Developing a Forest Carbon Market in the U.S. – A Look at the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

Join the Maine Forest Service, Environment Northeast and the Gold Standard in discussing the process and challenges of developing new carbon markets in the U.S.

This presentation and discussion will look at the role of forests in combatting climate change through carbon offsets in New England states, with a particular focus on Maine.

In September of 2008, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) was launched in the Northeastern U.S. This first-of-its-kind mandatory, market-based effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the United States has established a price on carbon. RGGI's intent is to to spur innovation in the clean energy economy and to create green jobs in participating states.

This conversation will include an overview of RGGI and what it means to forestry in Maine. This event will explore the economic and environmental benefits to Maine for protecting and managing forests through RGGI offsets. Environment Northeast and the Maine Forest Service will discuss sequestration offsets under RGGI including additionality, verifiability, and permanence with a response on methodologies by the Gold Standard.

Join Alec Giffen, Director of the Maine Forest Service, Ellen Hawes, Policy Analyst-Forestry for Environment Northeast, and Jasmine Hyman, Marketing Director of the Gold Standard.