Bill Eddie, Director of Origination and Procurement, Bonneville Environmental Foundation
Andrew Nourafshan, Program Analyst, Green-e Climate

Moderator:
TBA

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Forestry Panel     April 10th, 4:00-5:20 pm

This session will explore the viability of commercializing forestry offsets in the marketplace. Some of the most contested issues lie with the concepts of additionality and leakage, which have an impact on return on investment and have therefore limited the development of forest-based offsets. What types of policy measures do we need to put in place to ensure the viability of such projects?  What are acceptable measures for determining a projects baseline? How should we value the ecological and social co-benefits that some projects may have over others? What types of analyses should be conducted to determine acceptable sequestration trajectories and financial returns? Are buffers and insurance mechanisms adequate measures to protect offset holders?

Confirmed Speakers:

Christopher Galik, Climate Change Policy Partnership - Duke University
Len Eddy, President and CEO, The Carbon Basis Company
Ron Luhur, Carbon Markets Specialist, Environmental Defense Fund

Moderator:
Jeffrey Vincent, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University

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Energy Efficiency Certificates (EECs) Panel   April 11th, 9:00-10:20 am

As a strategy, energy efficiency may have the greatest impact in reducing carbon emissions associated with energy production and use. Energy efficiency certificates (EECs), similar to RECs, serve as a way to capture the energy savings, and thereby reduced carbon emissions, in a tradable commodity. However, it is very difficult to calculate what energy savings are created from energy efficiency measures. This uncertainty further adds to the difficulty in certifying EECs. Despite these hurdles, EECs are being traded under certain REPS policies. This panel will present the idea of EECs, how they work, and how to address future challenges facing them.

Confirmed Speakers:

Alden Hathaway, Senior Vice President, Business Development, Sterling Planet
Eliot Metzger, Climate and Energy Associate, World Resource Institute
Cindy Jacobs, Connecticut Public Utility Control

Moderator:
Dalia Patino Echeverri, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University

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Methane Capture Panel     April 11th, 10:25-11:45 am

Methane capture offsets can be generated from several sources including farms, landfills, food processing facilities, among others. In this panel we will explore some of the issues and limitations around creating viable offsets from methane capture activities including technology, policies, costs and scale. How will climate change and renewable energy policies affect the agricultural and waste management industries? What types of technologies are available to capture methane and destroy it, thus turning it into a certified offset? How do we determine the baseline for a methane capture project? What role can the small farmer play in the market for offsets?

Confirmed Speakers:

Todd Wooten - Director, Southeast Climate Resources Center, Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions at Duke University
Al Vazquez - Managing Partner, Closewaters LLC Energy and Carbon Management
Max DuBuisson - Business Development Associate, Climate Action Reserve

Moderator:
Tanja Vujic, Environmental Policy and Law Consultant

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Round Table Discussion     April 11th, 11:50am - 12:40pm

The round table aims to address some pressing practical issues and questions regarding carbon offsets including:

·         Which types of offsets are most appropriate to meet climate neutrality goals (e.g., land use and forestry offsets vs. renewable energy and/or energy efficiency offsets)?

·         Are there benefits to sourcing local versus global offsets?

·         How can different institutions evaluate the different certification standards?

·         What is the role of offsets in existing and future climate change policy?

Jonas Monast, Climate Change Policy Partnership, Duke University