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At the recent Dii Desert Energy Partner Meeting in Abu Dhabi, Jan Haizmann, Secretary General of ZETA (Zero Emissions Traders Alliance), moderated a high-level panel discussion titled “Carbon Markets: Navigating Emerging Voluntary Markets and Regulatory Readiness.” Held at the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) building, the session explored how to stimulate demand for carbon instruments in a region where no clear carbon price currently exists.
🔹 Incentives and rules matter
Samuel Jaudel of ACT Group emphasized that voluntary carbon markets help companies establish an internal price on carbon, accelerating decarbonization. He cited Singapore’s carbon tax as a strong example of how policy can drive efficiency and climate action.
🔹 Carbon markets as enablers
Spyros Kouvelis, from the EU GCC Cooperation on Green Transition, highlighted the role of carbon markets in financing decarbonization and facilitating low carbon trade. He stressed the importance of strong governance, time to build trust, and a unified regional approach.
🔹 Integrity is critical
Marcin Nguyen of the Global Carbon Registry underlined the need for trusted systems. He noted the challenges project developers face in navigating overlapping standards and certification schemes, reinforcing the importance of clear and credible frameworks.
Bringing in the European perspective, Jan Haizmann pointed to the close correlation between electricity and carbon prices in Europe, arguing that waiting for power market liberalisation in the Middle East would delay necessary progress. Instead, the region should pursue innovative price discovery mechanisms and begin developing its own market structures.
The panel concluded that both incentives (carrots) and regulations (sticks) will be necessary to drive meaningful participation. While local demand can help finance local decarbonization, a regional framework is essential for building liquidity, integrity, and leadership in global carbon markets.
ZETA is proud to contribute to these important conversations as part of its mission to support the creation of net zero emissions traded markets in the MENA region.
Many thanks to Dii Desert Energy for organizing such a timely and insightful session—and to the panelists for their valuable contributions.
