CarbonVerde
Selected Project & Policy Committee Work
Project Experience
- Project manager for a feasibility study to test the validity of creating a voluntary system where global agricultural producers of commodities can bundle the sale of their commodity along with CO2 emission reductions into a single transaction through existing supply chains. Commodities include beef, dairy, cashew, coffee, cocoa, cotton, sugarcane, soy, timber, pulp, and palm oil.
- VSC REDD AFOLU expert on team that conducted the second assessment for an Avoided Mosaic Deforestation of Tropical Forests methodology.
- Consulted on the emission reduction feasibility, development of a methodology and project design document for IFM projects on First Nations lands in Canada and Tribal lands in the United States.
- Conducted feasibility studies for Improved Forest Management and Avoided Conversion projects against the California Climate Action Reserve’s (CAR) forestry protocols. Used the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) to model the project’s baseline carbon stocks, including discounts for uncertainty, and the estimated emission reductions over the project period. Developed an estimate for leakage and risk of reversals, and buffer pool requirements over the project period. Identify areas of risk and uncertainty in the analysis and make recommendations to mitigate these.
- Lead verifier for a global GHG validation/verification firm during its ANSI forestry scope extension accreditation for the CAR, VCS, and ACR standards. Lead verifier for a managed forest project for a vertically integrated forestry operation in Uruguay, and an afforestation/reforestation project on tribal timberlands in the United States.
- Conducted an assessment of existing validation and verification body requirements for all North American forestry protocols within voluntary market GHG programs, including ANSI, RGGI, VCS, and CAR.
- Assessed a project in the Central African Republic against the validation and verification requirements of the VCS AFOLU rules for a REDD and Improved Forest Management project.
- Evaluated potential REDD offset project sites in Papua Province, Indonesia, San Martin State, Peru, and Madre de Dios State, Peru against the requirements of the Voluntary Carbon Standard’s AFOLU’s requirements, and the Community, Climate and Biodiversity’s requirements. Met with and interviewed local stakeholders including community leaders, government officials, NGO organizations, forest industry, Indigenous Peoples organizations, and REDD working groups to assess project success.
- Lead verifier for a managed forest project for a vertically integrated forestry operation in Uruguay, and an afforestation/reforestation project on tribal timberlands in the United States.
- Preparation of CCX project development design documents for an institutional investor on a managed forest carbon project in Uruguay.
- In collaboration with The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International, Rainforest Alliance, and Community, Climate and Biodiversity Alliance, developed and delivered a 3-day REDD training course in Indonesia, Peru, Guatemala, and Congo for regional WWF staff and REDD partners.
- Developed carbon accounting systems, and conducted carbon market and income forecasting.
- Development of a forest carbon offset project using the Climate Action Reserve’s (CAR) Forest Project Protocol Version 3.1, and a “Common Practice” approach as required by the American Carbon Registry (ACR), as found in what is referred to as the “Ecotrust Methodology”, for Improved Forest Management projects in the Pacific Northwest, Lake States, and Appalachian regions of the US. Modeled the with and without-project projections and estimated baseline (including the live tree, dead standing, and harvested wood products carbon pools) using the US Forest Service’s Forest Vegetation Simulator growth and yield model. Projected emissions reductions over a project period of 50 - 100 years, and provide an analysis. Developed an estimate for leakage, risk of reversals, and buffer pool size over the project period.
- Assessment of the Khata Corridor and Lamahi-Mahadevpuri Complex within the Terai Arc region of Nepal. Assessed the emission reduction feasibility and conservation co-benefit objectives of the project. Researched available methodologies, and methodologies in development that may be appropriate to consider to measure, report, and verify emission reductions. Identified the steps to move project through any further assessment, development and validation of the project design document, additional work to develop, refine and/or validate methodologies, and eventual registration of emission reduction credits in the VCS voluntary market, and gaining CCB validation. Assisted client in the decision to fund and develop the project.
- Conducted a peer review and evaluated an Improved Forest Management methodology’s procedures, presentation, and interpretation of procedures with a special focus on 1) Methodology description, 2) Eligibility, boundaries, additionality, and permanence, 3) Baseline, 4) With-project scenario, 5) QA/QC and uncertainty, and 6) Calculation of emission reductions.
- Evaluated the CAR, ACR, VCS, and CCB requirements for addressing policy areas of setting baselines, additionality, permanence, leakage, reserve/buffer pools, and risk of reversals.
- Evaluated method to calculate emission reductions associated with harvested wood products (HWP) under the Voluntary Carbon Standard’s requirements for an Improved Forest Management Logged-to-Protected Forest (LtPF) project type. Advised on alternative approaches to quantify HWP emission reductions. Assessed the leakage approach used for the harvested wood product carbon pool.
- Consulted on investments in forest conservation and sustainability initiatives using carbon asset management strategies for trading verified emission reductions (VER’s), and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) sustainable forest management standards.
- Developed carbon accounting systems, and conducted carbon market and income forecasting.
- Made presentations to potential project investors, including investment banks, development banks, and project developers. Developed proposals seeking financial support from foundations and corporations.
- Consulted the USDA Forest Service National Forest System’s Regions 2, 3, and 4 on implementing the 2005 Planning Rule (36 CFR Part 219) in compliance with the National Forest Management Act of 1976. This rule required implementing an ISO 14001 EMS within each National Forest.
- Consulted the Washington Office of the USDA Forest Service’s National Forest System and analyzed options for complying with Executive Order 13148, the 2005 Planning Rule, and the USDA Interim Guidance on Environmental Management Systems.
- Developed and delivered over 130 days of public and private training on the SFI, FSC, and ISO 14001 EMS standards development, integration, and implementation, and internal auditing for forestry professionals.
Policy & Committee Experience
- Revision Committee member for the Second Edition of the Community Climate and Biodiversity standard
- Member of the Society of American Foresters (SAF) Climate Change Task Force. Chair of the SAF’s E-3 Working Group on Bio-energy, Climate Change, and Carbon. Provided briefing to US Senate and House Agriculture Committees on the role of forests in climate mitigation
- Member of the Forest Climate Working Group and its Legislative Committee. Testified before the US House Agricultural Committee on the role of forests in climate mitigation
- Vice-chair of the North American Forest Carbon Standards Committee
- Business Council for Sustainable Energy Offsets Policy Committee
- International Emissions Trading Association’s Land Use Change Committee
- Contributing author of the Forest Stewardship Council’s General Assembly Policy Motion #43 on FSC Engagement in Forest-based Carbon
- Steering committee member to organize Forest Carbon Finance Summit, co-sponsored with WWF, Harvard University, and Duke University.
- Chicago Climate Exchange Forestry and Verifier Advisory Committees
- World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Sustainable Forest Products Industry (SFPI) Working Group. Member of the SFPI working group’s Climate and Energy Action Team, and its Illegal Logging Task Force
- Forests in the Farm Bill Coalition for the 2012 Farm Bill
