Following 13 successful ICAP summer and training courses on emissions trading, the first ICAP Advanced Training Course (Masterclass) took place in July 2015. Taking place over a week, the course brought together experts from emerging economies and developing countries to deepen their knowledge of emissions trading as a tool for climate protection and to discuss the experiences with / options of implementing such schemes in developing countries. The course in London was the fourteenth of its kind and continues the tradition of previous ICAP Summer Schools and Training Courses, the most recent of which were held in Seoul, Mexico City and Paris. 31 mid-career professionals from 14 countries attended the course, which was led by Benjamin Görlach and Matthias Duwe.

Ecologic Institute designed the curriculum and helped organize the course, which was carried out under the auspices of the International Carbon Action Partnership (link is external) (ICAP) in close cooperation with the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change and Imperial College, which hosted the event. ICAP is a forum of 29 national and regional governments and jurisdictions, including several EU countries, the EU Commission, as well as a number of US states and Canadian provinces part of the Western Climate Initiative (link is external)(WCI) and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (link is external) (RGGI), Australia, New Zealand and Tokyo Metropolitan Government (link is external) (TMG), aiming to advance international cooperation on carbon markets. The course was funded by the EU Commission.

During the one-week course, participants gained an in-depth understanding of the design and implementation of carbon trading systems as a tool to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. They had the opportunity to discuss various aspects of emissions trading with senior executives and experienced practitioners from the EU Commission, as well as from government agencies in France, Germany, Austria and Vermont. In addition, the faculty included leading experts in the field such as Sir David King, Professor Michael Grubb, Michael Mehling and Felix Matthes, as well as and representatives of the financial sector and NGOs.

Course topics addressed during that week included the economics of climate change, choosing and combining policy instruments for climate protection, design and scope of emissions trading, allocation mechanisms, GHG inventories and registries, the link of domestic ETS to the international climate regime, carbon market dynamics, and other advanced aspects of ETS design and implementation. In discussing these issues, the course relied on interactive formats and group work, and made ample use of first-hand experience gained with the existing trading schemes in Europe, North America and the Asia/Pacific region.

The course was attended by decision makers and future leaders from government and public administration, NGOs, academia and the private sector.