Former CEQ Chair Nancy Sutley joins Climate Action Reserve Board of Directors

New election brings prominent, notable environmental experience from national, state and city levels

LOS ANGELES, CA – White House veteran and key leader in national, California and Los Angeles environmental policies, Nancy Sutley, has been elected to the Climate Action Reserve Board of Directors. Ms. Sutley formerly served as Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and currently holds the position of Chief Sustainability and Economic Development Officer for Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). During her career, she has served under two presidents, one governor and one mayor. Her seat on the Board brings a wealth of environmental experience.

“We are honored to welcome Nancy Sutley to the Reserve Board of Directors. She is not only a strong, dynamic addition to the Board but also a natural fit to help guide our growth and strategic direction. Nancy’s interaction with and support of the Reserve actually goes back over a decade, and her accomplishments and experiences on national, California and Los Angeles levels relate to the core of the Reserve’s identity and vision,” said Linda Adams, Chair of the Climate Action Reserve Board of Directors and Founding Partner of Clean Tech Advocates.

As CEQ Chair, Ms. Sutley was a chief architect of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan and played a central role in developing and implementing the Obama Administration’s environmental priorities. Prior to this appointment, she held key roles in developing environmental initiatives in Los Angeles and California. She served as the Deputy Mayor for Energy and Environment for the City of Los Angeles under Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. She represented Los Angeles on the Board of Directors for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and served on the California State Water Resources Control Board. Before coming to Los Angeles, she held positions on the state level as Energy Advisor for Governor Gray Davis and Deputy Secretary for Policy and Intergovernmental Relations at California EPA.

“Joining the Climate Action Reserve Board of Directors is an honor and also meaningful to me. I have followed the organization’s work since its inception and been very familiar with the role it has played in some of California’s pioneering environmental initiatives and outside the state borders. It is certainly poised to play even stronger roles in these arenas and internationally, and I am be honored to be asked to lend my knowledge and experience to help guide this growth,” said Ms. Sutley.

PG&E’s Melissa Lavinson elected to Climate Action Reserve Board of Directors

Energy and environmental policy expert adds more depth and reach to the Board

LOS ANGELES, CA – Melissa Lavinson, Vice President, Federal Affairs at PG&E Corporation, has joined the Climate Action Reserve Board of Directors. Ms. Lavinson’s expertise on energy and environmental policy is well known in California and on Capitol Hill. Her work with Congress, trade associations, NGOs and other groups has also earned her a reputation as a key team player on issues vital to California and the nation.

“Welcoming Melissa Lavinson to the Reserve Board of Directors is very exciting for us in many respects. She is an extremely accomplished individual with a wealth of experience and accomplishments in energy and the environment. She will not only help guide the Reserve in its strategic growth and involvement on a national level, but also here in California. Also, the Reserve has enjoyed a long-standing partnership with PG&E, and it is wonderful to have the company involved with the Reserve on this level again,” said Linda Adams, Chair of the Climate Action Reserve Board of Directors and Founding Partner of Clean Tech Advocates.

In her position at PG&E, Ms. Lavinson is responsible for directing the company’s efforts to shape, develop, implement and manage public policy on all federal issues that impact the company’s business. She also builds the company’s relationships on the federal level with Congress, the administration and diverse groups. Prior to joining PG&E in 1997, she was a Senior Associate at MRW and Associates in Oakland, California. Ms. Lavinson began her career with ICF Consulting and was based in Washington, DC. Currently, she splits her time between San Francisco and Washington, DC.

“I am honored to join the Climate Action Reserve Board of Directors and looking forward to upholding PG&E’s history of collaboration with this great organization. In my role at PG&E, I see how California’s pioneering environmental initiatives impact work on a federal level, and the Reserve’s high standards and quality work have followed in those footsteps,” said Ms. Lavinson.

Our 10 favorite climate quotes by President Barack Obama in 2014

As President Barack Obama prepares to give his State of the Union address tonight, we took a moment to reflect back on his speeches and statements made in the past year, and found our 10 favorite climate quotes that motivate, challenge, and inspire. Here they are listed in chronological order. Feel free to share your favorite climate quotes in the comments below!

“The shift to a cleaner energy economy won’t happen overnight, and it will require tough choices along the way. But the debate is settled. Climate change is a fact. And when our children’s children look us in the eye and ask if we did all we could to leave them a safer, more stable world, with new sources of energy, I want us to be able to say yes, we did.”
— U.S. President Barack Obama, State of the Union, January 28, 2014
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/01/28/president-barack-obamas-state-union-address

(Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

“This is not some distant problem of the future. This is a problem that is affecting Americans right now. Whether it means increased flooding, greater vulnerability to drought, more severe wildfires — all these things are having an impact on Americans as we speak.”
— U.S. President Barack Obama, interview with Al Roker, May 6, 2014
http://www.today.com/news/obama-al-roker-climate-change-2D79627268

(Today)

“When Americans are called on to innovate, that’s what we do — whether it’s making more fuel-efficient cars or more fuel-efficient appliances, or making sure that we are putting in place the kinds of equipment that prevents harm to the ozone layer and eliminates acid rain. At every one of these steps, there have been folks who have said it can’t be done. There have been naysayers who said this is going to destroy jobs and destroy industry. And it doesn’t happen because once we have a clear target to meet, we typically meet it. And we find the best ways to do it.”
— U.S. President Barack Obama, conference call with public health groups, June 2, 2014
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/06/02/remarks-president-conference-call-hosted-public-health-groups

“If there’s one thing I would like to see, it’d be for us to be able to price the cost of carbon emissions.”
— U.S. President Barack Obama, interview with Thomas Friedman, June 7, 2014
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/08/opinion/sunday/friedman-obama-on-obama-on-climate.html

(Showtime)

“Part of what’s unique about climate change, though, is the nature of some of the opposition to action. It’s pretty rare that you’ll encounter somebody who says the problem you’re trying to solve simply doesn’t exist. When President Kennedy set us on a course for the moon, there were a number of people who made a serious case that it wouldn’t be worth it; it was going to be too expensive, it was going to be too hard, it would take too long. But nobody ignored the science. I don’t remember anybody saying that the moon wasn’t there or that it was made of cheese.”
— U.S. President Barack Obama, UC Irvine Commencement Address, June 14, 2014
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/06/13/remarks-president-university-california-irvine-commencement-ceremony

(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

“We need scientists to design new fuels. We need farmers to help grow them. We need engineers to invent new technologies. We need entrepreneurs to sell those technologies. We need workers to operate assembly lines that hum with high-tech, zero-carbon components. We need builders to hammer into place the foundations for a clean energy age. We need diplomats and businessmen and women, and Peace Corps volunteers to help developing nations skip past the dirty phase of development and transition to sustainable sources of energy. In other words, we need you.”
— U.S. President Barack Obama, UC Irvine Commencement Address, June 14, 2014
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/06/13/remarks-president-university-california-irvine-commencement-ceremony

“Today, about 40 percent of America’s carbon pollution comes from our power plants. There are no federal limits to the amount those plants can pump into the air. None. We limit the amount of toxic chemicals like mercury, and sulfur, and arsenic in our air and water, but power plants can dump as much carbon pollution into our atmosphere as they want. It’s not smart, it’s not right, it’s not safe, and I determined it needs to stop.”
— U.S. President Barack Obama, League of Conservation Voters Capital Dinner, June 25, 2014
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/06/25/remarks-president-league-conservation-voters-capital-dinner

“There’s one issue that will define the contours of this century more dramatically than any other, and that is the urgent and growing threat of a changing climate.”
— U.S. President Barack Obama, UN Climate Change Summit, September 23, 2014
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/09/23/remarks-president-un-climate-change-summit

President Barack Obama delivers remarks at the United Nations General Assembly Climate Summit 2014 (2)
(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

“Yes, this is hard. But there should be no question that the United States of America is stepping up to the plate. We recognize our role in creating this problem; we embrace our responsibility to combat it. We will do our part, and we will help developing nations do theirs. But we can only succeed in combating climate change if we are joined in this effort by every nation –- developed and developing alike. Nobody gets a pass.”
— U.S. President Barack Obama, UN Climate Change Summit, September 23, 2014
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/09/23/remarks-president-un-climate-change-summit

President Barack Obama delivers remarks at the United Nations General Assembly Climate Summit 2014
(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

“We’re showing that there’s no excuse for other nations to come together, both developed and developing, to achieve a strong global climate agreement next year.”
— U.S. President Barack Obama, G-20 press conference, November 16, 2014
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/11/16/remarks-president-obama-g20-press-conference-november-16-2014

U.S. President Barak Obama gestures as he answers a question from the media during a press conference at the conclusion of the G-20 summit in Brisbane, Australia, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2014.(AP Photo/Rob Griffith)
(AP photo/Rob Griffith)

Errata and Clarifications released for the Landfill Project Protocol Versions 4.0, 3.0, and 2.0

New policy addressing City of Seattle and State of California waste diversion mandates and their effect on eligible waste streams in the OWC and OWD Project Protocols

How will you be green in 2015?

As we kick off the new year, we’re making our resolutions and planning for a super green 2015. As environmentalists, we’re excited to embark on a new path to reduced emissions (and increased savings)! Please share how you’ll be greening your 2015 in the comments below!

* * *I’m going to try and commit to biking to work ~80% of the time and buy less packaged produce.
– Stephen

I’m going to mirror Gov. Brown’s ambitious plans for California and cut my petroleum use in half.
– Rhey

This year I am volunteering on a committee to help my town develop a new Energy Plan to guide the Town’s efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of energy use by government, schools, residents, and businesses.
– Max

We’re making a bunch of green improvements at home in 2015: installing a tank-less water heater, removing most of the lawn in the front yard, and planting a bunch of trees to provide shade from the LA sun.
– Katy

This is just the latest incarnation of my long-standing love for thrift stores and charity shops, but 2015 marks my first serious foray into furniture refinishing! I’ve been in the market for a new desk, and last week I found a sad little Art Deco-esque piece at my local Goodwill that didn’t seem too far off from ending up in a landfill. I’ve already put in a fair amount of time with (non-toxic, biodegradable) paint stripper. This weekend will be sanding and oiling, and it should be good as new!
– Sarah

I plan to be green in 2015 by riding my bike more often. I usually wait until May and Bike to Work week to kick off my bike riding, but when the weather is nice I plan to ride as much as possible before then.
– Gillian

Forest carbon in California’s cap-and-trade program

Learn about forest carbon, the offset project type with the highest number of issuances in California’s compliance offset program. To date, forestry projects have earned 7,669,946 compliance and early action credits.

Please click here for the full size PDF version.

Our favorite books read in 2014

We took a page from the New York Times, which recently published their list of “What’s the Best Book, New or Old, You Read This Year,” and created our own list of the best books, new or old, that our staff and friends read this year!

We’d like to hear about your favorite reads in 2014 as well! Please leave a comment sharing your favorite — and the first five commenters win an upcycled handmade (by Reserve staff) bicycle chain holiday ornament!

Name	Book	Why it was your favorite read
Joel Levin	The Lady in the Lake by Raymond Chandler	I have not read Chandler before, but man is he a great writer. His descriptions of people and situations are so rich. Much of it seems so familiar because he created the whole “noir” detective genre and influenced so many writers after him. Also, everything takes place in very identifiable locations in Los Angeles. Philip Marlowe’s office was just a block from where I work!
Jennifer Weiss	Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears by Verna Aardema
Sarah Wescott	We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson	We Have Always Lived in the Castle was recommended to me by a few people who were surprised that I had never picked up a Shirley Jackson novel before. I thought this book offered a really interesting look into what is presented in the story as sort of a socially disintegrating upperclass family, in addition to what it is probably best known for – its innocent but sinister young narrator, Merricat, and her strange psychological state. The story is riddled with dark humor, and seemed to be a bit ahead of its time. The Haunting of Hill House, which Stephen King has cited as a major influence on the Shining (another favorite of mine), is next on my list.
Gary Gero	The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert	An environmental science book that reads like a murder mystery but of course we all know whodunnit!
Gloria Gonzalez (Ecosystem Marketplace)	The Closer by Mariano Rivera	Most of the books I’ve read over the year were in some way related to journalism or environmental issues. But the one that I read purely for fun was the biography of Mariano Rivera, a now-retired New York Yankees pitcher who has been my favorite Yankees player for more than a decade. The book is called the Closer and I think it would be great read even if you’re not a baseball fan. He has lived an incredible life, rising up from abuse and extreme poverty in a small fishing village in Panama to become the greatest closer in baseball history. He is generally considered one of the good guys in a sport that has way too many bad guys who have tainted the game for many fans. A great book that even a Boston Red Sox fan could enjoy!
Katie Ordal (The Climate Registry)	Lean In by Sheryl SandbergBright Shiny Morning by James Frey	Nonfiction – Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg. I know there has been some criticism lodged at the book for various reasons but for me personally, her message (about women in the workplace) rang true and her perspective was one that I identified with immediately. I don’t think I have ever recommended a book to more people (both women and men) than this one.Fiction – Bright Shiny Morning by James Frey. Yes, THE James Frey that everybody loves to hate. Really, I think he is a flawed human being that has become the scapegoat for all of the things that are wrong with the publishing industry. All that aside, I’ve read quite a few books about Los Angeles and this one is my favorite. The man knows how to tell a good story.
Laura Zahn (The Climate Registry)	The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay	The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay beautifully presents the tragedy and power of the human condition. I picked it up on a whim and couldn’t put it down until I turned the very last page. I wanted the book to go on forever.
Syd Partridge (California Air Resources Board)	The Martian by Andy Weir	This is a sci-fi novel about one of the first astronauts to visit Mars, and his story of survival after he is accidentally left behind on Mars.
Michael Seitz (US-China Clean Tech Center (UCCTC))	How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie	“How to Win Friends and Influence People” is a classic, but the tenets that it teaches to more observant readers do not simply constitute a study on social manipulation. The book teaches us to go about our business with a more positive outlook and helps us to appreciate the struggles of others in relation to ourselves. Ultimately, through being a more thoughtful and cooperative person, you can better negotiate with others to identify solutions that help both of you succeed. By applying the principles I learned through reading the book, I have become a more level-headed person and have been able to connect with others on a level I had hardly considered before.
Scott Hernandez (Carbon Trade Exchange)	Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn	My favorite book this year is hands-down, Gone Girl. Haha. I’m serious. It’s really good. My second favorite is Flash Boys, which might be more appropriate for this audience, as it has lessons for the carbon market in keeping out fraudulent activities.
Stephanie Schwartz	Blood Will Out by Walter Kirn	A self-absorbed but surprisingly riveting account of Kirn’s friendship with con-man and convicted murderer Clark Rockefeller (Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter). Too wacky to be true, and yet every word is.

Mexican forest project highlights how global initiatives have profound local impacts

San Juan Lachao project also illustrates strong support and success for cross-border collaboration on environmental initiatives between Mexico and California

LOS ANGELES, CA – A small community on the southern tip of Oaxaca, Mexico is highlighting not only how global activities to address climate change can have profound local impacts but also the success of cross-border environmental initiatives between California and Mexico. The community of San Juan Lachao has launched a forest offset project under the Climate Action Reserve’s Mexico Forest Protocol with support from Mexico environmental nonprofit Pronatura and The Walt Disney Company.

The project will improve the management of the forests and will be life changing for the native community of San Juan Lachao. The forests, which include cloud forests and pine/oak forests, contain diverse ecosystems. Historically, they have been grazed and have been left in poor conditions with an increased risk of wildfire and reduced water quality. The project will help provide clean water, an improved standard of living and improved habitat and future hunting value. Additionally, the community will receive financial revenue from the offset credits to support forest management and protection. Because of these benefits, the San Juan Lachao community should expect an overall improved standard of living that is compatible with its community values.

“The San Juan Lachao forest carbon project is the result of the collaboration of numerous stakeholders, including an international, a national and a local NGO, the private sector and an indigenous community. For Pronatura it is truly inspiring to see young men and women implementing a carbon project, from inventory development to the implementation of forest management activities. By developing capacities among community members the project will have not only environmental, but also important social impacts. Pronatura expects to develop numerous projects likes this in the future since it is an example of how we can fight climate change from the bottom up and foster sustainable development in indigenous communities,” said Adolfo Alaniz, General Director of Pronatura México A.C.

On a global level, the San Juan Lachao forest project illustrates the success of cross-border environmental initiatives between California and Mexico. Both have signaled their support of working together to achieve climate change goals, and activities like the San Juan Lachao forest project are expected to generate attention for bottom-up actions that can start generating results while climate negotiations are taking form leading up to COP 20 in Lima and COP 21 in Paris.

“California and Mexico have a strong history of collaborating together and now one of the most critical challenges we must face together is addressing climate change. Initiatives like the San Juan Lachao forest project show how we can continue working together to generate real results. This project will benefit the lives of the people of San Juan Lachao, a rural community from Chatino origin in the coast of Oaxaca, as well as the lives of citizens around the globe,” said Carlos Sada, Consul General of Mexico in Los Angeles.

The San Juan Lachao forest project also illustrates the value of nonprofit-corporate collaboration on climate change initiatives. While participation from all involved parties has been necessary to make this project a reality, Disney’s contribution helped get the project off the ground.

“Investing in nature is one of the most powerful tools we have to curb climate change,” said Dr. Beth Stevens, senior vice president, Disney Corporate Citizenship, Environment and Conservation. “The work we do with dedicated environmental stewards, including Climate Action Reserve and Pronatura, helps maximize our investment, protecting forest ecosystems and creating jobs for the community of San Juan Lachao.”

“The San Juan Lachao forest project is truly symbolic of the international, collaborative approach the global community needs to take to address climate change and reach mitigation goals. It’s also a model for how global initiatives can have profound local impacts. The project is life changing in many respects and to many people. We hope to see many more projects like this follow the same path,” said Linda Adams, former Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency and Chair of the Climate Action Reserve Board of Directors.

The Climate Action Reserve is the most experienced, trusted and efficient offset registry to serve the carbon markets. With deep roots in California and a reach across North America, the Reserve encourages actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and works to ensure environmental benefit, integrity and transparency in market-based solutions to address global climate change. It operates the largest accredited registry for the California compliance market and has played an integral role in the development and administration of the state’s cap-and-trade program. For the voluntary market, the Reserve establishes high quality standards for carbon offset projects, oversees independent third-party verification bodies and issues and tracks the transaction of carbon credits (Climate Reserve Tonnes) generated from such projects in a transparent, publicly-accessible system. The Reserve program promotes immediate environmental and health benefits to local communities and brings credibility and value to the carbon market. The Climate Action Reserve is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles, California. For more information, please visit www.climateactionreserve.org.

Pronatura is a nonprofit organization created in 1981. Its mission is the conservation of the fauna, flora and priority ecosystem of Mexico always considering society’s development. The Climate Change area was created to implement mitigation and adaptation projects. Its main program, called Neutralizate (carbon neutral), was created in 2008 and is aimed at promoting the voluntary forest carbon market. The program achieves its objectives by developing GHG inventories for companies, organizations and individuals and offsetting their carbon footprint through carbon emission reductions from forest carbon projects in Mexico.

Errata and Clarifications released for the Forest Project Protocol Versions 3.0, 3.1, and 3.2