GUANGZHOU, June 20 (Xinhua) -- Carbon emissions allowances closed at 78.44 yuan (11.73 U.S. dollars) per tonne on Monday, 0.95 percent down from Friday, at Guangzhou Emissions Exchange, the largest local carbon market in China.

       A total of 22,293 tonnes of allowances were transacted on Monday, with a turnover of 1.75 million yuan.

       The allowances, officially known as Guangdong Emissions Allowances (GDEA), are carbon dioxide emissions caps assigned to companies. Firms whose emissions surpass their share must buy extra quotas from authorities or purchase unused quotas on the market from those that cause less pollution.

       Since its opening in December 2013, the market has traded 206.762 million tonnes of GDEA, with a total turnover of 5.052 billion yuan.