Open interest for the CCFE RGGI products has reached a record level of 5,860,000 million short tons CO2. CCFE has traded 12,485 RGGI futures and options contracts, representing 12,485,000 RGGI allowances with trades occurring every business day since its first launched on August 15, 2008. RGGI is a CO² cap-and-trade emissions trading program comprised of ten New England and Mid-Atlantic States that will commence in 2009. RGGI is the first government-mandated CO² emissions trading program in the United States.

Open interest for CFI futures and options contracts combined has risen from 1,689 open contracts at the start of 2008 to a record high of 11,584 open contracts to date. The CFI futures and options contracts are based on the Chicago Climate Exchange’s voluntary, legally binding greenhouse gas reduction and trading program, which is comprised of over 400 members globally.

These contracts have seen rapid growth this year as state, regional and federal legislative activity regarding carbon cap-and-trade continues to increase.

The environmental broking services (EBS) unit provides a full range of products and services designed to enable corporations, financial institutions and project developers to implement optimum trading strategies in the voluntary and compliance environmental markets worldwide. EBS will facilitate trading for all environmental commodities, including European Union emission allowances, certified emission reductions (CER) requirements, Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) allowances, voluntary emissions reductions (VER), as well as compliance and voluntary renewable energy credits (REC).

Sakis Asteriadis will oversee the EBS unit as Phoenix Partners Group’s newly appointed Global Head of Environmental Commodities. He will work closely with Devon Walton, who oversees US Renewable Energy Brokerage Services.

“Organizations are rightfully paying more attention these days to issues of climate change and how best to reduce the negative impact of their operations on the environment,” said Nick Stephan, Phoenix Partners Group’s CEO. “Environmental broking can help all major players in the emissions and renewable energy markets worldwide to navigate through a complicated and fragmented space. Phoenix Partners Group has the depth of experience, expertise, and platform to be the leader in this fast burgeoning sector.”

Mr. Asteriadis, who has more than 25 years of experience in financial services and energy markets, was most recently managing director for environmental markets at APX. Earlier, he was vice president at the Bank of New York, overseeing its BondNet division. Mr. Asteriadis earned his M.Sc.E. degree from Purdue University.

Mr. Walton was previously a director of environmental markets and at APX, where he managed all aspects of their North American renewable energy registry systems. Earlier he was manager of energy operations and scheduling at APX. Mr. Walton earned his degree in Environmental Studies from the University of California at Santa Barbara.