|
|||
|
|
||
|
|
As the world debates how best to tackle the threats of climate change, there is one issue everyone agrees on: We must lower carbon emissions from all sources – energy, transportation, industry and forest destruction.
And a market-based cap-and-trade system that puts a financial value on carbon reductions is quickly becoming the favored strategy among US policy-makers to reduce emissions and combat climate change.
Hundreds of carbon experts from the business, scientific, environmental, financial and governmental sectors will gather in Washington DC April 7-8 at the Carbon TradeEx America Conference to discuss all aspects of carbon markets – from monitoring, financing, accreditation, policy and beyond.
Taking place at the Washington Convention Center, the Conference will feature such prominent experts on the carbon trade system as Bruce Babbitt, former US Secretary of the Interior; Jeff Horowitz, founder of the Avoided Deforestation Partnership; and Stuart E. Eizenstat, former lead U.S. climate change negotiator under President Clinton.
The Nature Conservancy will also be participating in the conference, highlighting the need to protect forests and lower carbon emissions.
The destruction of the world’s forests produces nearly 20 percent of all carbon emissions released into the atmosphere each year, more than from all the planes, trains and automobiles on earth.
Currently, cash-poor but forest-rich nations can earn more money by destroying their forests than by protecting them. Forest destruction is the primary source of carbon emissions in many developing countries, including Brazil and Indonesia.
But a market-based system that allows U.S. companies to meet some portion of their emissions caps by investing in forest carbon programs will generate the financial incentives developing countries need to protect their threatened forest resources, lower their carbon emissions and join the global fight against climate change.
On the first day of the Carbon TradeEx America Conference, April 7, at 12:15, The Nature Conservancy will host a side event titled: Forest Carbon: Experience Over the Last 15 Years and Future Opportunities.
The event will discuss the Conservancy’s forest carbon projects around the world and how they brought government agencies, corporate leaders, local communities and environmentalists together to protect forest resources, reduce carbon emissions, promote sustainable economies and fight climate change.
Among the projects to be highlighted will be the Conservancy’s Noel Kempff project in Bolivia, the world’s first forest carbon project to be certified for carbon reductions by a third-party. The project, launched in 1997, is protecting 642,500 hectares of forest from logging and other destructive practices, and over 30 years is expected to prevent 5.8 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to removing 1 million cars from America’s highways for one year.
The side event will also discuss future opportunities to protect forests and fight climate change through a carbon credit market.
Sarene Marshall, director of The Nature Conservancy’s Climate Change Program, will also participate in a panel discussion on April 8 at 11 am that will focus on the role forestry offsets play in international climate policy.
To receive 40 percent discount on registration to the conference, select “Supporting Organization” under the Registration Type question on the registration form. Then, on the next page, enter TNC in response to the second question. The discount will be applied upon checkout on the payment page.
Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Daniel Leininger via Creative Commons license (capitol building); Photo © Bob Lalasz (logs certified as reduced-impact).
Join The Nature Conservancy on