Presented by: Anja Kollmuss and Michael Lazarus

Climate disruption due to atmospheric carbon loading is the paramount issue of our time, and building construction and operations is a major culprit in the anthropogenic contribution to  carbon load. Carbon offsets are often referenced as one component of the response to this issue. But not all carbon offset programs are created equal. In this session, we'll explore the current landscape of carbon offset programs, identifying what to look for in a robust program.

Take the Session:

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Note: by clicking on the link above, you will be directed to Cascadia's secure server for registration and payment. Sessions are $75 for Cascadia members, and $90 for non-members. By registering and purchasing this session, you will have 60 consecutive days to view the content.

Take the Quiz

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Note: Taking the quiz is intended for individuals seeking the Living Building Leader designation. You are entitled to take the quiz once, which requires a 70% passing score. Any score below 70% precludes the session from being counted towards your Living Building Leader designation. Please prepare accordingly.

Resources

Carbon Offset Research and Information - new educational clearinghouse from SEI (6/28/09)

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

SEI research on carbon markets

Clean Development Mechanism (UNFCCC site) 

UNEP Risoe CDM/JI Pipeline Analysis and Database 

WRI’s GHG Protocol Corporate Standard

Voluntary Carbon Offset Reports and Evaluations

Ricardo Bayon, Director; Amanda Hawn, Editor; and Katherine Hamilton, Carbon Projects Manager; of the Ecosystem Marketplace. Foreward by former Vice-President Al Gore. Published March 2007.

, published July 3, 2007. (299pp)

A Consumers Guide to Retail Carbon Offset Providers
a detailed report published by Clean Air – Cool Planet in December 2006.

Trade Information

Point Carbon 

The Katoomba Group's Ecosystem Marketplace

Presenters

Anja Kollmuss - Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), Staff Scientist

Anja works in the Climate and Energy Program at SEI focusing on national and international climate mitigation policy. She currently researches cap-and-trade and carbon offset programs. Anja was a contributing author to the IPCCs Third Assessment Report were she researched the climate impacts of waste management. She has worked on researching and implementing low-carbon strategies for over 15 years and has extensive experience in energy-efficiency strategies for residential buildings.

Anja did her undergraduate studies at the ETH in Switzerland and at Harvard in Biology and Environmental Studies. She holds an MA in Urban and Environmental Planning from Tufts University.

For the last 7 years, Anja has worked with Dalit Women Power/Nari Jagran Manch, a women's empowerment organization in rural Bihar, India.  She also plays Early Music and Klezmer.

Michael Lazarus - SEI, Senior Scientist

Michael directs the Seattle office of SEI-US. His current research focuses on energy and international climate change policy, and on state and local energy and climate change initiatives within the US. He brings over 20 years of professional experience in energy and environmental analysis and capacity building. He has worked throughout North America, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe with support from government agencies, development banks, foundations, utilities, and non-profit groups.

Since 2002, he has been a member of the Methodology Panel of the Clean Development Mechanism, the project-based emission reduction trading program of the Kyoto Protocol. During the 2005-2006 academic year, he is a visiting researcher at the Energy Policy and Economics Institute at the University of Grenoble, France.

Michael received an M.S. in Energy and Resources from the University of California, Berkeley in 1984.