PAT Scheme vs CCTS: What a Decade of ESCerts Teaches
India's PAT scheme traded energy-saving certificates for a decade. Oversupply and floor prices followed. What CCTS can learn before its first trade.
Before CCTS, India ran PAT (Perform, Achieve and Trade): plant-level efficiency targets, certificates for over-achievers, trading on the same power exchanges. Many of the same plants are now in CCTS.
A Decade of ESCerts in Four Numbers
| Measure | ESCerts (lakh) |
|---|---|
| Issued to over-achievers | ~103 |
| Shortfall plants told to buy | 52 |
| Actually bought | 34 |
| Carried forward unsold | ~69 |
Source: Prayas Energy Group, data as of February 2025. Two in three certificates never found a buyer, and BEE gave them perpetual validity until sold.
What Happened to the Price
Early sessions cleared between ₹200 and ₹1,200. Floors followed: ₹1,840 in PAT-II and ₹2,165 in PAT-III, where all 13 sessions in April–July 2024 cleared at the floor. A price that always sits on the floor isn't discovering anything.
Lessons for CCTS
1. Oversupply is the default risk. CCCs can be banked without expiry, just like ESCerts.
2. A floor can become the price. CCTS's floor and forbearance band was still unpublished as of 22 October 2026.
3. Enforcement drives demand. If shortfall plants don't buy, surplus sits idle.
A 2024 government reply in Parliament said nine of PAT's 13 sectors would move to CCTS by FY2026-27. We could not find a published rule on how a plant reconciles an ESCert target with a CCC target in the same year.
ICT helps former PAT designated consumers move to CCTS: we map your PAT baseline to your CCTS target, set up dMRV, and plan when to sell, bank or buy.
Free PAT-to-CCTS check: email your PAT DC number or Gazette code to contact@internationalcarbontrade.com.
Keep Reading
- Is CCTS Cap and Trade? Intensity Targets, Zero Credits, Banking
- India's First Carbon Credit Trade: What Still Has to Happen
- Carbon Credit Certificate (CCC) in India: Complete CCTS Guide
Our CCTS Services
International Carbon Trade (ICT) is an India-based CCTS marketplace and dMRV platform offering 18 end-to-end services, from BEE ICM Portal registration and ACVA verification to buying, selling and banking CCCs on India's power exchanges.
| Register and Set Up | Monitor, Verify, File | Trade and Plan |
|---|---|---|
| BEE ICM Portal registration | dMRV platform, monthly data | Buying CCCs on power exchanges |
| Grid-India registry account | ACVA selection and booking | Selling or banking surplus CCCs |
| IEX / PXIL / HPX onboarding | Verification evidence pack | Offset CCC sourcing |
| Monitoring plan (BEE template) | E2 form and GHG emission report | Risk profiling (AAA–B) |
| Target gap and penalty analysis | Form A and Form D filings | Abate, buy or bank strategy |
| Five-year GHG reduction plan | BEE and registry query handling | CBAM and BRSR reporting |
For any services related to CCTS, contact International Carbon Trade:
- Email: contact@internationalcarbontrade.com
- Phone: +91 90544 01707
- Website: internationalcarbontrade.com
- LinkedIn: Follow International Carbon Trade
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the PAT scheme?
- Perform, Achieve and Trade: BEE's scheme that set energy-efficiency targets for industrial plants and issued tradable Energy Saving Certificates (ESCerts).
- How many ESCerts were issued under PAT?
- About 103 lakh, of which 34 lakh were bought against 52 lakh mandated, leaving about 69 lakh carried forward, as of February 2025.
- What was the ESCert floor price?
- Rs 1,840 in PAT-II and Rs 2,165 in PAT-III. All PAT-III sessions in April to July 2024 cleared at the floor.
- Is PAT being replaced by CCTS?
- A 2024 government reply said nine of PAT's 13 sectors would move to CCTS by FY2026-27, with the rest staying in PAT.
- Do CCCs expire like ESCerts?
- Neither does. ESCerts have perpetual validity until sold, and CCCs can be banked for future compliance years.
- How can ICT help PAT designated consumers?
- International Carbon Trade maps PAT baselines to CCTS targets and plans CCC strategy. Contact contact@internationalcarbontrade.com or +91 90544 01707.