The Shanghai Futures Exchange said that it intends to start trading futures for cobalt, hydrogen, and ammonia, in accordance with China’s “green and low-carbon transformation” ambitions.
According to a report published on Tuesday, the bourse is also speeding up the listing of natural gas futures and options, citing the exchange’s chief executive, Wang Fenghai. The exchange, on the other hand, did not offer a debut date for the contracts.
Natural gas and hydrogen have been promoted as greener alternatives to coal-fired power plants, while cobalt is required for electric car batteries.
The Shanghai exchange will also work with other institutions to investigate how “carbon emission peak and carbon neutrality,” as well as environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals, may be integrated into the futures market.
China, the world’s largest producer of climate-warming gases, wants to reach carbon neutrality by 2060 and reach a peak in carbon emissions by 2030.
The Shanghai International Energy Exchange, a subsidiary of the Shanghai Futures Exchange, said earlier this month that a freight index futures contract will be launched this year.