The Ecosystem Marketplace's V-Carbon News
Carbon beyond Kyoto... Carbon for the Rest of us

Anyone who doubts that the issue of carbon markets –and voluntary carbon markets in particular—is beginning to take hold of the public imagination need only look at the upcoming carbon conference schedule to have their doubts put to rest. It seems that nearly every week there is at least one (and sometimes two) conferences on carbon trading being held someplace in the world. Last week carbon market stakeholders flocked to a conference in San Francisco, this week another conference will be in Washington DC, and we’ve counted two major New York based carbon conferences in October . And that is only the bigger conferences in the US. Look outside the US, and you see an equal amount of conferences in Asia, India, Latin America and, of course, Europe. It is getting to the point—dare we say it?—of carbon conference fatigue, even for inveterate carbon conference-fans such as ourselves.

And yet, though there is likely to be something of a "shakeout" in the conference circuit sometime soon, the underlying reason for these conferences is good news. It means interest in carbon, carbon trading, and carbon markets is reaching something akin to fever pitch. People are beginning to understand that, while offsetting and trading may not be "THE" ultimate solution to the climate change problem, it can nevertheless serve as an important element of the solution. Even the more cynical view, the view that says that people are getting involved because they detect the faint smell of money in the air, could be a sign of success. Since carbon markets were designed to push people to innovate and invest in emissions reductions, then in theory (and as long as we ensure that these reductions are real, additional, verifiable, etc.) this capitalist embrace is a good thing. Indeed, perhaps it is this very attraction to entrepreneurs that makes carbon trading such an interesting proposition, maybe even more interesting than a carbon tax (not to say that carbon taxes won't be needed as well to address the climate change problem...).

In a way, is being reflected on the ton of the carbon meetings of late. In San Francisco, for instance (see the article by Amanda Hawn), the discussions were much more practical and pragmatic –and less theoretical. Questions that arose included: How do you create projects that will be accepted by the regulated and voluntary markets? What certification and verification systems exist, which make the most sense, and how can they be used? How do we really solve the climate problem? What role do forests play? Where is the US –and California in particular—heading? In short, how do we, as energy companies, forestry experts, and banks get involved in helping address climate change? And that, we think, is a good question for people to be asking.

Read on to get the latest on voluntary carbon market price peaks (a $300 offset credit!), the UNFCCC CDM Bazaar, and carbon neutral claims.

—The Editors

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