Western Climate Initiative Proposes Process for Evaluating Offset Projects

LOS ANGELES—The Western Climate Initiative on July 14 proposed a step-by-step process that government entities participating in a regional greenhouse gas emissions trading program could adopt to ensure adequate availability of high-quality emissions offset projects.

Called the Draft Offset Protocol Review and Recommendation Process, the document outlines a strategy for identifying and evaluating offset protocols, or standards, already developed and in use.

According to the strategy, the partner jurisdictions, applying sound science and standard greenhouse gas accounting practices, would revise and update the existing protocols to meet the geographic, regulatory, and technological scope of WCI’s multisector regional cap-and-trade program. ...