Kim Drenner

A significant new chapter for companies to participate in the Voluntary Carbon Market! The White House today issued a powerful statement in support of high integrity VCM, and a set of principles for responsible participation in the VCM. Here’s why this is significant: Many companies have long sought to incorporate VCM participation into their near and midterm decarbonization strategies, on the road to net zero. Today’s announcement marks a high-level endorsement of carbon credits and their role in driving private sector finance to support global emissions-cutting efforts. It gives the business community a clear, consistent, and simple road map on how to engage in the VCM, with integrity, transparency and standardization. It will help turn conversations on the VCM into action. Businesses now have a clear signal to begin deploying resources for VCM participation, including putting in place robust transparency and accounting mechanisms, and doing the due diligence to ensure their credit purchases meet the established principles of high integrity. When done well, the VCM potential to mobilize billions of dollars in much needed private sector climate finance is game-changing. We’re encouraged that the US government sees this potential in the VCM, and urge businesses to include the VCM in their climate action toolbox. https://lnkd.in/eKpa9tV5

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🚨 Today, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiled the Fifth Edition of the Climate Change Indicators in the United States report. This comprehensive resource reveals new data underscoring the pervasive and growing impacts of climate change on our environment and communities. 🔍 Key updates in this edition include: + Marine Heat Waves: Highlighting multi-day high ocean temperatures. + Heat-Related Workplace Deaths: Addressing the human toll of rising temperatures on workers. 🌡️ The report features highlights from 57 indicators, organized into themes like: + Greenhouse Gases + Heat on the Rise + Extreme Events + Water Resources at Risk + Changing Seasons + Ocean Impacts + Rising Seas + Alaska’s Warming Climate 📊 Since the first edition in 2010, the EPA has consistently provided up-to-date online resources and publications. These indicators are developed with contributions from over 50 data partners, including U.S. and international agencies, academic institutions, and other organizations. 📈 The findings present compelling evidence of climate change's multifaceted effects on health, society, and ecosystems. As part of NJIT TAB's commitment to environmental stewardship and community resilience, we encourage everyone to review this critical report and stay informed. 🔗 Read the report: https://lnkd.in/eHR96mdV 🔗 Explore all 57 climate change indicators: https://lnkd.in/d_RE88X #ClimateChange #EnvironmentalImpact #CommunityResilience #NJIT_TAB

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Female-identifying colleagues in conservation! Do you want to contribute to a first-ever global study that will help accelerate how we lift up more women leading in conservation? Is that YES you say? Then grab a cuppa ☕️ and click the links below! Thanks a million! #womeninconservation #rewild #denverzoo #conservationleadership

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🚨 What Could Possibly Go Wrong?🚨 with the State of Alaska venturing into the carbon offsets and carbon storage business, based on activities like seaweed farming, reforestation, afforestation, and forest management? The State is also looking at facilitating the permitting the storage of carbon underground on state lands as a means of allowing fossil fuels to continue to be burned. 📜 Bill Highlights: - Carbon Offset Program: Managed by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to use state lands and generate new revenue streams. - Leasing Program: Entities can apply to lease state lands for carbon management. - Offset Program: The state can undertake carbon offset projects. - Contracts to carry out the program are capped at 30% of offset revenue. 💸 Revenue Allocation: - 20% to the renewable energy grant fund. - 80% may be appropriated by the legislature. The bill doesn't mention "net revenue," leaving the impression that creating and selling offsets will be mostly "free money," or at most consume 30% of offset revenue. 🔍 Key Questions: - How will criteria like additionality, permanence, and leakage be addressed? - Is the focus merely on generating revenue for the general fund? Having organized some of the first forestry-based carbon projects 30 years ago, I can attest that legitimate forestry offset projects are neither simple nor cheap. If states (and countries internationally) start treating carbon offsets as mostly "free money," it will simply further undermine their legitimacy as a tool to combat climate change. #ClimateAction #CarbonOffsets #EnvironmentalPolicy #Alaska #ClimateChange

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Interesting (and depressing) summary of what is happening with the California Air Resources Board Low Carbon Fuel Standard #LCFS program. #manurelagoon #deforestation #biofuels https://lnkd.in/gmQTGmXJ

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If you want to work on destroying methane, this could be a job for you. The CDR industry need to care a lot about methane because it’s short term potential is much worse per tonne than CO2 and rapidly thawing/decomposing “permafrost” could quickly raise methane levels. I have an idea for some methods/concepts around generating hydroxyl radicals (OH) to destroy methane (and hydrogen leaks) - happy to share them - https://lnkd.in/e6USxcR6 “Hydroxyl radicals: Detergent of the atmosphere” https://lnkd.in/e6USxcR6

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Turning the tide on deforestation is not easy. Financing the work of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, governments and civil society to achieve this goal is vital. Philanthropy and state funding have a critical role to play, yet we are but scratching the surface of the global need. The voluntary carbon market and purchases of high quality, high integrity forest carbon credits are providing a lifeline to many communities and landscapes – and could support many more. Is the market a silver bullet? No. Are there changes underway to make it function better? Yes. Meanwhile, there is no doubt that urgent action on the parallel tasks of decarbonisation AND protecting and restoring nature are vital to keep climate goals in reach. Standing in solidarity with these statements from our peers in response to the BBC Panorama documentary aired last week… Fauna & Flora Wildlife Conservation Society https://lnkd.in/ezJ9jur6 Conservation International as below.

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High quality soil carbon data starts with collecting your samples the right way. 🌱 At Agricarbon we’re all about high quality measurements. Why do it if you’re not doing it the best you can? To properly determine soil carbon stocks, it’s crucial to sample to depth and know the soil mass and that’s exactly what we do! The Environmental Defense Fund’s new research highlights the importance of doing this to ensure high quality data. #soildata #soilcarbon #carbonmeasurements #soilhealth

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The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) has announced the first set of methodologies that meet their #VCM #integrity standards (the Core Carbon Principles). Read more about these seven methodologies while another 27 categories of credits undergo assessment. https://lnkd.in/eYPSqxdy

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Yesterday morning the US Federal Government took a strong and pragmatic step to encourage companies to engage in the voluntary carbon markets.   The much-needed endorsement will hopefully be a warm-up to SBTI’s announcement in July, and it was a clear call to Corporates to do more and also a clear message that high integrity will be non-negotiable in this market.   I strongly encourage those interested in the area to listen to the full statement, and read the set of integrity principles issued by the Biden administration (https://lnkd.in/embxbGNy).   Secretary Janet Yellen 06:43 – “So let me be clear, we applaud companies that finance decarbonization through purchasing high quality carbon credits. We want this market to succeed, but that requires a widespread commitment to Integrity that instills market trust. There´s a lot more work to do, but if we do it well, we will have the chance to enlist markets as a powerful ally in the fight against climate change.” Samauma   https://lnkd.in/e48MSZhE

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🌍 How can you be an environmental justice advocate, regardless of your role? One of the many questions that we’ll explore at GreenBiz Group’s #Circularity24. I’m excited to join Grant Rodriguez Amlani, Andy Rose, and Drew Wilkinson on the panel “How to be an Environmental Justice Champion.” From awareness to action and impact, we’ll dive into how to elevate environmental justice as we build a circular economy. https://lnkd.in/ev2EyjWi

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Symbiosis is the groundbreaking collaboration between Microsoft, Google, Meta, and Salesforce. This alliance mirrors nature restoration projects, which are vital for climate goals to be met. The work ahead is complex and costly; however, by pooling their unique strengths they commit to addressing challenges by integrating advanced technology, engaging communities equitably, and balancing benefits, while setting a standard for high-quality outcomes. This symbiotic relationship fosters a thriving, sustainable future, proving that true growth lies in the strength of interconnected support systems and innovative pre-competitive collaboration.

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Annnnd the commotion continues. Instead of feeding into the negative media swirl, I choose to take this opportunity to re-emphasize the importance of the VCM as our only clear option for achieving our global climate mitigation goals. No, carbon credits aren't a permanent solution, but an essential bridge in a decade where we can least afford inaction. What I admire most about early innovative project developers in the voluntary carbon market space, is their courageous commitment to doing something. Inevitably, being on the 'bleeding edge' requires getting out there without having all the answers, but bravely recognizing the risks of doing nothing is too great. And what I see from this same community today is a renewed sense of purposeful commitment demonstrated through spirited innovation and constant adaptation. The science is clear. Carbon Credits can work. Yes, there are room for improvements, and importantly, people are already working on these fixes. In just one example recently outlined in this peer-reviewed expert analysis (https://lnkd.in/e_-zDTtQ), baseline setting was suggested as an area for improvement. Verra, among other stakeholders, is taking this seriously -- investing time, energy and ideation into new methodologies and methodology revisions, like the VM45 and VM47, which both incorporate the use of dynamic baselines. Furthermore, all the standards are looking to align around global community consensus on the definition of high quality carbon credits, led by the The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM). Rest assured, no one is sitting idly by. They're learning from the past, following the science, and making real attempts to implement solutions. 👏 What are the naysayers doing? 🤷‍♀️ #carboncreditswork #naturalclimatesolutions #forestcarbon

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The US is considering implementing a carbon pricing system on imports to counteract carbon-intensive industrial competition, particularly from China, and to cut emissions. This potential policy shift, spearheaded by climate envoy John Podesta, aims to address the global trading system's failure to account for the carbon footprint of tradable goods. A task force has been established to gather data and develop a policy framework, with a focus on sectors like steel, aluminum, cement, glass, and fertilizer. This move aligns with similar efforts in the EU and China's expansion of carbon permit pricing, reflecting a growing global emphasis on clean trade. #ClimatePolicy #CarbonPricing #Sustainability #CleanEnergy #TradePolicy #EmissionsReduction

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April 22, 2024 - By Sharon Udasin - "California on Monday released a first-of-its-kind plan to harness more than half of the state’s land to decrease carbon emissions. Over the next two decades, the state will work to accomplish 81 nature-based goals that serve to help achieve #California’s target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. These solutions, which will strive to support the capacity of lands to absorb more carbon than they discharge, are part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) broader California Climate Commitment plan (https://lnkd.in/e3vHG7Y7). “We’re setting aggressive and ambitious new targets to use California’s lands to fight the climate crisis,” Newsom said in a statement (https://lnkd.in/eBzJyzvR). Chief among the specific goals announced Monday is the management of 33.5 million acres to reduce wildfire risk, mostly through beneficial fire, such as prescribed or cultural burnings. Another 11.9 million acres of #forest has been designated for #biodiversity protection, #carbonstorage and #watersupplyprotection, while another 7.6 million acres will be conserved with other protections. Also included in the targets is the management of 3.4 million acres of croplands to boost healthy soils, drought resilience and below-ground biodiversity, as well as the planting of 4.2 million trees planted to remove carbon and increase access to nature. The plan also allocated 2.7 million acres of shrublands and chaparral for carbon storage management, resilience and habitat connectivity. Another 1.6 million-acre swath is expected to help restore native grasslands and protect biodiversity. Lastly, the plan includes 1.5 million acres of sparsely vegetated lands, such as deserts and beaches, to protect fragile #ecosystems. Newsom touted the “scale of action” of California’s plans as “unprecedented,” stressing that the targets will restore and conserve lands, while “greening our urban spaces and treating more acres to prevent #wildfires.” “We’re protecting nature and allowing it to work for our communities,” the governor added." #climateaction #climatestrategy #climatepolicy #landconservation #naturebasedsolutions #climatechange #carbonneutrality #carbonsequestration #nature #landmanagement

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Just a reminder that TODAY, we are hosting a webinar focused on the new SEC climate disclosure rules and more ESG regulations titled "Preparing Your Business for ESG Regulations" With the US SEC finalizing its climate disclosure rules and states like California taking legislative climate action, ESG regulations and pressures from stakeholders are becoming ever more complex and challenging to navigate. Whether you're just starting your ESG journey or seeking to refine existing practices, you'll gain insights to focus your limited time and resources, avoid costly missteps, and learn to utilize best practices for emissions calculations and data management as you prepare for the next wave of ESG regulations. Antea Group presenters include: Elizabeth Beck, Sarah King, Erik Foley, and Karly Beaumont Register now to attend live or get the on-demand link following the webinar: https://lnkd.in/ezQfyjYR #InogenAlliance #EHS #Webinars #SEC #ESG #sustainability #environmentalconsulting #internationalbusiness #sustainablefuture

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If you are interested in climate resilience in forests, this report is significant and worth your time. In brief, it includes five foundational recommendations for ecocultural restoration: 1. Adopt proactive stewardship, 2. Recognize and respect Tribal sovereignty and Indigenous knowledge, 3. Provide flexibility to steward dynamic landscapes 4. Ground agency planning/policies in the ethics of reciprocity and responsibility to future generations, and 5. Catalyze innovative approaches to forest stewardship.

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Anazing panel on Scaling Regenerative Agriculture at the ClimateImpact Summit. Super interesting to hear how different people are approaching #regeneration and the concept of creating an asset class for nature restoration. #climateimpactsummit #regenerativeagriculture

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Hi Portland Friends! Come join me for a free, public film screening and discussion about plastic pollution in the Himalayas, next week May 9th at Portland State University during the Research Week Events, along with the GlobalPDX community! "Embarking on an odyssey through the Himalayas, National Geographic Explorer and PSU Alumni Katie Conlon, PhD shares her journey in a tapestry of stories about resilience and hope. "Voices from the Himalayas for Reducing Plastic Pollution" highlights how 18 communities across North India and Nepal are actively engaging in ending pollution and environmental degradation. This National Geographic Society Explorer project includes films, case studies, and thematic reflections on topics like environmental justice and zero waste, serves as an educational and inspirational tool for anyone interested in global environmental challenges. Emphasizing the power of collective action, it aims to visualize a shift towards a sustainable and interconnected relationship with the Earth, demonstrating that even small groups of committed individuals can affect global change. For the screening we will watch 3 of the 18 short films, followed by a conversation. Looking forward to seeing some familiar faces and having a great discussion! https://lnkd.in/g7-ZEX_a #plasticpollution #waste #Himalayas #storytelling #environmentaljustice #globalsouth #sustainabledevelopment #sustainablefutures #environmentalawareness #microplastics #communityempowerment #environmentalaction #India #Nepal #research #climateaction

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