ECOSYSTEM MARKETPLACE: Will small forest owners finally be able to tap carbon markets?
The Wong family of Peru amassed a fortune building up a chain of supermarkets, but much of their wealth today is in real estate – including the 220,000-hectare (543,400-acre) Madeacre forestry concession that family’s late patriarch, Erasmo Wong, cobbled together in the province of Tahuamanu.
Read MoreCOMMENT: Taxing carbon at the EU border? Only if free pollution permits go
As part of her “European Green Deal”, incoming EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has promised to introduce a carbon border tax to “ensure that European companies can compete on a level playing field”. This is a new wind coming from the executive branch of the European Union and it remains uncertain how von der Leyen plans to turn the idea of a carbon border tax into practice.
Read MoreCOMMENT: Carbon markets in Pakistan – Can the myth be turned into a reality?
A carbon pricing instrument could support Pakistan reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and set the country into a lower-emissions pathway. However, carbon pricing cannot be seen in isolation, as an end in itself, and therefore it is important to ensure such approach is aligned with national priorities and that it can support and reinforce other existing policies, UNFCCC carbon pricing consultant Syeda Hadika Jamshaid argues in this op-ed.
Read MoreECOSYSTEM MARKETPLACE: Understanding Elizabeth Warren’s Climate Change Risk Disclosure Act
The Green New Deal has been the focal point of the climate debate among the Democratic presidential candidates. Less publicized is the Climate Risk Disclosure Act, a proposal from Senator and presidential contender Elizabeth Warren, that seeks to frame climate change as a threat to the public markets.
Read MoreCOMMENT: ProPublica’s Inexcusable REDD+ Belly Flop
Mainstream media outlets have been congratulating themselves of late for becoming just 20 years too late on climate change, and now the same institutions that have consistently failed to cover the enormity of the challenge are failing to cover the myriad interlocking solutions. This week, ProPublica became the latest outlet to blow it
Read MoreECOSYSTEM MARKETPLACE: How carbon markets can boost biodiversity and slow climate change
We must take advantage of natural climate solutions if we are to avoid the worst effects of climate change. Yet setbacks – such as an incomplete Paris Rulebook – have raised concerns amongst stakeholders, worried that without UN guidance on carbon markets, they cannot confidently scale up the required policies and programs. The Nature Conservancy has released a new guide that highlights why many are already taking action to make use of markets in funding NCS, and how businesses can thoughtfully take similar steps today amidst a developing regulatory landscape.
Read MoreECOSYSTEM MARKETPLACE: With infrastructure reform, US can build world’s biggest, greenest carbon sink
In the middle of last month, US Senator (and New Green Deal co-sponsor) Ed Markey (D-Mass) said his party would make sure that any overhaul of the country’s infrastructure was done with clean energy. These “green infrastructure” projects don’t just keep greenhouse gas emissions down though; they generate environmental benefits. Some of them can even become carbon negative, meaning they can absorb more GHGs than they emit.
Read MoreCOMMENT: Canada’s industry should support carbon pricing, not fight it
The Canadian industry associations’ claims about the negative impact of carbon pricing on jobs and competitiveness are exaggerated and lack empirical evidence. Pollution pricing incentivises companies to innovate, which will be necessary to guarantee their competitiveness in the long-term.
Read MoreCOMMENT: Canadian carbon reduction and energy efficiency options
As corporates across Canada adjust to new federal and provincial carbon regulations, energy efficiency providers are fine-tuning their products and to serve the low-carbon economy. From low-hanging fruit to futuristic devices, there is no shortage of options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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