Carbon Purging

The Pacific Carbon Trust is a newly created corporation that helps oversee the Canadian Province of British Columbia's carbon emissions reduction plan. They have been entrusted with the responsibility of executing the Vancouver Organizing Committee's (VANOC) offset plan to make the 2010 Winter Games carbon neutral.

At the World Conference on Sport and the Environment, VANOC announced a plan to neutralize 300,000 tons of carbon dioxide, which is close to the 328,485 tons the February Olympic Games' activities will create, according to the preliminary report "On Thin Ice" from the David Suzuki Foundation. This estimate is based on greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy use during the 2010 Winter Games and has been audited by Price Waterhouse Coopers, and doesn't include emissions associated with the construction of venues or activities associated with the preparation for the 2010 Winter Games.

Most of their offset plans will come in the form of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in British Columbia.

Linda Coady, vice-president of sustainability for the organizing committee, said that at current carbon prices of about $15 a ton, meeting the 2010 target would cost about $3.6 million ($4.5 Canadian) dollars.

My recommendation is for the Pacific Carbon Trust to retire carbon dioxide pollution permits along with using carbon offset schemes.

We at Carbon Purging would retire, and permanently put in trust, 300,000 tons' worth of CO2 permits on behalf of the PCT. Prices for carbon at RGGI's last auction on March 18, 2009, are around $3.51 USD per ton. Taking into account Carbon Purging's surcharge, PCT would end up spending a total of $1,317,000 USD and would be able to say with 100% certainty where their money went. This would save them $2,283,000 USD to boot, which they could still put towards energy efficiency programs.

Pacific Carbon Trust would get to retire 300,000 tons of CO2 pollution permits and get to use $2.28 million towards turning the beautiful city of Vancouver into a more energy-efficient place.

Talk about having the best of both worlds.