ARLINGTON VA, March 16, 2020 – American Carbon Registry (ACR), a nonprofit enterprise of Winrock International, is pleased to announce that ACR was approved on Friday, March 13, 2020 by the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to supply eligible ACR-issued emission reduction units for compliance under the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA).

The CORSIA is a global market-based mechanism approved by ICAO in 2016 to achieve carbon neutral growth in international aviation starting in 2020. CORSIA is expected to reduce or offset 2.5 billion tonnes of CO2-e through 2035.

The ICAO Council’s approval of programs to supply eligible emissions units for the CORSIA follows recommendations from the 19-member Technical Advisory Body (TAB) that was established to evaluate programs’ compliance with Emissions Unit Criteria for offsetting requirements in the 2021-2023 pilot phase of CORSIA.

ACR’s program application for evaluation by the TAB, submitted on July 12, 2019, included all ACR activity types and methodologies currently approved and active for crediting emission reductions and removals.

ACR’s program application was approved for all scopes for activities, without limitations, for which the first crediting period began no earlier than January 1, 2016 for emissions reductions that occur through December 31, 2020. The list of all eligible emissions units and exclusions will soon be publicly available on the ICAO CORSIA website. 

“ACR appreciates the ICAO Council’s decision based on the rigorous assessment of programs undertaken by the TAB,” stated Mary Grady of ACR. “The international aviation sector has made remarkable progress in a short amount of time on establishing a new global framework to reduce emissions and combat climate change. With this important milestone, we are ready to support implementation of the CORSIA.”

ACR discussed its approval and eligible emissions reduction scopes and methodologies in a webinar on March 18th, 2020.  The recording of the webinar can be accessed here.

LOS ANGELES, April 25, 2019 – Last night, the American Carbon Registry (ACR), a nonprofit enterprise of Winrock International, hosted its annual gala reception to recognize and thank its members and partners. ACR Director John Kadyszewski welcomed guests, presented highlights from the year and described the awards to be presented, including the individual Climate Leadership award as well as organizational awards based on ACR’s guiding principles of innovation, quality and excellence.

Kadyszewski presented ACR’s Climate Leadership award to Jonathan Pershing, Environment Program Director at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, for a lifetime blending thought leadership with the negotiating skills of a diplomat to mobilize global action to address climate change. Pershing understands the key role markets play in finding the most efficient path forward. An early contributor to technical reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports, his knowledge of the science and the data helped him play an instrumental role in securing the Paris agreement as Deputy Special Envoy under Todd Stern. Taking over as Special Envoy after Paris, Pershing was the principle architect of the Obama Administration Global Climate Change Initiative which provided over $1 billion a year to support climate change.

Mobilizing capital for action has been a hallmark of Pershing’s career. Before Paris, he was the key architect of the Department of Energy “Mission Innovation” commitment to double climate and clean energy research and development budgets. His skills at analyzing the data have allowed him to see where we need to go before others and his cheerful, upbeat, open demeanor have motivated others to do more than they might have thought they were prepared to do, bringing together business leaders, civil society, governments and investors. He continues with these efforts in his new position with the Hewlett Foundation drawing attention to an increasingly obvious challenge to act more quickly.

“I am honored to accept this award from the American Carbon Registry. The impacts of climate change are becoming ever more severe and widespread, from wildfires in California to floods in the Midwest, to droughts in Australia to unprecedented and powerful cyclones in Africa and Asia,” said Pershing. “Solving the problem and avoiding even more dire future consequences is going to require us all to pull together, with markets, investors, governments and civil society all working collectively for the greatest impact. That in turn will require a heightened degree of transparency and a collective commitment to environmental integrity in our efforts. ACR’s leadership in this arena is important, not only for the market stability and legitimacy it provides, but also for the model it sets globally for a pivotal element of the future climate solution.”

California State Treasurer Fiona Ma accepted the ACR Commitment to Quality award on behalf of the State Treasurer’s Office, which was honored for its dedication to the creation of a robust green bond market in California — a market that elevates greenhouse gas mitigation and climate resiliency considerations while valuing and executing high-quality climate-aligned infrastructure projects. The leadership from the Treasurer’s Office began in 2016 with a listening tour to identify barriers and challenges in the market, and it again convened stakeholders in 2018 to define actionable strategies and solutions for growth. The state has issued over $2 billion in green bonds to date and was one of the first signatories of the Green Bond Pledge, committing to align all future bond issuances financing long-term infrastructure projects with climate resiliency and mitigation benefits where relevant. The Treasurer’s Office continues to support the emergence of a consistent set of best practices, including further standardization, that will help streamline the market and serve as a model for other jurisdictions. Long a leader on social and environmental issues, the state’s commitment to quality only deepens with the extension of non-financial performance filters into project financing, helping to ensure community transformation through the critical infrastructure decisions of tomorrow.

“Climate change threatens our quality of life, our economy, and poses material risk to our communities, especially those that will feel the adverse effects of climate change disproportionally,” stated Ma. “Green bonds are a vital part of an integrated strategy that address the economic dangers and quality of life issues that face all Californians. We need to leverage California’s market presence and leadership to develop a strategy that ensures that green bonds marketed to investors truly are green. I look forward to working with Winrock and ACR to accomplish our shared goals and a more sustainable, resilient future in California.”

ACR honored both Etsy and Lyft with the Corporate Excellence award for their ambitious corporate offsetting programs. Etsy was recognized for bringing climate responsibility to internet retailing as the first global e-commerce company to offset 100 percent of shipping emissions. This commitment addresses the 98 percent of Etsy’s climate impact that is associated with shipments between independent buyers and sellers. Furthermore, Etsy’s support of the UPM Blandin Native American Hardwoods Conservation Project demonstrates the abundant co-benefits of climate action. Some 188,000 acres of Minnesota forest are now managed to increase carbon sequestration, while protecting 30 miles of trout streams, 47 species of birds, and over 30 species of mammals including black bear, grey wolf and moose. Aside from offsetting, Etsy intends to power its offices and computing infrastructure with 100 percent renewable electricity by 2020. And in 2018, the company achieved its goal of running zero-waste operations in its offices globally, two years ahead of schedule. Etsy is demonstrating that the e-commerce revolution can deliver climate benefits.

“We are honored to be recognized by the American Carbon Registry for this prestigious award,” said Chelsea Mozen, Etsy’s sustainability lead. As a two-sided marketplace, we do not directly manage the shipping process, yet we still feel a pressing need to take accountability for its environmental impact. While our ultimate goal is to find long-term solutions that will completely eliminate carbon emissions, offsets are a crucial step in our sustainability journey.”

Lyft was recognized for making ride-sharing on its platform a carbon neutral transportation alternative.  The company has committed to retire offsets against all rides, along with using offsets and renewable energy credits for the remainder of business operations. In 2018 alone, Lyft offset more than a million metric tons of CO2. Further cementing its climate commitments, Lyft is making electric vehicles available for rent to drivers; offers micro-mobility solutions; created an option for riders to request electric or hybrid vehicles; partnered with public transit agencies; and committed to increasing shared rides. With real understanding of how urban mobility impacts climate, Lyft is driving towards a greener transportation ecosystem.

“Lyft was founded with the mission of improving people’s lives with the world’s best transportation. One of the key ways we work to improve people’s lives is environmentally — by driving carbon out of the transportation ecosystem. This is why last year Lyft became the first and only ridesharing company committed to making all rides on our platform carbon neutral,” said Sam Arons, Lyft’s Director of Sustainability. “We thank the American Carbon Registry for recognizing our efforts to take bold action to address climate change, and we look forward to continuing to work with our communities and all of our partners to make transportation cleaner and more efficient.”

ACR honored TerraCarbon and the North Carolina Chapter of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) for their innovative work developing the methodology for Restoration of Pocosin Wetlands. A type of freshwater wetlands unique to the Atlantic Coastal plain of the U.S. extending from southern Virginia to northern Florida, pocosins store substantial amounts of carbon. At one time they covered over one million acres in eastern North Carolina alone. Only about 280,000 acres remain today, mirroring the trend across the United States of massive wetland loss following settlement. Pocosin wetlands were ditched and drained for agriculture and forestry beginning in the late 1700s. When pocosin wetlands dry up, carbon is released. The ability to generate carbon offsets from the restoration represents an innovative opportunity to attract carbon finance to avoid further carbon loss.

“TerraCarbon is honored to work with The Nature Conservancy on this innovative and important effort to restore pocosin wetlands, which are critical to mitigating and adapting to climate change,” said Scott Settelmeyer, Managing Director of TerraCarbon LLC. “Pocosin wetlands store vast amounts of carbon in their waterlogged soils, which is released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide if the wetland is ditched and drained. The new ACR methodology opens the door to new sources of funding for landowners to restore degraded pocosin wetlands and prevent future emissions of carbon dioxide.” 

“We appreciate ACR’s recognition of this pioneering effort by TNC and primary partners, including TerraCarbon and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to research and develop the methodology,” noted Chuck Peoples, Director of Conservation for the North Carolina Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. “While there are ample opportunities for restoration of this important habitat, funding remains a limiting factor and the new ACR methodology provides additional incentive for landowners and project developers to take on critical projects.”

SAN FRANCISCO, April 5, 2018 – Last night, the American Carbon Registry (ACR), a nonprofit enterprise of Winrock International, hosted its annual gala reception to recognize and thank its members and partners. ACR Director John Kadyszewski welcomed guests, presented highlights from the year and described the awards to be presented, including the individual Climate Leadership award as well as organizational awards based on ACR’s guiding principles of innovation, quality and excellence.

Kadyszewski presented ACR’s Climate Leadership award to environmentalist, entrepreneur and author Paul Hawken for a lifetime of practical leadership and thoughtful activism on policies that harmonize business and the environment, ecology and economics. His voice and range of engagements and collaborations continue to illuminate the grand imperative of climate action. Most recently, Project Drawdown (described in his best-selling book by the same name) has provided a blueprint to comprehensively address climate change with proven technologies and know-how. The quantification of GHG mitigation potential, alongside costs and savings, eviscerates the greatest barrier to action: entrenched economics that color GHG solutions as too costly. The code now cracked, policy and markets can advance the largest-scale, lowest-cost approaches vital to a habitable planet, and all solutions can be more appropriately applied.

“I am more than honored to receive this award from the American Carbon Registry,” said Hawken. “Like few other organizations, ACR has been far-sighted and visionary in its endeavor to restore climatic stability and reverse global warming by employing common sense and pragmatic economic solutions. It is a privilege to join other awardees who are reimagining what humanity can accomplish when we collaborate, innovate, and care about this miraculous world we share and call Earth.”

Airlines for America (A4A), the trade organization for the major U.S. passenger and cargo carriers, was honored with the ACR Commitment to Quality award for the organization’s leadership in helping to shape the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) GHG emissions reduction program and offsetting mechanism for airlines in a way that ensures quality, rigor and transparency.

Although ICAO’s 192 member states had long agreed to technology, operations and infrastructure measures to help address GHG emissions from international aviation, negotiations over a market-based measure (MBM) stalled for several years, leading to efforts by multiple countries to implement their own regulations or taxes on international aviation emissions. This helped spur ICAO to agree to a resolution in 2013 to develop a global MBM to support ICAO’s previously adopted goal for international aviation to achieve carbon neutral growth from 2020 onward. In 2016, only three years later, ICAO approved an Assembly Resolution setting out the terms for a global MBM for aviation, the first global sectoral approach of its kind, including a renewed commitment to achieve carbon neutral growth for international aviation starting in 2020. Currently 73 states representing over 88 percent of international aviation emissions have agreed to participate in the voluntary phases of the ICAO Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) from 2020 through 2026, including the U.S. and China. The historic accord, which becomes mandatory in 2027 for all states other than the least developed countries and those with very low levels of international aviation activity, is projected to result in emissions reductions of more than 2.5 billion tonnes through 2035. CORSIA will be implemented under a set of ICAO standards and recommended practices that are up for adoption by the ICAO Council this year.

A4A played a critical role in supporting ICAO’s 2013 agreement to develop an MBM to complement technology, operational and infrastructure measures and in finalizing the negotiations for the 2016 ICAO resolution.  A4A continues to represent its members’ commitment to a single global agreement to support the ICAO-agreed emissions goals and avoid a patchwork of complex and costly regulations and taxes on international aviation. A4A has also played an important role in the development of CORSIA’s implementing provisions, ensuring environmental integrity and transparency in the carbon offset program.

“While the U.S. airlines have dramatically improved fuel efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions by investing billions in fuel-saving aircraft and engines, innovative technologies like winglets and an array of operational and infrastructure measures, we are strong supporters of the ICAO CORSIA to complement these measures to achieve aviation’s internationally-agreed emissions goals,” stated Nancy Young, vice president of environmental affairs at A4A. “We are proud to work with governments, carbon market experts like ACR and the environmental NGO community to ensure CORSIA is implemented in an environmentally rigorous and practicable way.”

GreenTrees received ACR’s Innovation award in recognition of exceptional implementation of the world’s largest reforestation project both in terms of volume of high-quality verified emissions reductions issued and number of participating landowners and acres. The GreenTrees project is a one-million-acre conservation initiative that aims to plant over 500 million new trees for ecosystem repair and climate impact in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley, North America’s largest rainforest and waterfowl migratory corridor. By partnering with close to 500 landowners on over 120,000 acres to date to reforest their degraded lands, GreenTrees has enhanced wildlife habitat, improved water and soil quality and delivered local economic development benefits in addition to generating over 2.5 million tonnes of verified carbon offsets for partners including Norfolk Southern, Duke Energy, United Airlines, Arbor Day Foundation, Blue Mountain Brewery and Skyway Air Taxi, among others.

“We highly value this award and thank the American Carbon Registry for its keen understanding of research and market-based programs, our corporate clients and carbon buyers for endorsing our work, our conservation community friends for their wonderful counsel over the years, and our landowners as partners. Their stake as equity brokers with us is the chief factor creating the prairie fire of steadily expanding healthy forest ecosystems, which is the leading reforestation co-benefit for our time,” said Jerry Van Voorhis, president and chief executive officer of GreenTrees. “We believe that ecosystem change in forestry alone will help bend the climate curve back most, replenish our earth, and let the tools of capitalism work for the greater good of the planet.”

The Corporate Excellence award was presented to Mars Food for the organization’s leadership role addressing climate change through its commitments to sustainable sourcing across its supply chains, notably rice. Rice is a food staple for half of the world’s peoples and accounts for 20 percent of the global population’s caloric intake. Mars Food is the maker of Uncle Ben’s, the world’s largest rice brand, therefore Mars’ commitment to sustainable rice production is essential. As a key partner of the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP), co-convened in 2015 by the U.N. Environment Program and the International Rice Research Institute, Mars has pledged to source all its rice from farmers working toward the SRP by 2020. To meet this ambitious goal and to increase the quality of rice for millions of families for decades to come, Mars has invested in research and farmer education and is partnering with growers, NGOs and universities to transform the production of rice farms around the world to enhance water use, reduce GHG emissions, improve yields and increase incomes. Mars is working with almost 2,000 farmers in India and Pakistan, where their efforts have resulted in significant increase in farmer incomes and rice yields, and has similar programs in Cambodia and Thailand.

In the U.S., Mars Food is collaborating with Winrock, also an SRP member, to adapt the SRP for the U.S. and grow its base of U.S. sustainably-sourced rice. U.S. growers working with Mars include those who earned the first carbon offsets in the world from sustainable rice production, issued by ACR in 2017. Several of Mars’ supplier partners source from farmers applying such new techniques as Alternate Wetting and Drying, which has reduced GHG by 40 percent.

“We are proud to be honored with this award, but more importantly, we’re proud of the work Mars Food is doing in partnership with Winrock. At Mars, we believe it’s important that we grow in a way that’s not only good for our business, but also for people and the planet. That’s why we have prioritized creating shared benefits for rice growers and the environment, while also producing a high-quality rice crop for the billions of people who depend on it for nutrition and a livelihood,” said Denis Winkler, vice president of supply chain for global Mars Food.  “Our pilots with Basmati rice farmers in Pakistan show a 32 percent increase in farmer income and a 30 percent reduction in water used.  As we extend these programs across our supply chain, we have the potential to make a notable global impact.”

SAN FRANCISCO, April 20, 2017 – Last night, the American Carbon Registry (ACR), a nonprofit enterprise of Winrock International, hosted its annual gala reception to recognize and thank its members and partners. ACR Director John Kadyszewski welcomed guests, presented highlights from the year and described the awards to be presented, including the individual Climate Leadership award as well as organizational awards based on ACR’s guiding principles of innovation, quality and excellence.

Kadyszewski presented ACR’s Climate Leadership award to Dr. Sandra Brown, Winrock senior scientist and former director of Winrock’s Ecosystem Services Group, for four decades of work advancing the understanding of the role forests play in the global carbon cycle. Brown, who passed away in February, led arguments in the international negotiations to include forest management and protection as critical tools to combat global climate change. Her science provided the foundation for the area of work now called REDD — Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation. A celebrated international forest carbon expert, Brown published over 200 peer reviewed papers. She also knew how to achieve consensus and was notorious for her clarity of thinking and strong convictions. She was a critical member of the team recognized with the Nobel Prize in 2007, serving as a co-convening lead author on the contribution of forests, agriculture and other land uses to climate change for five Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Reports. When she joined Winrock in 1998, Brown wanted to build a team that could apply her science to solving real world problems related to forests and climate change. She knew that many people depend on forests for their livelihoods and pioneered cost-effective methods for measurement, monitoring and verification (MRV) of carbon stored in forests so that landowners, communities, companies and governments could be compensated for the value of carbon services provided by forests and for preserving them.

When asked about the practical applications of her life’s work in a 2010 interview, Brown replied, “I’d like to see a country implement REDD at larger-than-project scale and get someone to finance the GHG reductions. This would demonstrate how to get a transaction done. I’d like to see that happen as evidence that we agree on the science, that the policy is in place, and that the market accepts that the reductions are good and real.”

As her last major endeavor, Brown and her team piloted a national forest carbon accounting system in Guyana to reduce deforestation. The rigorous MRV system resulted in almost $200 million in payments from Norway and established Guyana’s baseline forestry emissions. Consequently, Guyana was the first country in the world to submit a reference level to the UNFCCC that includes forest degradation, solidifying Guyana’s leadership role in REDD and Brown’s enduring legacy.

The Excellence award was presented to the state of Washington for leadership in fighting climate change through the newly adopted Clean Air Rule. ACR jointly recognized the office of Washington Gov. Jay Inslee for directing the development of a regulatory cap on carbon emissions and the Department of Ecology for developing the rule under the state’s Clean Air Act. Under the landmark new rule, Washington businesses such as power plants, petroleum refiners and manufacturers of metal and cement, which are collectively responsible for two-thirds of carbon pollution in the state, are required to cap and reduce emissions starting in 2017. The cap will decline every three years through 2035, gradually covering more emitters. To meet their emissions reduction obligations, regulated entities can reduce emissions on-site, trade emissions reductions achieved beyond the cap, or use emissions reductions generated in the state from a wide variety of project categories, nine of which are cited ACR offset project types. Washington’s Clean Air Rule demonstrates that jurisdictions can effectively adopt carbon markets by leveraging existing infrastructure and streamlined processes.

“While creating one of the nation’s most vital economies, Washington state has always remained true to its reputation as an innovator and a leader in clean energy,” noted Gov. Inslee. “We’re proud to demonstrate that a powerful economy and a commitment to a low carbon, clean energy system go hand in hand, and we thank the American Carbon Registry for recognizing our latest efforts.”

The ACR Commitment to Quality award went to BP America, the last decade’s largest energy investor in the U.S., for the company’s role in the California offset market. Besides being a large compliance entity, BP has leveraged its experience in global carbon markets to help itself and others comply with the California regulation at the least cost and risk. BP America has developed and brought to market offset credits from over 60 projects to date, including forestry, ODS destruction and mine methane capture. These projects not only represent significant volumes of emissions reductions, but they also lead to long-term, sustainable economic development and opportunities for partners and the communities in which they operate. BP’s desire to provide high-quality offsets has made them a leader in the commercialization of Golden offsets, which provide assurance of quality and integrity to compliance entities. BP’s ability to provide Golden offsets reflects an involvement across all levels of their development.

“We aim to build deep and enduring relationships with governments, partners, customers and suppliers. These relationships, such as our long partnership with ACR, are key to our ability to provide high-quality products that also produce enormous benefits for our customers and for local communities,” said Enric Arderiu, Project Originator for BP’s Global Environmental Projects division.

The Innovation award was presented to the developers of two landmark methodologies, one for California wetland restoration and the other for the transition to low global warming potential foams.

ACR honored the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy as the lead agency, HydroFocus as the lead author and both U.C. Berkeley and Tierra Resources for technical support for the development of the methodology for the Restoration of California Deltaic and Coastal Wetlands. Funding for the methodology was provided by the California Coastal Conservancy, Department of Water Resources, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Metropolitan Water District and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD).

In the San Francisco Bay Area, more than 90 percent of historic tidal wetlands disappeared in the last 150 years. Over 2.5 billion cubic meters of organic soils have disappeared since delta islands were first diked and drained for agriculture in the late 1800s, resulting in land subsidence up to 25 feet below sea level. Drained and cultivated organic soils in the delta continue to oxidize, subside and emit an estimated one to two million metric tons of CO2-equivalent annually — equal to annual emissions from over 300,000 passenger vehicles.

“We have been pleased to work with ACR and other partners on this methodology and appreciate the recognition,” said Steve Deverel, president of HydroFocus. “Restoration activities that rebuild subsided lands are critical to long-term ecosystem sustainability, are important to reducing the risk of levy failure and sea level rise, and are a significant source of GHG emissions reductions.”

“State and federal funding remains insufficient to address land subsidence that threatens the California water system, and carbon market revenues could help fill the funding gap,” added Campbell Ingram, executive officer of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy. ”The new ACR methodology provides an incentive to landowners in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, Suisun Marsh and other historically natural wetland areas in California to convert their most subsided and marginal agricultural lands to wetlands, or to produce wetlands crops such as rice, which will stop land subsidence and reverse it over time.””

ACR honored Dentons U.S. for the development of the methodology for the Transition to Advanced Formulation Blowing Agents in Foam Manufacturing and Use.  Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which have global warming potentials (GWPs) up to 4,000 times higher than CO2, are commonly used blowing agents that are released during manufacture, use and at end-of-life of foams. Foam blowing agents are used in numerous applications, including refrigerators and freezers; industrial refrigeration systems and refrigerated transport; boats and buoys; and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. HFCs are also considered short-lived climate pollutants, so mitigating emissions of HFC is important for limiting near-term climate impacts. Alternatives to HFC-based blowing agents are available but are not commonly used in the foam manufacturing industry due to cost and other challenges. The new methodology is intended to provide access to carbon finance to increase uptake of available advanced technologies and accelerate a transition to low-GWP blowing agents. It also supports California’s goal of reducing HFCs by 40 percent below 2013 levels by 2030, a goal that will require the innovation exemplified in this methodology.

“Innovation is one of Dentons’ driving principles, and when our client Foam Supplies asked us to help develop this forward-thinking methodology, it aligned perfectly with our desire to provide new solutions not only for our clients, but also for the industries in which we serve,” said Jeffrey Fort, partner at Dentons and method co-author. “Following its rigorous peer review and public comment process, we are honored to have our hard work recognized by the American Carbon Registry. This methodology not only supports California’s ambitious climate goals, but also provides a new approach to help supply chains remain lean and green.”

SAN DIEGO, May 5, 2016 – Last night, the American Carbon Registry (ACR), a nonprofit enterprise of Winrock International, hosted its annual gala reception to recognize and thank its members and partners. ACR Director John Kadyszewski welcomed guests and presented highlights from the year. He described the awards to be presented to recognize outstanding environmental achievements including the individual Climate Leadership award, as well as corporate awards based on ACR’s guiding principles of innovation, quality and excellence.

Kadyszewski presented ACR’s Climate Leadership award to Todd Stern, U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change from 2009 to 2016 in recognition of his leadership, insight and singular determination to secure international commitments to combat climate change. As the apex of seven years of persistence and diplomacy on a global climate deal, Todd played a pivotal role leading up to and in Paris of securing the agreement of nearly 200 nations to commit to holding global warming to below two degrees Celsius and to transparently submit their national contributions to this goal for review by the rest of the world. To build consensus from Copenhagen to Paris on a new climate deal was an achievement that required Todd to skillfully navigate domestic and international politics and to build confidence and ambitions of nations. The United States’ bilateral agreement with China in November 2014 was hailed as a catalytic event that built momentum for other countries to make similar pledges in Paris. The result of these accomplishments is meaningful, not only to send an uncontestable message that the countries of the world are united in transforming to a low carbon economy, but to create a framework to incentivize further actions that can be taken up by both the private and public sectors.

“I am honored to receive this award from the American Carbon Registry,” stated Stern. “Paris was a landmark agreement and the culmination of a huge team effort over many years. It reflects broad buy-in, strong ambition and transparency and puts a structure in place that now allows us to try to greatly accelerate the transformation from high to low carbon economies. Every tool we can use to advance that objective is essential and carbon markets have a very important role to play.  I salute ACR for being a leader in this field and for doing the hard work that make it possible for carbon markets to have environmental integrity.”

The ACR Innovation award was presented to EOS Climate for the company’s development of the groundbreaking ACR approved offset methodology for the use of certified reclaimed HFC refrigerants and advanced refrigeration systems. U.S. industry made commitments at a White House event late last year to leverage the methodology to realize HFC emissions reductions under the U.N. Global Refrigerant Management Initiative, which will reduce global HFC emissions by 30 to 50 percent in 10 years. Last week, ACR issued the first verified carbon credits to EOS Climate for the reclamation and re-use of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants.

“We are honored by this recognition from ACR. Controlling HFC emissions has become a priority for governments and businesses around the world,” stated Jeff Cohen, Senior Vice President of EOS Climate. “This new methodology directly incentivizes deployment of advanced climate-friendly commercial refrigeration technologies, as well as the recovery, reclamation, and re-use of HFC refrigerants, preventing powerful GHG emissions. ACR has been a great organization to work with on our ODS projects, and likewise, forward thinking and technically superb in establishing this methodology. By reducing the aggregate quantity of HFC production required during the transition to alternative refrigerants, we see this new methodology as an immediate, market-based complement to regulatory efforts to phase down HFCs.”

The ACR Commitment to Quality award went to Mid-South rice farms Whitaker Farms, Isbell Farms and Sullivan Farms, which have collectively formed the sustainable rice alliance Nature’s Stewards, in addition to Wolf Creek Farms and Murrell Farms. The farms were all honored for their work to improve rice production systems and to earn the first carbon offsets from low emission rice production. Since 2012, these farms have been dedicated to testing methods and measuring results for reducing GHG emissions and water usage under the ACR offset methodology for Emissions Reductions in Rice Management Systems. The methodology specifies requirements to measure reductions in methane, a GHG 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. The first rice offset credits will be issued this summer, and the farms plan to verify emissions reductions this growing season for the California compliance offset market.

The Nature’s Stewards farms also plan to be the first rice producers in the world to be certified as sustainable under a new U.S. Sustainable Rice Certification Standard in development by Winrock and the American Carbon Registry to be launched this summer under a USDA Conservation Innovation Grant. The sustainability certification will require independent verification of a range of sustainability criteria and practices for food safety, GHG emissions, water use, fertilizer use, biodiversity, and labor practices.

“Conservation and environmental stewardship is a collaborative effort, and we are grateful for the researchers, organizations, and fellow farmers that we learn from,” said Mark Isbell on behalf of Nature’s Stewards LLC. “We are grateful to ACR and Winrock International for this honor and look forward to working together as we build on the work of the past and grow toward a greener future.”

The ACR Corporate Excellence award was presented to Microsoft for the company’s leadership in setting an internal price on carbon in order to achieve 100 percent carbon neutrality while driving company-wide efficiency and innovation. The fee works by making the cost to achieve carbon neutrality a line item in the operating budgets of Microsoft’s business units across more than 100 countries, establishing a powerful incentive for each group to find lower-carbon alternatives and to invest in carbon-saving initiatives and innovations.

This simple, replicable carbon fee model has demonstrated impressive results. Since 2012, the program has generated more than $48 million for investments in efficiency, green power and carbon offset community projects that have collectively reduced the company’s emissions by 9.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. To date, Microsoft has purchased more than 14 billion kilowatt hours of green power and helped reach more than 6 million people globally through carbon offset community projects that support low-carbon economic development and sustainable livelihoods.

“We are honored to receive this award recognizing Microsoft’s internal carbon fee, which has been a catalyst for driving sustainability, innovation and efficiency across our company,” said TJ DiCaprio, Senior Director of Environmental Sustainability, Microsoft. “The carbon fee program has helped Microsoft reduce our overall carbon emissions by more than 9.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. Through the funds raised, we are proud to support a portfolio of more than 30 carbon offset community projects around the world, including reforestation activities in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley.” 

SACRAMENTO – June 30, 2015 – American Carbon Registry (ACR), a nonprofit enterprise of Winrock International, applauds the California Air Resources Board (ARB) approval at the June 25 board meeting to adopt a U.S. compliance offset protocol for rice cultivation. The adoption of ARB’s first crop-based offset protocol is a critical step in encouraging emissions reductions from the agriculture sector under California’s landmark Cap-and-Trade Program. The agriculture sector presents a key opportunity to generate offsets for the California market, where greenhouse gas (GHG) emitters like power plants and oil refineries are mandated to reduce emissions. The regulation allows these entities to use ARB-approved offset credits for up to eight percent of their emissions – over 200 million metric tons through 2020.

The regulation also cites ACR’s voluntary offset methodology for Emissions Reductions in Rice Management Systems as an approved Early Action Quantification Methodology, providing an important on-ramp for rice producers in California and the Mid-South to get credit for their pioneering initiatives to reduce methane emissions through practice changes in water management, such as reduced flooding and altered drainage timing. ACR published its rice management offset methodology in 2013 after two years of development. The ACR methodology, which includes modules for both California and Mid-South rice producers, was developed and piloted under a USDA Conservation Innovation Grant by Terra Global Capital LLC in partnership with the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Applied Geosolutions, LLC, the California Rice Commission, and the White River Irrigation District.

To date, three rice cultivation offset projects in California, Arkansas, and Mississippi have been listed by ACR, totaling 21 farmers with 253 fields on 22,213 acres. ACR expects the generation of the first offset credits from these projects later this year.

“We are excited about ARB’s approval of the rice cultivation offset protocol and to see projects come to market from the two leading U.S. rice growing regions – Sacramento, where ACR is based, and Winrock’s home state of Arkansas,” stated Mary Grady, ACR director of business development.

ACR has placed priority on the development, approval, and piloting of offset methodologies for the agriculture and land use sectors, given the enormous emissions reduction opportunity. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2014 GHG inventory, the U.S. agriculture sector is responsible for 516 million metric tons, or eight percent, of domestic GHG emissions per year. Rice cultivation is the third largest source of methane emissions in the sector, and the top two rice producing states, Arkansas and California, are responsible for over half of U.S. emissions from rice production.

“Consistent with our parent Winrock’s commitment to sustainable agriculture, one of ACR’s primary objectives is to advance innovative approaches to support low emissions practices in agriculture by strengthening the scientific and market infrastructure for agricultural GHG mitigation,” said John Kadyszewski, ACR director. “We hope ARB will consider adding new protocols to allow working landowners to be paid for delivering environmental benefits from actions on their land, such as ACR-approved methodologies for Fertilizer Management, Wetland Restoration, Compost Additions to Grazed Grasslands, Grazing Land and Livestock Management, and Avoided Conversion of Grasslands.”

The Office of Administrative Law is expected to approve the Rice Cultivation offset protocol, along with other changes in the regulation, in the fall.

Los Angeles, April 29, 2015 – Last night, the American Carbon Registry (ACR), a nonprofit enterprise of Winrock International, hosted its annual gala reception to recognize and thank its members and partners. ACR Director John Kadyszewski welcomed guests and presented highlights from the year. He described the awards to be presented to recognize outstanding environmental achievements including the individual Climate Leadership award, as well as corporate awards based on ACR’s guiding principles of innovation, quality and excellence.

Kadyszewski presented ACR’s Climate Leadership award to Tom Vilsack, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture in recognition of his career-long dedication to natural resource conservation. As Governor of Iowa, Vilsack created a comprehensive program to encourage private landowners to implement conservation practices showing that you could have clean air, clean water enhanced wildlife habitat and positive economic outcomes. He took the lead in the Governor’s Ethanol Coalition making Iowa a national leader in alternative energy and renewable fuels. Most recently as Secretary of Agriculture he has helped farmers, ranchers and forest landowners mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change through a host of programs focused on incentives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support resiliency on working lands as well as to increase investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency, advanced biofuels and other cutting edge industries that reduce fossil fuel consumption, create jobs and protect the environment. The tangible result of his accomplishments is a U.S. agriculture sector that can be held up as a model for the world in terms of food and energy security, rural economic benefit and environmental stewardship.

“I am honored to accept this award from the American Carbon Registry on behalf of the real climate leaders–America’s farmers, ranchers and forest landowners,” said Secretary Vilsack. “They are responding to climate change and more severe weather as they have other challenges, with resilience, innovation and a commitment to stewardship for future generations. USDA is proud to support agricultural producers and forest landowners as they continue to implement strategies that reduce carbon emissions and strengthen our agriculture and clean energy economies.”

Round Valley Indian Tribes and White Mountain Apache Tribe were honored with the ACR Commitment to Quality award for using high quality forest carbon offset projects registered under the California Air Resources Board’s rigorous offset program to advance the higher purpose of reinforcing tribal values. The sale of the carbon offsets from the projects offers a significant revenue stream for the tribes, promoting economic development, financial independence and security, and conservation of their forests for future generations.

Round Valley’s 5,550-acre Improved Forest Management Project on the tribe’s northern California reservation has been issued over 540,000 ARB Offset Credits, which can be used by regulated entities towards their emissions reduction obligation under the California Cap-and-Trade program.

Joe Dukepoo, Round Valley Tribal Councilman who also served as the Round Valley Indian Tribes Vice-President during the development of the project, said “We are proud to be a leading tribe in the innovative carbon market that reinforces our goal of sustainable forestry to maintain levels of wildlife, native plants, fish, clean water, and reduced fire threats. This project also is in line with the tribes’ mission to ensure that our future generations enjoy the benefits of a healthy forest.”

White Mountain Apache Tribe’s 89,000 acre Improved Forest Management Project on the Fort Apache reservation in the White Mountains of Eastern Arizona was listed on ACR, has completed verification and is expected to earn ARB Offset Credits in the coming months.

“We are extremely proud of the fact that our legacy of holistic, culturally sensitive, and sustainable management of our forest lands has allowed us to pursue such an incredibly complex, yet rewarding project,” stated Jonathan Brooks, the Tribal Forestry Director and carbon project manager. “The project not only helps combat the threat of climate change and global warming, but also provides the Tribe with economic benefits which are secondary to the ecological, cultural, and spiritual benefits that we have always realized from our prized forest lands.”

The Innovation award went to the four entities that developed a first-of-a-kind carbon offset methodology to quantify emissions reductions from the application of compost to rangelands: Terra Global Capital, Environmental Defense Fund, Marin Carbon Project and Silver Lab at U.C. Berkeley. The methodology was developed by Terra Global Capital with support from the other awardees and was funded by USDA’s Conservation Innovation Grant program, which aims to stimulate the adoption of innovative approaches to environmental stewardship in the agriculture sector.

Restoration of rangelands with perennial grasses to increase forage production and soil carbon sequestration improves water holding capacity and increases the resiliency of the grazing system. Rangelands in the West are currently under pressure of conversion to urban development and croplands. Finding new revenue streams for ranchers helps keep them on the ranch and preserves and enhances these valuable natural areas. The methodology gives ranchers a link to carbon finance to support improved stewardship.

“We are honored to be recognized by ACR for our work. Emission reductions from range and pasture lands provide a valuable climate change mitigation opportunity, and the ACR compost protocol is one key component of developing economic benefits for production of these environmental assets”, said Founder, Managing Director Terra Global Capital.

The ACR Corporate Excellence award was presented to four companies for their work to voluntarily accelerate reductions in long-haul trucking fleet GHG emissions: IdleAir, Truckers Carbon Exchange, Marten Transport and Crete Carrie Corporation. The emissions reduction potential from the use of anti-idling technology and fleet efficiency in long-haul transport is enormous, estimated at over 650 million tons CO2 by 2021 in the U.S. alone. The adoption rates of these technologies are very low, however, due to up-front installation costs. Carbon markets provide the opportunity to fund the initial investments by offering a path to monetization of the environmental benefits.

IdleAir’s Truck Stop Electrification (TSE) technology provides long-haul truck drivers an alternative to idling their engines while resting, providing the ability to shut down their engines and still maintain a comfortable cabin temperature, sustain vehicle battery charge and power electronics such as televisions and laptops. TSE provides other benefits such as cleaner air with the reduction of black carbon and soot emitted from diesel engines, reduced noise pollution, local job creation, and an increased tax base for the local economy. And drivers benefit from improved sleeping conditions without the noise, vibration and exhaust fumes from idling and are therefore better rested and safer on the road. In its ten years of operation, IdleAir has mitigated over 600,000 tons of GHG emissions and over one billion pounds of aggregate emissions while avoiding the use of 60 million gallons of diesel fuel.

“IdleAir is grateful to have ACR recognize our work within the trucking industry to improve the quality of life for truck drivers while protecting the environment, stated Ethan Garber, IdleAir President and CEO. “Carbon finance has been a critical ingredient in growing our business which uses off-peak domestic grid power as a substitute for diesel idling. We are excited to partner with ACR in developing international TSE standards that can help to accelerate the export of IdleAir solutions with both grid and renewable power sources outside of the USA.”

Truckers Carbon Exchange (TCO2X) has broken new ground for the development of carbon offsets in the U.S. trucking industry, a major user of carbon-based fuels. During 2014, TCO2X led the successful development of innovative projects in this area working with two of the industry’s premiere companies; Crete Carrier Corp in Lincoln NE and Marten Transport in Mondovi WI. These trucking companies have demonstrated a commitment to improve efficiency and reduce their carbon footprints at a rate that greatly exceeds the rest of the trucking industry through pioneering the use of new and innovative technologies throughout their fleets. By linking these efficiency improvements to their benefits in carbon reduction, the projects have demonstrated how the carbon markets can be used to fund carbon emission reductions in the trucking industry.

“Trucking is a tough and competitive business. It is very capital-intensive and operates on low margins. Each trucking company must constantly make trade-offs between capital costs and efficiency. These projects have shown that carbon markets can be used to help fund the capital costs of technologies to improve efficiency,” noted Truckers Carbon Exchange founder and trucking industry veteran Thomas Rushfeldt. “Both Crete and Marten have committed to re-invest all net proceeds from the sale of carbon offsets into additional efficiency measures further reducing fuel consumption and carbon emissions. I would like to thank the American Carbon Registry (ACR) and Element Markets for their help and guidance throughout the development of these exciting new projects in a totally new industry.”

SAN FRANCISCO, March 27, 2014 – Last night, the American Carbon Registry (ACR), a nonprofit enterprise of Winrock International, hosted its annual gala reception to recognize and thank its members and partners. ACR Director John Kadyszewski welcomed guests and presented highlights from the year. He described the awards to be presented to recognize outstanding environmental achievements including the individual Climate Leadership award, as well as corporate awards based on ACR’s guiding principles of innovation, quality and excellence.

Kadyszewski presented ACR’s Climate Leadership award to Joseph Goffman, Associate Assistant Administrator and Senior Counsel in the Office of Air and Radiation at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in recognition of his assiduous pursuit of market solutions to benefit the environment. Goffman has led the development of cutting-edge climate policy for more than 30 years from multiple positions on Capitol Hill, at the Environmental Defense Fund, and at EPA including the first cap and trade program for air pollution, which provided a convincing demonstration of the power of markets to achieve environmental goals cost effectively.

“Joe is respected by his peers for his ability to bring together people from different perspectives willing to find common ground and for his creativity in finding actions that yield tangible results,” Kadyszewski said. “His career-long accomplishments and ongoing efforts offer hope that meaningful results can be accomplished quickly and we hope his example will inspire other individuals to action.”

The Innovation award went to three entities that have each pioneered the development of first-of-a-kind carbon offset projects in the agriculture sector: Terra Global Capital, Ducks Unlimited and the Delta Institute. All three awardees are piloting offset projects under USDA’s Conservation Innovation Grant program, which aims to stimulate the adoption of innovative approaches to environmental stewardship in the agriculture sector. The projects all mark important milestones in broadening the opportunities for farmers and landowners to participate in carbon markets, incentivizing adoption of voluntary actions to reduce emissions.

Terra Global Capital was recognized with the Innovation award for the development of a 5,000 acre rice management project in California’s Sacramento Valley, recently listed on ACR, and based on the ACR methodology for Emissions Reductions in Rice Management systems developed by Terra Global. Rice cultivation is the third largest source of methane emissions in the U.S. agriculture sector, and the top two rice producing states, Arkansas and California, are responsible for over half of U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from rice production. Participating farmers in this first rice project will implement voluntary management practices on their fields to reduce methane emissions, earning carbon credits to be sold in the voluntary and potentially the California carbon markets.

“We are honored to be recognized by ACR for this important first step of operationalizing U.S. agricultural GHG offsets. This would not be possible without the support of the participating growers and from our funders and partners including EDF, California Rice Commission, and Applied Geosolutions”, said Leslie Durschinger, Founder, Managing Director Terra Global Capital.

Ducks Unlimited (DU) received the Innovation award for their cutting edge conservation project in the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota, a vast area of grasslands and wetlands that provides a vital wildlife habitat. In this region, annual losses of native grasslands to crop production have averaged approximately 50,000 acres per year since 2007, leading to significant GHG emissions due to the release of carbon dioxide from soils when they are tilled. DU’s project is preserving the carbon sequestered in the soil by avoiding the conversion of these valuable prairies to cropland. Currently DU is working to complete the verification and validation of the project that is in the pilot stage working with landowners in eight counties in North Dakota to help them generate income from the sale of carbon credits generated through the preservation of their grasslands.

“Ranchers in the Dakotas and Montana are looking for ways to keep their livestock operations viable,” said Steve Adair, director of DU’s Great Plains Region. “DU, with assistance from partners, developed a methodology to measure carbon captured and stored by native prairie and is working to develop a carbon credit opportunity to provide landowners an extra incentive to maintain the grasslands and wetlands, instead of converting the land to crop production.”

The Delta Institute was presented with the Innovation award for the registration on ACR of the first U.S. fertilizer management project, a Michigan pilot currently in verification for reducing nitrogen fertilizer use on corn. Nitrogen fertilizers, one of the largest agricultural sources of GHG emissions, result in emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O), a GHG with approximately 300 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide. Corn is among the most intensive uses of fertilizer and represents a significant opportunity for nitrogen use efficiencies that could reduce GHG emissions while maintaining or improving yields. The project is the first in the recently launched Delta Nitrogen Credit Program, via which qualified Corn Belt farmers who change their nitrogen fertilizer management practices will receive payments from the sale of carbon credits.

“We are proud of this recognition by ACR of our nine years of work with Midwest farmers to create and implement market-driven solutions to build environmental resilience, such as the Delta Nitrogen Credit Program,” said Delta Institute CEO Jean Pogge. “Farmers are the ultimate stewards of our land and water resources, and this program demonstrates that they can reduce emissions while producing food, fuel, and fiber. We are excited to have many great partners on this innovative program to incentivize low emissions agricultural practices.”

The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) received the ACR Utility Excellence award for almost seven decades of environmental leadership and a demonstrated commitment to reducing its climate impact. The utility’s deep-rooted commitment to renewable energy has made Sacramento’s community-owned electric utility one of the cleanest in the nation. Combining renewable resources such as wind and solar with the hydroelectricity generated in the Upper American River Project, nearly 50 percent of SMUD’s power mix comes from non-carbon emitting sources. In addition, SMUD has a long history as a national leader in internal and customer-facing environment programs. SMUD’s own buildings are designed to be energy efficient: SMUD’s Customer Service Center is an award winning LEED Platinum building, as is the recently-completed SMUD East Campus Operations Center, the most energy-efficient corporate yard in the nation and a net-zero energy site. In addition, SMUD is reducing its vehicle emissions through the use of low carbon fuels as well as investments in a fleet of electric and hybrid vehicles. SMUD’s customer-facing environmental initiatives such as SolarSmart, Greenergy and Home Performance Program have also yielded impressive results. Over 50,000 customers have joined Greenergy to invest in renewable energy, 1,000 Solar Smart Homes have been built, and energy efficiency programs have resulted in customer savings of $950 million. Aside from technical merits, SMUD boasts rates that are among the lowest in California and for a decade has received the top customer satisfaction scores among all California utilities.

“SMUD is very honored to receive this award. One of SMUD’s Core Values is Environmental Protection,” said Rob Kerth, a member of SMUD Board of Directors. “As the community-owned electric utility serving the state capital, SMUD is committed to reducing our region’s carbon emissions to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent by the year 2050. We also have the most aggressive energy efficiency goals of any utility in the state.”

The Climate Trust was honored with the ACR Commitment to Quality award for the organization’s time-tested dedication to focusing on the quality of offsets that they procure on behalf of voluntary and regulated carbon market clients. In 1997, The Climate Trust was founded as a nonprofit organization to acquire carbon offsets on behalf of new fossil-fueled power plants regulated by the Oregon Carbon Dioxide Standard, the nation’s first legislation to curb emissions of carbon dioxide. Since that time, The Climate Trust has retired over 1.5 million tons of offsets and committed over $17 million to projects that not only reduce GHG emissions, but also conserve habitats, create jobs, improve air quality, preserve biodiversity and benefit water quality. ACR applauds The Climate Trust’s pioneering work to foster initiatives important to market integrity such as their founding role of the Offset Quality Initiative, in which ACR, The Climate Group, the Climate Action Reserve and the Pew Center on Global Climate Change were partners.

“Our strategy has been to focus on innovative offset projects in high-impact sectors that create multiple benefits for communities and the environment—all while meeting rigorous, third-party standards,” said

Sean Penrith, CEO of The Climate Trust. “We appreciate ACR’s recognition of our commitment to quality, which is fundamental both to the success of our business and the market.”

The nonprofit American Carbon Registry (ACR), an enterprise of Winrock International, is a leading carbon offset program recognized for its high standards for environmental integrity. Founded in 1996 as the first voluntary GHG registry in the world, ACR has over 18 years of unparalleled voluntary carbon market experience in the development of rigorous, science-based offset methodologies and operational experience in the oversight of offset project verification, registration, offset issuance and retirement reporting. In addition to its voluntary carbon market activities, ACR is an approved Offset Project Registry and Early Action Offset Program for the California Cap-and-Trade Program. In this role, ACR works with the state regulatory agency to oversee the registration and issuance of Offset Credits, which can be converted to compliance credits and used by California entities to help meet their emissions reductions obligations. ACR has issued 40 million tons of emissions reduction credits and continues to lead voluntary carbon market innovation.