ECX to launch 2015-2020 EU carbon futures contracts

LONDON (Reuters) - The European Climate Exchange (ECX) will launch futures for European Union carbon permits for December-delivery between 2015 and 2020, the London-based emissions exchange said on Monday.

The new batch of contracts, which also include a June 2013 EU Allowance (EUA) future, begin trading on August 6, the ECX said in an email.

The futures will allow participants in the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme to trade EUAs to the end of the scheme's third phase (2013-2020).

Inter-month spreads will also be available between each of the December contracts, the exchange said.

The exchange, the world's largest marketplace for greenhouse gas credit trading, had previously offered trading in EUA futures only up to December 2014.

Trading in the Dec-14 futures has been limited so far, with total open interest of 740 lots as of Friday's close. This compares with over 168,000 lots on the Dec-10 futures and 195,000 on the Dec-12s.

The ECX was acquired in April by futures exchange operators IntercontinentalExchange Inc.

ECX head Patrick Birley told Reuters on Friday he'll be leaving the exchange within three months.