Grist | Topics | 8 Results

RESULTS		Results 1 – 8 of 8
Headline	Author	Published	Section
Breaking the Bank World Bank should get out of carbon-offset market, says report		11 Apr 2008	News
Posted at 3:48 PM on 11 Apr 2008 Carbon-offset dealings by the World Bank have been criticized (and not for the first time) in a report released Thursday by the Institute for Policy Studies. In the past two years, the report charges, the bank has loaned $1.5 billion to fossil-fuel companies to make minor greenhouse-gas reductions. It then sells carbon credits for those reductions, says coauthor Daphne Wysham, " ...
Topics: business, carbon offsets, climate, energy, fossil fuels, news, World Bank (all these topics)

When does additionality matter? Part 3 Almost always, but the reason is more subtle than you think	Adam Stein	03 Apr 2008	Gristmill
In two previous posts, I've attempted to establish that additionality is neither some strange concept relevant only to carbon offsets nor an awkward patch used to fix a defect in the design of carbon markets. Rather, the concept of additionality is applicable to any incentive system, whether subsidy, tax, or whatever. The real question is what degree of additionality is actually necessary or desirable in any given system. Put another way, when should we care enough about ...
Topics: business, carbon offsets, carbon trading, climate, energy, greenhouse-gas emissions (all these topics)

When does additionality matter? Part 2 Measuring additionality has clear benefits -- and also some obvious costs	Adam Stein	31 Mar 2008	Gristmill
The second in a series of posts on additionality. In his post criticizing the design of carbon markets, Sean correctly notes that additionality is a pain to measure -- an ever more expensive pain, as the industry matures and quality controls become more stringent. To take an example I know well, at TerraPass, we spend tens of thousands of dollars per project helping dairy farmers validate their methane digesters under the Voluntary Carbon Standard. It's a complex proc ...
Topics: business, carbon offsets, carbon trading, climate, energy, greenhouse-gas emissions (all these topics)

When does additionality matter? Part 1 The deceptively simple concept at the heart of carbon markets	Adam Stein	30 Mar 2008	Gristmill
Sean recently wrote a provocative post on why 'additionality' -- one of the bedrock principles of carbon markets as presently designed -- is an expensive waste of time. This is a rich topic, and my perspective as a carbon offset retailer differs from his as an energy producer. It's worth spending a few posts exploring why.When we ask whether a greenhouse-gas reduction is 'additional,' we're asking if it would have happened in the absence of whatever incentive we've ...
Topics: business, energy, climate, carbon offsets (all these topics)

Me and Dan Kalafatas What should I ask a carbon offset expert?	David Roberts	08 Oct 2007	Gristmill
Sorry for the late notice, but tomorrow at 1pm (Pacific) I'm interviewing Dan Kalafatas, president and COO of 3 Degrees, a new outfit that delivers "customized, global climate change solutions to U.S. businesses, utilities and institutions." In English, that means they sell offsets and RECs to businesses, work with utilities to establish green power pricing programs, and help businesses market their sustainability for maximum advantage. "Ano ...
Topics: business, carbon offsets, climate, energy, energy efficiency, greening biz operations (all these topics)

Discover Brilliant: The business of climate change	David Roberts	17 Sep 2007	Gristmill
The final session of the day (hooray) is about "the business of climate change." On the panel: Climate Change Journal, Grant Ferrier, Editor (Moderator) Climate Solutions, K.C. Golden, Policy Director Sterling Planet, Alden Hathaway II, Senior VP, Business Development Environmental Resources Trust, Gordon Smith, EcoLands Director We start with Smith, who begins by, of all things, talking about forestry credits in carbon markets! He says they aren' ...
Topics: business, carbon offsets, carbon trading, climate, energy, politics (all these topics)

Markey and the FTC Rep. Markey asks the Federal Trade Commission to investigate voluntary carbon offsets	Sean Casten	11 Sep 2007	Gristmill
Rep. Markey has asked the FTC to investigate whether or not the sale of voluntary carbon offsets violates the Guides for the Use of Evaluating Environmental Marketing Claims, as laid out by the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC has responded and agreed to commence an investigation, noting that: The FTC staff has been monitoring this nascent market as part of the Commission's ongoing consumer protection programs in the energy and environmental areas. The carbon offset ...
Topics: business, carbon offsets, climate, Ed Markey, energy, politics (all these topics)

Romm's rules of carbon offsets Taking 'em to the mat	Joseph Romm	29 Jun 2007	Gristmill
The first rule of Carbon Offsets is, you do not talk about Carbon Offsets. Just kidding. This isn't Fight Club, but I do aim to pick a fight with those overhyping offsets. If a smart company like Google can seriously think it can go green by burning coal and then buying offsets and if a smart company like PG&E is bragging about a new program that allows customers to offset their electricity emissions by planting trees (a dopey program I'll blog about later), th ...
Topics: business, carbon offsets, climate, energy, greening biz operations (all these topics)

Stories About: business AND carbon offsets AND climate AND energy