From the Press Release:
Prices, quantities, and brief descriptions of the projects are now available online for registered users at www.emissionstrading.com. Clients can also respond on-line to bids and offers.
"Participants in today's voluntary greenhouse gas markets have a challenging task," said CantorCO2e's co-CEO Josh Margolis. "Companies seeking to build a green brand must have access to real reductions that are derived from defined projects. Of most interest are emission reductions from distinct projects that have a pedigree, a history, a story, and which meet rigorous standards.”
"Participants in today's voluntary greenhouse gas markets have a challenging task," said CantorCO2e's co-CEO Josh Margolis. "Companies seeking to build a green brand must have access to real reductions that are derived from defined projects. Of most interest are emission reductions from distinct projects that have a pedigree, a history, a story, and which meet rigorous standards.”
“Our buyers want to support carbon reduction projects that have both a story and a particular character. They simply cannot afford to transact offsets that are neither distinct nor real. For some buyers, the quality of tons is a secondary goal to mitigating their carbon footprint. For others, the quality of the carbon reductions is paramount. Our voluntary markets are for those who need to know the who, what and why of the tons before they buy.”
The importance of voluntary carbon markets is growing with each year.
According to a recent report on the voluntary carbon markets, more than 20 million tons of CO2e were traded voluntarily in the first six months of 2007. Mr. Margolis noted, “This is up from about 24 million tons in all of 2006 and only 8 million tons in 2005. The pace of growth in the market continues to be substantial, and we may see hundreds of millions of tons trade voluntarily by 2010.”
CO2e tons offered through CantorCO2e’s marketplace include those derived from the United States and internationally. Project types include:
Methane capture and avoidance
Biomass power generation
Wind farms
Hydroelectric power
Energy efficiency
Forestry
Carbon capture and storage
Fuel switches
Industrial gas switches
Transportation efficiency improvements
Many of the emission reductions available through CantorCO2e are derived from pre-registered Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects and are verified, or are verifiable, to the Voluntary Carbon Standard, as well as other international and US standards.
These tons are being used by corporations seeking to lighten their carbon footprint. Some are looking to build a carbon portfolio in anticipation of the Northeast’s Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) or California’s Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32), authored by Fran Pavley and signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006.
Others are seeking to avoid projects being slowed by California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) interventions. Consumer product corporations are also seeking to build a green brand by inviting their customers to offset the carbon associated with units produced. More detailed information about CantorCO2e’s voluntary carbon markets can be found here.
About AB 32 (The Global Warming Solutions Act)
AB 32, California’s Global Warming Solutions Act, is the nation's first economy-wide cap on Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. Signed into law in 2006, AB 32 represents the first enforceable state-wide program to cap greenhouse gas emissions from major industries, with penalties for non-compliance. The new state law caps California's greenhouse gas emissions at 1990 levels by the year 2020. Unlike the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) in the Northeast, which is aimed at purely Electric Generating Units (EGUs), the California law will target all major emitters, and include all six gases associated with global warming, not just CO2. For more information on the GHG law, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) website is www.arb.ca.gov/cc/cc.htm.
