May 16 2008

Hacky Flack

So, today I experienced my first foray into my dual role as Environmental Communications Representative for PG&E and Reporter -- how sweet it is.

While attending the California Climate Action Registry Annual Conference on behalf of PG&E, I found myself merrily amidst the key players in others Navigating the Carbon World, as is the theme of this year's conference. In speaking with The Climate Registry's Executive Director Diane Wittenberg and Board Member Doug Scott, director of Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, I was able to glean a few insights into the carbon market today and what we can expect in the future.

And what I was able to glean is that we cannot have the market until we have the regulations to drive that market in a meaningful way -- which is what The Climate Registry seeks to develop. The U.S. needs standard, voluntary carbon reporting in order to create markets that are responsive to the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In Diane's words, "you've got to measure what you've got first."

In some sense, The Climate Registry must serve both masters -- voluntary and mandatory markets. A couple of months ago, we were able to see this happen with voluntary carbon offsets in California, with the signing of the first ever forest projects verified under California Climate Action Registry (CCAR) protocols. However, according to Doug Scott, we are still working on mandatory protocols.

The good news: The Climate Registry is working with the US EPA on its charge to develop reporting and is looking to the work already done, here in California and elsewhere. In fact, through The Climate Registry's work, 4/5ths of the country -- and the country's emissions -- is already working with The Climate Registry on these protocols...nothing to sneeze at. Bottom line is that The Climate Registry's objective is to stay nimble enough to sustain any changes at the Federal level. Amen.

When I safely positioned The Climate Registry as a sounding board for all regional protocols, I was promptly corrected that The Climate Registry is not just a sounding board, but an actual working mechanism for regions to create working policy that will hopefully translate to a national paradigm.

We will see what tomorrow holds but, as is the case with my dual-identity, today's news is indeed daunting and also enlightening on Navigating the Carbon World.

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