Climate Change Issues Options For Addressing Challenges To Carbon Offset Quality
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Climate Change Issues Options For Addressing Challenges To Carbon Offset Quality
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Author :
language : en
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
Release Date :
Climate Change Issues Options For Addressing Challenges To Carbon Offset Quality written by and has been published by DIANE Publishing this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on with categories.
Climate Change Issues
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Author : U. s. Government Accountability Office
language : en
Publisher: CreateSpace
Release Date : 2012-06-21
Climate Change Issues written by U. s. Government Accountability Office and has been published by CreateSpace this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2012-06-21 with Science categories.
GAO-11-345. Carbon offsets are reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in one place to compensate for emissions elsewhere. Examples of offset projects include planting trees, developing renewable energy sources, or capturing emissions from landfills. Recent congressional proposals would have limited emissions from utilities, industries, or other "regulated entities," and allowed these entities to buy offsets. Research suggests that offsets can significantly lower the cost of a program to limit emissions because buying offsets may cost regulated entities less than making the reductions themselves. Some existing international and U.S. regional programs allow offsets to be used for compliance with emissions limits. A number of voluntary offset programs also exist, where buyers do not face legal requirements but may buy offsets for other reasons. Prior GAO work found that it can be difficult to ensure offset quality--that offsets achieve intended reductions. One quality criterion is that reductions must be "additional" to what would have occurred without the offset program. This report provides information on (1) key challenges in assessing the quality of different types of offsets and (2) options for addressing key challenges associated with offset quality if the U.S. adopted a program to limit emissions. GAO reviewed relevant literature and interviewed selected experts and such stakeholders as project developers, verifiers, and program officials. This report contains no recommendations. According to experts, stakeholders, and available information, key challenges in assessing the quality of offset projects include the following: (1) Additionality. According to many experts and stakeholders GAO interviewed, additionality is the primary challenge to offset quality. Assessing additionality is difficult because it involves determining what emissions would have been without the incentives provided by the offset program. Studies suggest that existing programs have awarded offsets that were not additional. (2) Measuring and managing soil and forestry offsets. For projects that store carbon in soils and forests, it is challenging to estimate the amount of carbon stored and to manage the risk that carbon may later be released by, for example, fires or changes in land management. Some studies have estimated that projects involving soils and forestry could constitute the majority of offsets under a U.S. program. (3) Verification. Experts and stakeholders said that verifying offsets in existing markets has presented several challenges. In particular, project developers and offset buyers may have few incentives to report information accurately or to investigate offset quality. According to experts, stakeholders, and available information, policymakers have several options to choose from in addressing challenges with offset quality. These approaches often involve fundamental trade-offs, such as increasing the cost of offsets.~
Climate Change Issues
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Author : United States Government Accountability Office
language : en
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Release Date : 2018-01-11
Climate Change Issues written by United States Government Accountability Office and has been published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2018-01-11 with categories.
Climate Change Issues: Options for Addressing Challenges to Carbon Offset Quality
Climate Change Issues
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Author : U.s. Government Accountability Office
language : en
Publisher:
Release Date : 2017-08-17
Climate Change Issues written by U.s. Government Accountability Office and has been published by this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2017-08-17 with categories.
"Carbon offsets are reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in one place to compensate for emissions elsewhere. Examples of offset projects include planting trees, developing renewable energy sources, or capturing emissions from landfills. Recent congressional proposals would have limited emissions from utilities, industries, or other "regulated entities," and allowed these entities to buy offsets. Research suggests that offsets can significantly lower the cost of a program to limit emissions because buying offsets may cost regulated entities less than making the reductions themselves.Some existing international and U.S. regional programs allow offsets to be used for compliance with emissions limits. A number of voluntary offset programs also exist, where buyers do not face legal requirements but may buy offsets for other reasons. Prior GAO work found that it can be difficult to ensure offset quality-that offsets achieve intended reductions. One quality criterion is that reductions must be "additional" to what would have occurred without the offset program.This report provides information on (1) key challenges in assessing the quality of different types of offsets and (2) options for addressing key challenges associated with offset quality if the U.S. adopted a program..."
Climate Change Issues
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Author : U. S. Government Accountability Office (
language : en
Publisher: BiblioGov
Release Date : 2013-06
Climate Change Issues written by U. S. Government Accountability Office ( and has been published by BiblioGov this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2013-06 with categories.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent agency that works for Congress. The GAO watches over Congress, and investigates how the federal government spends taxpayers dollars. The Comptroller General of the United States is the leader of the GAO, and is appointed to a 15-year term by the U.S. President. The GAO wants to support Congress, while at the same time doing right by the citizens of the United States. They audit, investigate, perform analyses, issue legal decisions and report anything that the government is doing. This is one of their reports.
Climate Change Issues
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Author : United States. Government Accountability Office
language : en
Publisher:
Release Date : 2011
Climate Change Issues written by United States. Government Accountability Office and has been published by this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2011 with Carbon offsetting categories.
This report provides information on (1) key challenges in assessing the quality of different types of offsets and (2) options for addressing key challenges associated with offset quality if the U.S. adopted a program to limit emissions.
Carbon Offsets
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Author : John B. Stephenson
language : en
Publisher:
Release Date : 2009-03
Carbon Offsets written by John B. Stephenson and has been published by this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2009-03 with Carbon dioxide mitigation categories.
Carbon offsets -- reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from an activity in one place to compensate for emissions elsewhere -- are a way to address climate change by paying someone else to reduce emissions. To be credible, an offset must be additional, among other criteria. Assessing credibility is challenging because it is difficult to make business-as-usual projections. This report examines: (1) the scope of the U.S. voluntary carbon offset market, including the role of the fed. gov¿t.; (2) the extent to which mechanisms for ensuring the credibility of offsets are available and used and what, if any, related info. is shared with consumers; and (3) trade-offs associated with increased oversight of the U.S. market and including offsets in climate change mitigation policies.
Handbook Of Carbon Offset Programs
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Author : Anja Kollmuss
language : en
Publisher: Routledge
Release Date : 2010-08-12
Handbook Of Carbon Offset Programs written by Anja Kollmuss and has been published by Routledge this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2010-08-12 with Business & Economics categories.
Greenhouse gas (GHG) offsets have long been promoted as an important element of a comprehensive climate policy approach. Offset programs can reduce the overall cost of achieving a given emission goal by enabling emission reductions to occur where costs are lower. Offsets have the potential to deliver sustainability co-benefits, through technology development and transfer. They can also develop human and institutional capacity for reducing emissions in sectors and locations not included in a cap and trade or a mandatory government policy. However, offsets can pose a risk to the environmental integrity of climate actions, especially if issues surrounding additionality, permanence, leakage, quantification and verification are not adequately addressed. The challenge is to design offset programs and policies that can maximize their potential benefits while minimizing their potential risks. This handbook provides a systematic and comprehensive review of existing offset programs. It looks at what offsets are, how offset mechanisms function, and the successes and pitfalls they have encountered. Coverage includes offset programs across the full swath of applications including mandatory and voluntary systems, government regulated and private markets, carbon offset funds, and accounting and reporting protocols such as the WBCSD/WRI GHG Protocol and ISO 14064. Learning from the successes and failures of these programs will be essential to crafting effective climate policy. This is an essential reference for all regulators, policy makers, business leaders and NGOs concerned with the design and operation of GHG offset programs world-wide. Published with SEI
Carbon Offsets
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Author : Karen T. Morningstar
language : en
Publisher:
Release Date : 2010
Carbon Offsets written by Karen T. Morningstar and has been published by this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2010 with Carbon sequestration categories.
This book looks at carbon offsets which provide a way for individuals, businesses, and governments to address concerns about the impact of their greenhouse gas emissions on the earth's climate by paying others to undertake activities that reduce, avoid, or sequester greenhouse gases. A carbon offset can be defined as a measurable reduction of greenhouse gas emissions occurring elsewhere. For example, a U.S. manufacturer might offset its emissions by funding an external project that captures methane, a greenhouse gas emitted from agricultural sources and landfills. The emissions reduced, avoided, or sequestered by such projects are collectively termed carbon offsets, though they may involve different greenhouse gases. Carbon offsets are a potentially attractive option for those interested in addressing concerns about climate change because they can offer a potentially low-cost and convenient means of reducing, avoiding or sequestering greenhouse gas emissions relative to other options, such as altering manufacturing processes or using less fossil fuel. This book consists of public documents which have been located, gathered, combined, reformatted, and enhanced with a subject index, selectively edited and bound to provide easy access.
Carbon Offsets
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Author : United States Government Accountability Office
language : en
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Release Date : 2017-09-08
Carbon Offsets written by United States Government Accountability Office and has been published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2017-09-08 with categories.
Carbon offsets-reductions of greenhouse gas emissions from an activity in one place to compensate for emissions elsewhere-are a way to address climate change by paying someone else to reduce emissions. To be credible, an offset must be additional-it must reduce emissions below the quantity emitted in a business-as-usual scenario-among other criteria. Assessing credibility is inherently challenging because it is difficult to make business-as-usual projections. Outside the U.S., offsets may be purchased on compliance markets to meet requirements to reduce emissions. In the U.S., there are no federal requirements and offsets may be purchased in the voluntary market. GAO was asked to examine (1) the scope of the U.S. voluntary carbon offset market, including the role of the federal government; (2) the extent to which mechanisms for ensuring the credibility of offsets are available and used and what, if any, related information is shared with consumers; and (3) trade-offs associated with increased oversight of the U.S. market and including offsets in climate change mitigation policies. This report is based on analysis of literature and data, interviews with stakeholders, and GAO's purchase of offsets. The scope of the U.S. voluntary carbon offset market is uncertain because of limited data, but available information indicates that the supply of offsets generated from projects based in the United States is growing rapidly. Data obtained from a firm that analyzes the carbon market show that the supply of offsets increased from about 6.2 million tons in 2004 to about 10.2 million tons in 2007. Over 600 organizations develop, market, or sell offsets in the United States, and the market involves a wide range of participants, prices, transaction types, and projects. The federal government plays a small role in the voluntary market by providing limited consumer protection and technical assistance, and no single regulatory body has oversight responsibilities. U.S. Supply of Voluntary Offsets by Volume and Number of Projects from 2000 through 2007 YearSource: GAO analysis of Point Carbon data.NumberVolume in millions(metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent)29180050100150200250024681012Number of projectsVolume (metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent) 2007200620052004200320022001200011369934821113 A variety of quality assurance mechanisms, including standards for verification and monitoring, are available and used to evaluate offsets, but data are not sufficient to determine the extent of their use. Information shared with consumers on credibility is also limited. Participants in the offset market face challenges ensuring the credibility of offsets, including problems determining additionality, and the existence of many quality assurance mechanisms. GAO, through its purchase of offsets, found that the information provided to consumers by retailers offered limited assurance of credibility. Increased federal oversight of the U.S. voluntary market could enhance the market's transparency and improve consumer protection, but may also reduce flexibility, increase administrative costs, and stifle innovation, according to certain stakeholders. Including offsets in regulatory programs to limit greenhouse gas emissions could also lower the cost of compliance, according to recent EPA analyses and economic literature. However, some stakeholders said that concerns about the credibility of offsets could compromise the environmental integrity of a compliance system.