Payments for ecosystem services are becoming
an increasingly important part of the U.S.
business and regulatory landscape. As programs that provide payments for ecosystem services grow, policy makers will
need to determine how these various payments
should interact with each other.
S.1733, the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act (CEJAPA) also known as the Kerry Boxer bill , provides a number of important provisions that will ensure that offsets used in the U.S. cap-and-trade program represent real, additional, measurable and verified greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions.
When implemented properly, an early action
component of a cap-and-trade program can reward
early actors while preserving or enhancing the
environmental outcomes of the cap-and-trade
program. If designed and implemented poorly,
however, early action credits can infl ate the
emissions cap and reduce the overall environmental
integrity of the program. This paper presents a
range of options for addressing early reductions and
discusses their implications.
Peter Erickson, (SEI), Michel Lazarus (SEI), Alexia Kelly (WRI)
Working Paper: March, 2009
A sound understanding of the economics
of offsets-in particular, of the potential
supply of offsets under future policy
scenarios and market conditions-is
critically important for policymakers
as they address major design decisions
in crafting climate policy. This analysis
will evaluate offset supply analyses
completed to date, with a particular focus
on identification of the assumptions and
discrepancies of these efforts. This work
will inform a subsequent, detailed analysis
of domestic offset supply potential.
The World Resources Institute is now one of the first U.S.-based organizations to purchase Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) from the global compliance market established by the Kyoto Protocol.
Testimony Before the Senate Subcommittee on Rural Revitalization, Conservation, Forestry, and Credit of the United States Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
There are two ways the U.S. government could bring consistency and credibility to the voluntary carbon offset market: endorse an existing program and provide guidance, oversight and/or enforcement.
Diverting oil palm plantations onto degraded lands in Indonesia to combat illegal logging, protect the environment, and create sustainable livelihoods.
This project facilitates the development of globally consistent markets
for greenhouse gas emission reductions, which will form a critical
component of both U.S. policies and international agreements on climate
change.
