The two exchanges have finalized the preliminary agreement announced in Montréal on December 7 2005, during the landmark 1st meeting of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC, MOP-1).
“The Montréal Climate Exchange will accelerate the development of a structured environmental market in Canada,” said Mr. Luc Bertrand, President and CEO of MX. “Since our first announcement, last December, we have received a multitude of requests for information. There is no doubt that people are interested. The Canadian industrial and financial communities are ready to welcome market-based solutions, and the Montréal Climate Exchange will provide those solutions.”
MX will bring to the new climate exchange its expertise in leading-edge trading systems, clearing, market regulation and financial risk management. CCX will contribute its experience in operating the Chicago Climate Exchange, the first and only exchange of its kind in North America and now the second largest live market in the world, as well as its subsidiary, the European Climate Exchange (ECX), now the largest exchange operating in the European Union emissions trading system. The Chicago Climate Exchange, and its founder Dr. Richard L. Sandor, are widely recognized as pioneers in the field of financial innovation and in development of emissions trading and other environmental financial products.
“Establishing the Montréal Climate Exchange will place Canada in a strong position to confront environmental challenges in a cost-effective market-based manner. MCeX is a significant advance in the global integration and expansion of environmental markets," said Dr. Richard L. Sandor, Chairman and CEO of CCX. “This new Exchange will combine the environmental and financial expertise of Chicago and Montréal to offer an attractive suite of environmental financial products and services to the Canadian market.”
The mission of the Montréal Climate Exchange is to offer price transparency, environmental integrity, low cost, wide access and reliability to the many sectors of the Canadian economy involved in air quality and climate change concerns.
Mr. Bertrand pointed out that the Montréal Climate Exchange looks forward to emerging plans in Canada with regard to greenhouse gas emissions reduction, including the federal Government plan, expected in the fall. In this regard, he noted: “We are confident that our approach offers the wide flexibility and quality required to advance a variety of ideas and regulatory frameworks. Our partner, CCX, has already developed systems that operate in the disparate regulatory environments of the US and Europe. We feel we are well prepared to help develop a uniquely Canadian approach to benefit Canada as a nation and the world generally.”
About Montréal Exchange
The Montréal Exchange is Canada’s oldest exchange and continues to be the leader in derivative products. The Montréal Exchange offers individual and institutional investors, both in Canada and abroad, a wide range of risk management products for protecting their investments and ensuring growth. The Montréal Exchange is fully electronic and its services include: trading, training, market information, market operations and regulations as well as information technology solutions. The Montréal Exchange, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, the Canadian Derivatives Clearing Corporation ("CDCC"), provides central counterparty clearing services for Montréal Exchange listed products. The Montréal Exchange is also a significant shareholder of the Boston Options Exchange (BOX), a US automated equity options exchange whose technical operations are ensured by the Montréal Exchange. For more information, please visit www.m-x.ca.About Chicago Climate Exchange, Inc.
CCX is North America’s only, and the world’s first, legally binding multi-sectoral, rule-based and integrated greenhouse gas emission registry, reduction and trading system CCX members reflect a cross-section of major public and private sector North American entities, including Abitibi-Consolidated, Manitoba Hydro, Ford Motor, International Paper, IBM, DuPont, American Electric Power, cities such as Chicago, Oakland, California; Boulder, Colorado, Portland, Oregon and the State of New Mexico as well as non-industrial environmental innovators such as World Resources Institute, and the Rocky Mountain Institute. CCX now has members globally, including, Beijing Shenwu Thermal Company, a leading Chinese provider of energy reduction technologies. Emissions reductions achieved through the CCX market are significant in scale and impact. CCX Members gain practical experience by building an efficient emissions management and monitoring system, while also acquiring cutting edge measurement and trading skills that will be needed in short and long term as the world comes to terms with the climate change challenge. European Climate Exchange (ECX) a wholly-owned subsidiary of CCX, manages the sales and marketing for ECX Carbon Financial Instruments (ECX CFI contracts) in the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme system. The Chairman and CEO of CCX is economist and financial innovator Dr. Richard L. Sandor, who was named a Hero of the Planet by Time magazine for his work in founding CCX, as well as one of the Top 100 Influential persons in finance by Treasury and Risk Management magazine.
