominated by ICE Futures Europe with a 90 percent market share.

In February, Nasdaq OMX Commodities, formerly known as Nord Pool, said it would pay three companies 20,000 euros a month to act as market-makers, while London-based GreenX last year offered fee-free holidays to drum up business.

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