cap and trade

A factory worker complains about bearing the brunt of climate change reform. Who can help him carry the weight?

Climate change, is one of the most profound challenges of modern times. So why is it that there is such a serious shortage of greenhouse gas experts, climate-change strategists, and professionals in the field? After all, climate change will certainly affect all of our lifestyles and the way we do business. And while it’s undoubtedly important to develop rigid, international standards for greenhouse gas monitoring and management, it’s equally as important to have skilled workers in place to ensure these standards are put into practice correctly.

The issue of climate change as it relates to the Olympic Games has been largely overshadowed by Beijing’s poor air quality. Understandably, Olympic organizers have had their hands full in an attempt to decrease local pollution and improve local air quality over the short-term, leaving little resources for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This is unfortunate given the scale of GHG emissions associated with the Olympics.

This week we ’ll take a look at three different and equally likely forms of GHG legislation to help your company better understand its possible exposure and risk mitigation strategies. (1) Performance Standards, (2) Carbon Tax, and (3) Cap and Trade.

However, regulating the aggregated emissions at a utility-level makes sense from a regulatory perspective and quantifying indirect greenhouse gas emissions from electricity use makes sense to individual companies because it is so closely tied to cost-saving efforts from energy efficiency projects. This example should start to demonstrate how complicated GHG legislation can become when ownership of emissions is itself a difficult concept to grasp.

GHG management is most often still the domain of environmental professionals, but because GHG emissions may be viewed as potential liabilities, and present financial opportunities for some, in the near future, company executives are increasingly looking for greater visibility into the data.

As the public debate continues on whether greenhouse gases contribute to global warming or whether we are going through a natural cycle, enormous political pressure and investment dollars are streaming into the solutions aspect of the debate. Discussions in North America on environmental policy and economic benefits are steaming ahead at all levels of government and in the corporate board room.Putting the debate aside, creating a carbon market that stimulates activity to address climate change provides everyone an opportunity to participate.

As the need for climate change solutions continues to grow, so does the need for properly educated greenhouse gas management and measurement professionals. Universities and colleges are typically the first place one thinks of when they hear “advanced education”; unfortunately, these institutions alone do not currently provide education for the full spectrum of the climate change industry.

Washington, DC - Margo Thorning, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist, American Council on Capital Formation, is interviewed about a study assessing the potential national and state economic impacts resulting from proposed climate change legislation.

The hearing examines the role of auction or allocation systems for global warming emissions credits in a cap-and-trade climate bill. Along with several prominent witnesses from the United States, Zapfel covers these new developments in the E.U.

Sen. Coleman speaks in favor of America's Climate Security Act (ACSA), which is projected to reduce total U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions,particularly the provisions of which that help shield low-income Americans from the costs of climate change solutions.

In this roundtable discussion, panelists discuss the latest developments in climate change negotiation and greenhouse gas reductions while alsolooking at the economic and political forces that will affect the issue now and in the future.