China Export-Import Bank is eyeing a role in the nation’s carbon market and has teamed up with two local consultancies to build a carbon asset portfolio and get involved in offset project development, state media reported.

The bank, one of three institutional banks in China tasked with implementing state policies, has so far not been involved in the seven pilot markets, but as the launch of the national ETS draws closer, its interest has been piqued.

Its Beijing branch has teamed up with consultancies Tianqing Power Green Climate and ZNXY Energy and Environment to look for carbon-reported business opportunities, reported state-owned newspaper People’s Daily.

The three will build up a carbon asset portfolio, which may include trading of allowances, as well as engage in developing projects that can generate CCERs offsets which emitters can use towards meeting their CO2 targets.

They will also get involved in designing emission inventories for companies covered by the emissions trading scheme.

The national ETS will launch in the first half of 2017, and will cover over 10,000 companies emitting around 4 billion tonnes of CO2e per year, an NDRC official said earlier this month, making it the world’s biggest carbon market.

By Stian Reklev – stian@carbon-pulse.com

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