ECOSYSTEM MARKETPLACE: The market for grassland carbon credits is on the rise. Here’s why.
A new study from UC Davis found that “grasslands and rangelands are more resilient carbon sinks than forests in 21st century California.” While forests remain vital to global climate mitigation efforts, the increasing frequency and severity of wildfires has heightened the need to explore additional carbon sinks in fire-prone regions. Grasslands lock carbon into the soil, and they don’t release it during wildfires.
Read MoreCOMMENT: Working with the private sector – can the GCF make it work?
It is clear that there needs to be a fundamental overhaul of the governance and decision making processes at the GCF to make its cooperation with the private sector work, writes Alexandra Tracy, a GCF board member representing the private sector.
Read MoreCOMMENT: New CDM issuance rules penalise developers and discriminate against smaller companies
The UNFCCC’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) has enjoyed great success in deploying more than $300 billion of investment into clean technology in developing countries around the world. But recent decisions by the UNFCCC risk alienating may of the companies whose activities support this mechanism and discriminate against smaller enterprises.
Read MoreCARBON FORWARD 2018: New entrants seek to ride the wave as EU carbon prices quadruple
**This article is available to non-subscribers** – The EU ETS has witnessed a dramatic change over the past year as carbon prices have quadrupled, the market has attracted new participants, and the developments have given confidence to existing participants that the world’s biggest carbon market will remain the EU’s main climate policy tool.
Read MoreWRI: What’s changing as countries turn INDCs into NDCs? Five early insights
Some countries aren’t waiting until 2020 to make changes to their national climate commitments. As countries ratify the Paris Agreement, some have decided to revise their INDCs and communicate the changes as part of their first NDCs. WRI provides a summary.
Read MoreCOMMENT: Funding for CO2 reductions – Insights from recent projects by Ontario cap-and-trade participants
In the run-up to the 2nd Annual Ontario Cap and Trade Forum on April 18-19 at the Beanfield Centre in Toronto, Canadian Clean Energy Conferences is producing a series of articles featuring the key topics concerning regulated entities under Ontario’s program.
Read MoreCOMMENT: More information on free allowances is vital for Ontario’s cap-and-trade participants
In the run-up to the 2nd Annual Ontario Cap and Trade Forum on April 18-19 at the Beanfield Centre in Toronto, Canadian Clean Energy Conferences is producing a series of articles featuring the key topics concerning regulated entities under Ontario’s program.
Read MoreECOSYSTEM MARKETPLACE: Can the World Bank model show us how to de-risk US environmental markets?
Given the regulatory risk that environmental markets can be altered or ended with the “stroke of a pen” from policy makers, lenders are generally unwilling to value revenue from environmental markets when underwriting projects. With this heavy, or complete, discounting of environmental market revenues, these markets fail to entice the level of investment needed for projects to generate environmental credits and provide verifiable conservation benefits. How can we reduce the risks associated with environmental credits and keep these critically important projects moving forward?
Read MoreREPORT: Emissions Trading Worldwide – ICAP Status Report 2018
The International Carbon Action Partnership’s new report finds 2017 marks a key step forward for emissions trading. The adoption of ETSs in emerging economies, structural reforms and new cooperation initiatives have boosted confidence in carbon markets and help establish emissions trading as an important tool in reaching the goals of the Paris Agreement.
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