SACRAMENTO, CA – The Climate Action Reserve, North America’s largest and fastest growing carbon offset registry, adopted the first version of its Rice Cultivation Project Protocol today in a move that creates opportunities for California rice farmers to participate in carbon markets and to also become involved in California’s groundbreaking cap-and-trade program. State officials have indicated agriculture protocols, such as the Rice Cultivation Project Protocol, are the next standards they may look at adopting into the state’s compliance market. That will open the door for rice farmers to sell their earned carbon offsets to California companies that are required by law to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The State of California and the global community have identified cropland agriculture as having the potential to reduce significant amounts of greenhouse gases from being emitted into the atmosphere. We are very pleased to adopt the Rice Cultivation Project Protocol and provide a tool for farmers to get incentives to reduce emissions,” said Linda Adams, Chair of the Climate Action Reserve Board of Directors.

The Rice Cultivation Project Protocol provides a clear standard for how to reduce GHG emissions by changing water and residue management practices in rice farming and how these reductions can be measured and rewarded with offset credits.

The protocol also represents several firsts for the Reserve. It is the organization’s first cropland agriculture protocol and the first to use a bio-geo-chemical model, which emulates soil processes. It is also the Reserve’s first protocol to provide guidelines for individual farmers to aggregate their lands and work together to develop an offset project. This is intended to make the protocol more accessible and flexible for rice farmers.

As with all Reserve protocols, the Rice Cultivation Project Protocol was developed with guidance and input from a diverse group of stakeholders involved in rice farming. Significant contributions were made by the California Rice Commission and the Environmental Defense Fund, who had jointly drafted a previous standard for rice cultivation offset projects.

SACRAMENTO, CA – The Climate Action Reserve, North America’s largest and fastest growing carbon offset registry, announced that Dr. Francisco Barnes Regueiro, President of the National Institute of Ecology (INE) for the Government of Mexico, has been elected to its Board of Directors. Dr. Barnes is successor to Dr. Adrián Fernández Bremauntz as INE President and assumes the seat previously held by Dr. Fernández on the Reserve Board. Dr. Barnes’ active involvement with the Reserve will help guide the organization’s ongoing activities in Mexico, including continued protocol development.

“Dr. Barnes’ participation on the Reserve Board of Directors is a true asset to the growth and development of the organization, and I am extremely honored to welcome him. We continue focusing on helping create market opportunities in Mexico. Dr. Barnes can provide insightful advice and a unique perspective to our ongoing activities in the country, as well as offering input on other cross-border initiatives,” said Linda Adams, Chair of the Climate Action Reserve Board of Directors and former Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency.

Prior to his appointment as President of INE, Dr. Barnes was a partner at McKinsey & Company, where he specialized in developing strategies for low-carbon growth, adaptation to climate change, energy and other sustainable development issues, such as water pollution and solid waste. He served as part of the company’s global leadership in sustainability and energy practices and advised governments, NGOs and private and public sector companies throughout Latin America in the areas of energy, climate change, water, oil and other key issues. Dr. Barnes also served as a visiting professor at Boston University, has received numerous awards for his academic work and is a published author.

“The work the Climate Action Reserve has already done in Mexico is remarkable, and I am looking forward to becoming involved with such an innovative, open, and action-oriented organization. Its protocols provide means and incentive for reducing GHG emissions in a way that uses the power of the market to achieve our environmental goals. I am also excited to be involved in pioneering new ways that we can use the Reserve’s work to achieve greater environmental benefit through work between our two countries, both at a federal and particularly at a subnational level, including the upcoming California cap-and-trade program,” said Dr. Barnes.

Please visit the Climate Action Reserve website to learn more about the organization and its Board of Directors.

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Climate Action Reserve, North America’s largest and fastest growing carbon offset registry, announced that Cynthia Cory, Director of Environmental Affairs for the California Farm Bureau Federation, has been elected to its Board of Directors. Ms. Cory’s seat on the Board expands the Board’s areas of expertise to cover the agriculture industry and brings a perspective that is expected to be especially valuable as the Reserve continues development of new standards for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the agriculture sector and bringing the farm community into the carbon market.

“Ms. Cory is very highly regarded in the agriculture community both here in California and nationally. I am extremely honored to welcome her to the Reserve Board of Directors. She adds tremendous depth and diversity to the Board, and her experience, knowledge and unique perspective will be invaluable as we continue our work in setting high quality standards for reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Linda Adams, Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency and Chair of the Climate Action Reserve Board of Directors.

During her twenty one years with the California Farm Bureau Federation, Ms. Cory has worked on a wide variety of state and national agriculture issues. Currently, her focus is air quality and climate change, and she also works on biotechnology and invasive species/pest prevention, eradication and control issues. Before joining the Farm Bureau, she worked for several private and public organizations on short- and long-term agronomic research projects throughout Africa.

“I am grateful for this opportunity to provide an agricultural perspective to the Board discussions and review process. All Reserve protocols are based on high standards and scientific rigor, but it is important in dealing with a living agricultural system that growers can incorporate GHG reducing practices into their operations in as cost-effective and practical manner as possible while continuing to produce a diverse and beneficial supply of agricultural products. I want to see the ongoing Reserve agricultural protocol work proceed in a timely and cohesive manner,” said Ms. Cory.

Please visit the Climate Action Reserve website to learn more about the organization and its Board of Directors.

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Climate Action Reserve, North America’s largest carbon offset registry, announced that Elizabeth (Betsy) Moler, a former Chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy under President Clinton, and James Mack, Head of the British Columbia Climate Action Secretariat in the Ministry of Environment, have been elected to its Board of Directors.

I am extremely honored to have the privilege of welcoming Mr. Mack and Ms. Moler to the Reserve Board of Directors,” said Linda Adams, Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency and Chair of the Climate Action Reserve Board of Directors. “Mr. Mack has a strong list of accomplishments in implementing British Columbia’s climate change goals, and Ms. Moler is a nationally recognized energy policy expert with unparalleled experience in the energy industry and federal government affairs. The experience and depth they each bring to the Board will be invaluable in leading the growth of the Climate Action Reserve.

Ms. Moler most recently served as Executive Vice President, Government Affairs and Policy for Exelon Corporation where she led the company’s team on climate change policy issues. Prior to that, she established a very notable career in government service, serving as a staff member on Capitol Hill for 20 years. She was Senior Counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources from 1976 to 1988 and was appointed by Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton as a Member of FERC from 1988 to 1997. In 1993, President Clinton designated her as Chair of FERC and in June 1997, he appointed her as the Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

I was delighted to be asked to join the Board of Directors of the Climate Action Reserve. The organization has successfully demonstrated the importance of providing market-based approaches to finding ways to address climate change and curbing greenhouse gas emissions. Having served both as a regulator and a utility executive, I hope that my experience will assist the organization in developing creative, cost-effective approaches to offset standards and protocols,” said Ms. Moler.

As the Head of the British Columbia Climate Action Secretariat in the Ministry of Environment, Mr. Mack is responsible for leading the province’s initiatives to achieve its greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. Prior to joining the Secretariat, Mr. Mack worked for the Government of Canada on environmental, social and economic development issues in Ottawa.

Please visit the Climate Action Reserve website to learn more about the organization and its Board of Directors.

Los Angeles, CA  – The Climate Action Reserve, North America’s largest carbon offset registry, released version 3.0 of the Livestock Project Protocol, providing updated guidelines for livestock operations to participate in the carbon market.  Significant amounts of methane, which is over 21 times more potent to the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, can be produced at livestock operations.  With the updated livestock protocol, operations have more opportunities to reduce their methane emissions and earn offset credits that can be sold in the carbon market.

The Livestock Project Protocol ensures the integrity and long-term environmental benefit of installing manure biogas control systems at livestock operations, including dairy cattle and swine farms.  With this protocol, operations that capture and destroy methane from livestock manure before it is released into the atmosphere receive carbon offset credits that can be traded in the carbon market

The protocol ensures that livestock operations can effectively reduce greenhouse gases and thrive while earning offset credits in a carbon market,” said Linda Adams, Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency and Chair of the Climate Action Reserve Board of Directors.

Version 3.0 of the protocol includes revised guidance on determining the greenhouse gas (GHG) assessment boundary of projects.  This includes clear details on the standard stocking rates and new options for complying with the reporting period and verification requirements to reduce verification costs.  All offset projects registered with the Climate Action Reserve are required to undergo independent, third-party verification.

Livestock manure management provides a key opportunity to reduce significant methane emissions, while at the same time generating revenue for the livestock operator. Version 3.0 of the Livestock Project Protocol recognizes that opportunity and ensures that livestock manure management projects are developed, quantified and verified with the highest level of integrity,” said Gary Gero, President of the Climate Action Reserve.

The Climate Action Reserve also released version 2.0 of the Mexico Livestock Project Protocol, which provides guidance for livestock offset projects in Mexico.  To date, livestock projects registered with the Climate Action Reserve have reduced 151,903 metric tons of CO₂e from the atmosphere, equivalent to taking over 29,000 passenger vehicles off the road annually. The original livestock protocol was adopted by the Climate Action Reserve Board of Directors in June 2007 for projects in the United States.

Please visit the Climate Action Reserve website to access the Livestock Project Protocol Version 3.0, as well as all public comments regarding the protocol and the submitted responses to the comments.

Los Angeles, CA  – The newest version of the Forest Project Protocol from the Climate Action Reserve, North America’s largest carbon offset registry, has been officially released for use in the carbon market.  Updates in version 3.2 of the protocol create stronger standards for ensuring integrity and long-term environmental benefit in forest offset projects across the U.S.  While other offset project types prevent carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) from entering the atmosphere, forest offset projects are unique because they remove CO₂ from the atmosphere, in a sense “reversing” emissions that already happened.

The Forest Project Protocol Version 3.2 enriches the carbon landscape by providing new opportunities for participation in the carbon market.  Forests are powerful tools in our fight against climate change, and owners of small forests now have the option of aggregating their lands to create an offset project and participate in the carbon market,” said Linda Adams, Chair of the Climate Action Reserve Board of Directors and Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency.

The Forest Project Protocol is the Reserve’s flagship methodology and provides complete, consistent, accurate and conservative standards to account for forest carbon storage.  Significant updates in version 3.2 of the protocol include clarifications to the requirements for establishing a baseline for Improved Forest Management (IFM) projects and the introduction of guidelines for aggregating forest projects.

Version 3.2 of the Forest Project Protocol recognizes the tremendous opportunity of forests to sequester carbon dioxide and ensures that forest projects are developed, quantified and verified with the highest level of integrity,” said Gary Gero, President of the Climate Action Reserve.

The original forest protocol was adopted by the Climate Action Reserve Board of Directors in June 2005 with applicability specific to the State of California and was expanded to cover all of the U.S. in September 2009. Currently, forest projects registered with the Climate Action Reserve have absorbed 1,735,436 metric tons of CO₂e from the atmosphere.

Please visit the Climate Action Reserve website to access the Forest Project Protocol Version 3.2, as well as all public comments regarding the protocol and the submitted responses to the comments.

Los Angeles, CA  – Annually, carbon offset projects in Arkansas reduce enough greenhouse gases (GHGs) from the atmosphere to equal the amount of emissions produced by 322,380 passenger vehicles over an entire year, according to the Climate Action Reserve, North America’s largest carbon offset registry.  Another way to measure the amount is to think of it in terms of the carbon removed from the atmosphere by growing 43,232,026 tree seedlings for 10 years.  By reducing such a significant amount of GHGs through projects registered with the Climate Action Reserve, Arkansas has earned the status of reducing more GHG emissions than any other U.S. state.  Joining Arkansas at the top of the list are California, New York, Texas and Alabama.

GHGs contribute to global warming by keeping heat, or radiative energy, in the atmosphere, and scientists point to a direct correlation between increased amounts of GHGs and extreme weather, such as this summer’s scorching temperatures and record-setting flooding.  Carbon offset projects are activities that prevent GHGs from entering the atmosphere, making them climate change solutions that have an impact on the environment right now.

One of the most valuable benefits of high quality offset projects is that they reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere today.  While we work on transitioning to a clean energy economy and reducing the amounts of emissions we produce, offset projects are providing true benefit to the environment.  They are a way to take action and see results now,” said Gary Gero, president of the Climate Action Reserve.

Ranking a close second after Arkansas, California is well known around the world for its pioneering environmental initiatives and its landmark climate change and energy bill, AB 32.

Every year, offset projects in California reduce the same amount of GHGs as taking 303,182 passenger vehicles off the road for a year.  Coming in third is New York, a member of the first regional group to implement a cap-and-trade program, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).  Annually, offset projects in New York reduce enough GHGs to equal the emissions generated by 124,520 passenger vehicles every year.

The southern states are not as well known as their coastal counterparts for being environmental leaders.  However, on an annual basis, offset projects in Texas reduce the equivalent of taking 83,052 passenger cars off the road for a year.  Alabama offset projects reduce the same amount of GHGs that would be achieved if 39,518 passenger vehicles were removed from the road for a year.

Some of the states on this top five list will be a surprise to people.  It’s important to note that businesses, organizations and people living in these states not only support reducing emissions through emission reduction projects but they are financially benefiting from these projects by earning offset credits that can be traded in the carbon market.  These people have realized opportunities to use a market-based approach and financial incentives to take action against our most pressing global challenge today – climate change,” said Gero.

Offset projects from these five states are all registered with the Climate Action Reserve.  The projects include destroying ozone depleting substances, using forests to remove carbon and methane capture from landfills, livestock farms and coal mines.  The projects comply with the most rigorous and comprehensive standards for offset projects and have been independently reviewed by accredited third party verification bodies.  Information on these projects and their verifications are publicly accessible at www.climateactionreserve.org.

Actual amounts of GHGs removed by projects in each state are listed in the chart below.

* CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) is a measure for comparing carbon dioxide with other GHGs; it is calculated by multiplying the metric tons of a gas by the appropriate global warming potential (GWP)

The Climate Action Reserve is a private nonprofit organization representing international interests in addressing climate change and bringing together participants from the government, environment and business sectors.  As the premier carbon offset registry in North America, it works to ensure environmental benefit, integrity and transparency in the carbon market.  It establishes high quality standards for quantifying and verifying greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction projects, oversees independent third-party verification bodies, issues carbon credits generated from such projects and tracks the transaction of credits over time in a transparent, publicly-accessible system.  By ensuring that GHG reduction projects provide true environmental benefit and earn high quality offsets, the Climate Action Reserve is creating a trusted and valuable commodity and bringing credibility and efficiency to the carbon market.  For more information, please visit www.climateactionreserve.org.

Los Angeles, ca  – The Climate Action Reserve, the largest and fastest growing offset registry for the North American carbon market, adopted a new standard that encourages the reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG) from a significant methane source in the U.S. – food waste.  The Organic Waste Composting (OWC) Project Protocol provides guidelines for developing carbon offset projects and generating offset credits, which can be traded in the carbon market, by diverting food waste from landfills to composting operations.

With only an estimated 2.5% of food waste being currently composted, it is the least recycled material of all potential recyclables.  Food waste that is not composted typically gets deposited in a landfill where it rapidly decomposes under anaerobic conditions and creates significant amounts of methane, which is over 21 times more potent to the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.

“It is surprising for many people when they discover the environmental damage that can be done by the food we throw away.  The Organic Waste Composting Project Protocol is a powerful tool for addressing the situation.  It creates a financial incentive to mitigate the significant amounts of methane emitted from food waste, and it provides an affordable and realistic opportunity for people outside of the traditional carbon market to become involved,” said Linda Adams, Chair of the Climate Action Reserve Board of Directors and Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency.

Since food waste is produced by virtually every American, the sources for it are vast and include municipalities, schools, grocery stores, restaurants, food wholesale distributors and public venues.  Potentially, each of these sources could participate in the OWC protocol by diverting its waste from the landfill to a composting operation.

“The Organic Waste Composting Project Protocol helps cement the idea that food waste isn’t garbage anymore,” said Dr. Sally Brown, Research Associate Professor at the University of Washington’s College of the Environment.  “People are looking for things they can do to benefit the environment, and food waste diversion is affordable and can have a large impact.  Making compost improves the atmosphere by reducing the amount of methane emitted but using compost also improves the quality of soil.  It is like the soil taking vitamins.”

The OWC protocol is the twelfth protocol adopted by the Reserve.  Many carbon market participants and observers have repeatedly predicted the Reserve’s offset credit, the Climate Reserve Tonne (CRT), is the most likely to be adopted as a pre-compliance credit for regulated cap-and-trade programs in California and on a federal level.  Adding another protocol to the suite of standards allows the generation of more high quality credits for these programs.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – From its annual conference, Navigating the American Carbon World, the Climate Action Reserve announced its 2010 Climate Action Champion Award recipients.  The awards are bestowed upon individuals and organizations that have demonstrated public leadership in climate change and commitment to substantial greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions.  The 2010 award recipients are:

Nancy Ryan, Commissioner at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC): While at the CPUC, Ryan has played a key role in developing policies in areas of climate change, electricity market design and renewable energy.  In the course of these efforts, she has helped to build and enhance the CPUC’s working relationships with its sister energy agencies, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, State of California Legislature and Governor’s Office.  Prior to joining the CPUC, Ryan was Senior Economist and Deputy California Director at Environmental Defense Fund.

Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) and Jack Broadbent, Executive Officer: BAAQMD has been a California Climate Action Registry member since 2003.  Since launching its Climate Protection Program in 2005, it has been at the forefront of the climate protection movement in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Among its activities are providing training and funding for local governments to calculate and reduce their GHG inventories, administering a $3 million grant program to reduce GHG emissions in the Bay Area and developing global warming curriculum for fourth and fifth grade students.

TerraPass:  TerraPass has held a pioneering role in educating the public about carbon footprints and reducing emissions.  The San Francisco-based company also works directly with carbon reduction projects, providing revenue to dairy farms, landfill gas installations and other projects that yield carbon credits.  As a project developer that has been a model for adhering to only the most comprehensive and rigorous project standards, it has helped numerous companies and individuals offset their emissions.

“This year’s winners all demonstrate the highest standards of leadership through their unwavering dedication and perseverance in striving toward climate change solutions.  They have specifically demonstrated a highly commendable commitment towards reducing pollution and helping others to accomplish this.  We are very proud to honor their work today,” said Linda Adams, Chair of the Climate Action Reserve and Secretary of the California EPA.

The awards were presented during the welcome address at the conference.  Recipients received the iconic Climate Action Champion heavyweight belts.

“Each year, it is inspiring to recognize our new class of Climate Action Champions.  We have worked with Commissioner Ryan, Jack Broadbent and the BAAQMD and the team at TerraPass for many years, and during that time, we have watched them work tirelessly towards achieving outstanding climate change goals.  As a global community, we still have a considerable fight ahead of us to combat global warming, but with people like them in our corner, it truly provides inspiration that we can win this battle,” said Gary Gero, President of the Climate Action Reserve.

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Climate Action Reserve, the premier offset registry for the North American carbon market, adopted two new offset project standards that could lead to millions of metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions. Targeting the destruction of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS), the U.S. ODS Project Protocol and the Article 5 ODS Project Protocol provide financial incentive for destruction of ODS in the U.S. and developing countries. Because ODS can be thousands of times more powerful than carbon dioxide (CO2) at trapping heat in the atmosphere, ODS offset projects may produce hundreds of thousands – or even millions – of offset credits.

“The ODS protocols are significant developments because they are the first protocols to provide co-benefits that protect both the ozone layer and the climate system. And because of the potency of ODS as greenhouse gases, projects developed under these protocols will provide substantial environmental benefits while generating offset credits to the carbon market. I applaud the work of everyone who was involved in the development of these landmark protocols,” said Linda Adams, Chair of the Climate Action Reserve Board of Directors and Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency.

ODS are used in a variety of applications, and as their name suggests, they have tremendously harmful effects on the ozone layer. They also are potent GHGs; some are more than 10,000 times more effective than CO2 at trapping heat in the atmosphere. While the ODS included in the protocols are no longer actively produced, their continuing presence in refrigeration equipment and insulation foams represent enormous potential for GHG emissions. Both the U.S. ODS Project Protocol and the Article 5 ODS Project Protocol address the destruction of ODS as the means of preventing emissions. The U.S. ODS protocol includes refrigerants and foam blowing agents sourced from the U.S. The Article 5 ODS protocol includes refrigerants from “Article 5” countries, which are developing countries as defined under the United Nation’s Montreal Protocol.

“By eliminating the risk for ozone depleting substances to create GHG emissions, we are taking a tremendous stride in protecting our environment. The Climate Action Reserve’s two ODS project protocols establish strong and comprehensive standards for addressing the destruction of ODS. Bringing together financial incentives created by the carbon market with the environmental benefits that ODS offset projects will produce creates a win-win situation for both developed and developing countries,” said Viraj Vithoontien of the Environment Department at The World Bank.

Whether ODS originates from the U.S. or an Article 5 country, the substances are required to be destroyed in the U.S. or its territories, where destruction practices are closely regulated. If destruction of a substance is already required under the Montreal Protocol or U.S. law or it has not been phased out of production in the country of origin, it is not eligible for inclusion under the ODS protocols. Projects that qualify under the ODS protocols will be issued offset credits, Climate Reserve Tonnes (CRTs), for the quantity of ODS that would otherwise have been released over a 10-year period had they not been destroyed.

“The new Protocols will immediately mobilize projects and new investment, and will help leverage financing from voluntary and ultimately compliance GHG markets domestically and worldwide. EOS Climate looks forward to permanently preventing GHG emissions by implementing projects developed according to these new Protocols,” said Jeff Cohen, VP Science & Policy at EOS Climate Inc. EOS had originally submitted the concept for the ODS protocols to the Reserve. “From the start, we believed the Reserve would provide the most transparent, verifiable, and comprehensive framework ensuring the integrity of greenhouse gas reductions.”

The Climate Action Reserve is a U.S. private nonprofit organization representing international interests in addressing climate change and bringing together participants from the government, environment and business sectors. It works to ensure environmental benefit, integrity and transparency in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions accounting and reduction and progressive movement in GHG emissions policy nationally and in the Western U.S. The Climate Action Reserve is parent to three programs, the California Climate Action Registry, Climate Action Reserve and Center for Climate Action. As the subsequent organization of the California Climate Action Registry, the Climate Action Reserve continues building on the California Registry’s reputation as a respected and internationally recognized leader in climate change issues. For additional information, please visit www.climateactionreserve.org.

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