written by NativeEnergy
When NativeEnergy signed on as the Offset Partner for the 2012 Climate Leadership Conference, we knew that we would need to use credible, high-quality offsets to mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the conference. We selected carbon offsets from a project verified to the Climate Action Reserve (CAR) U.S. Landfill Gas Protocol.
The consortium that puts on the conference – the Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO), Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES), The Climate Registry, and the U.S. EPA – are among the most prominent organizations in the United States addressing climate change. Given the stature of the consortium partners, you can imagine the emphasis they placed upon have offsets with “integrity, transparency, and . . . value,” qualities that CAR highlights. Ultimately, we selected a landfill gas offset project from Casella’s Clinton County, NY. This small, voluntary, community project fit the bill admirably.
The role of a conference offset partner can vary. Some conference producers simply offset venue operations, which are a relatively small part of the footprint—typically less than 10 metric tons. For the Climate Leadership Conference, we offset the venue and activities there, hotel stays for conference attendees, plus air and local travel. That footprint was approximately 219 tons, a substantial difference from simply offsetting venue operations. We also wanted to work with the partners to tell the story in a manner that would resonate with attendees. Using the same approach we took with ACCO at their Climate Change Leadership Summit in 2011, we developed materials with the headline “Who let the herd of bull elephants into the room.” The pachyderms vividly conveyed the footprint related to producing the event.
As we know, you can’t be a 21st-century institution and not have a carbon footprint. Add carbon footprints to death and taxes as an inevitable consequence of being.
The institutions we engage with—businesses, non-profit organizations, and events—are all thoughtful and deliberate actors. They are energy-efficient. They support renewable electric generation. They reduce waste; better still, they turn waste into raw material. Still, they have a footprint. Hence the role of carbon offsets. The projects we’ve brought to market—often verified to CAR standards—have provided an important resource to these institutions.
CAR’s work supports the development of credible projects that result in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions over and above business as usual. For a dozen years now, NativeEnergy has been working with responsible entities across the country to turn on new projects that mitigate climate change. In the aftermath of heat, drought, and humongous storms, our work and CAR’s have never been more important.
NativeEnergy is an expert provider of carbon offsets, renewable energy credits, and carbon accounting software. With NativeEnergy’s Help Build™ offsets, businesses and individuals can help finance the construction of wind, biogas, solar, and other carbon reduction projects with strong social and environmental benefits. Since 2000, NativeEnergy’s customers have helped build over 50 projects, reducing more than 2.5 million tons of greenhouse gases, and the company has over 4 million tons under contract. All NativeEnergy carbon offsets undergo third-party validation and verification. Learn more at www.nativeenergy.com.