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Opportunities for Carbon Offsets through California’s Cap and Trade Program

Opportunities for Carbon Offsets through California’s Cap and Trade Program. Joel Levin Vice President. Offsets for Compliance. Compliance obligation can be fulfilled with a mix of allowances and offsets Up to 8% of compliance obligation can be fulfilled with offsets

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Opportunities for Carbon Offsets through California’s Cap and Trade Program

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  1. Opportunities for Carbon Offsets through California’s Cap and Trade Program Joel Levin Vice President

  2. Offsets for Compliance Compliance obligation can be fulfilled with a mix of allowances and offsets Up to 8% of compliance obligation can be fulfilled with offsets Example: If a facility has emissions of 100,000 mtCO2e, then it can use up to 8,000 offsets for that period Offsets can only come projects under approved protocols Project must be registered with a CARB-approved registry We expect to receive CARB approval in July

  3. California Offset Demand

  4. The Reserve: Background and History • Nonprofit organization founded as the California Climate Action Registry by state legislation in 2001 • Encourage actions to reduce emissions • By developing protocols to track GHG emissions and reductions and having those emissions verified and publicly reported • Renamed and expanded in 2008 • Mission remains to encourage actions to reduce emissions

  5. Ensure that emission reduction credits (offsets) have true environmental integrity Show that carbon offsets can be a useful tool in addressing climate change Provide a offset registry that is rigorous while streamlined and user-friendly Link voluntary carbon markets with emerging compliance markets (CA C&T, WCI, RGGI…) Provide expertise on offset standards and policy Organizational Objectives

  6. What We Do • Develop High Quality Standards • Convene stakeholders and lead development of standardized protocols for carbon offset projects • Manage Independent Third Party Verification • Training and oversight of independent verification bodies • Operate a Transparent Registry System • Ensure ownership to emission reductions • Maintain a public registry of approved projects • Issue and track serialized credits generated by projects

  7. Current Protocols • Forestry (Reforestation, Improved Forest Management, Avoided Conversion) • Urban Forestry • Livestock Methane Capture • Ozone Depleting Substances • Landfill Gas Capture • Organic Waste Digestion • Coal Mine Methane • Nitric Acid Production • Organic Waste Composting • Rice Cultivation ARB Approved

  8. Reserve Stats

  9. Buying & Selling CRTs • Must have an account with the Reserve to hold CRTs • No financial transactions within the system, only transfers between accounts • Not a trading exchange for spot transactions • Forward sales are very common • How to trade? • Purchase directly from a project developer • Purchase through a Trader/Broker/Retailer • Purchase futures on an exchange

  10. Eligibility Rules 11

  11. Livestock Projects Definition: Installation of a biogas control system (BCS) at a dairy or swine operation where manure was previously managed through open, uncontrolled anaerobic storage (lagoon) Methane must be captured and destroyed Performance standard Installation of the BCS for destruction of methane from cow or pig manure Baseline condition must have been open, uncontrolled anaerobic storage in a lagoon, tank, or other similar system 12

  12. Organic Waste Digestion Projects Definition: Digestion of one or more eligible organic waste and/or agro-industrial wastewater streams in an operational biogas control system (BCS) that captures and destroys methane gas that would otherwise have been emitted to the atmosphere in the absence of the project. Regulatory test is applied separately to each waste stream Performance standard At least one eligible organic waste stream is digested in the project’s biogas control system (BCS)

  13. OWD: Eligible Waste Streams MSW Food Waste: Non-industrial food waste consisting of uneaten food, food scraps, spoiled food and food preparation wastes from homes, restaurants, kitchens, grocery stores, campuses, cafeterias, or similar institutions Agro-industrial Wastewater: Organic loaded wastewater from industrial or agricultural processing operations that, prior to the project, was treated in an uncontrolled anaerobic lagoon, pond, or tank at a privately owned treatment facility. Excluded from eligibility are wastewaters produced at breweries, ethanol plants, pharmaceutical production facilities, and pulp and paper plants.

  14. Composting Projects Definition: The diversion of one or more eligible waste streams to an aerobic composting facility where the waste is composted in a system that complies with Best Management Practices (BMPs). Regulatory test is applied separately to each waste stream Performance standard Project diverts and composts at least one eligible feedstock

  15. Composting Projects: Eligible Waste Streams MSW food waste and non-recyclable food soiled paper waste are eligible. Why? Because very little of these waste streams are currently composted. Exception: Grocery stores Grocery store waste streams are eligible only if you can document that they were previously going to a landfill. Waste from newly opened stores is also eligible.

  16. Contact Information policy@climateactionreserve.org www.climateactionreserve.org 523 W. 6th Street, Ste. 428 Los Angeles, CA 90014 213-891-1444

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