It’s Time to Score Carbon Offset Quality
In 1988, as an associate at the World Resources Institute, I worked on the first carbon offset project. Thirty-one years later, carbon offsets are a well-known and common piece of climate mitigation efforts — and they are at a critical juncture. As countries around the world act to reduce their GHG emissions, the number of […]
“Project Drawdown” and “Climate of Hope”: Moving the GHG Needle?
April 18th was a big day for climate change books. Paul Hawken’s long-awaited Project Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming came out, as did Michael Bloomberg’s and Carl Pope’s Climate of Hope: How Cities, Businesses, and Citizens Can Save the Planet. Both titles are provocative and optimistic, and both books are […]
Houston, We Could Have a (Carbon Pricing) Problem!
With the election of Donald Trump, what will happen to carbon prices (or, more accurately, what will happen to the prospect of robust carbon pricing?) Expectations of future carbon prices are potentially important to all sorts of energy (and other) decision-making, which explains why so many decision-makers are interested in carbon price forecasts. Many electric […]
If Climate Neutrality is the Answer, What was the Question?
A renewed focus on personal and organizational responsibility for and action against climate change is leading to renewed interest in carbon offsets and carbon neutrality. One expression of this interest is through the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). The university presidents premise their commitment on the idea, as stated by Arizona State […]
Voluntary Carbon Offsets: How Important a Piece on the Climate Chess Gameboard?
When it comes to the ultimate collective action problem we face in the form of climate change, a critical question is whether we will transition to a low-carbon economy before or after we’ve committed the planet to 4, 6, or more degrees Centigrade of warming. The strategy game of chess — in this case with […]