The Department of Environmental Protection this week formally designatedThe Climate Registryand three other organizations for offset registries to help businesses voluntarily track climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions.

The action follows a recommendation by thePennsylvania Climate Change Advisory Committeeearlier in the week to name registries so businesses can track their success in reducing or offsetting greenhouse gas emissions.

The Committee also selected Sarah Hetznecker of Conergy to serve as chairwoman and state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Michael DiBerardinis to serve as vice chairman. Hetznecker is a project development director for Conergy, the world’s largest solar integration company.

“Identifying the sources and amounts of greenhouse gas emissions is essential to creating a robust program to combat climate change,” said Acting DEP Secretary John Hanger. “This information can provide a roadmap for Pennsylvania businesses to voluntarily participate in national and international programs that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help provide the climate stability Pennsylvania’s economy and infrastructure depend on.”

Pennsylvania joined 30 other states last year in becoming charter members of The Climate Registry, which is a tool that measures, tracks, verifies and publicly reports greenhouse gas emissions accurately, transparently and consistently across borders and industry sectors. DEP has actively worked to create and develop The Climate Registry and its general verification and reporting protocols.

The registry will support voluntary, market-based and regulatory greenhouse gas emissions reporting programs. During the meeting, the committee also recommended the Climate Action Reserve, the Voluntary Carbon Standard, and the Gold Standard as offset registries.

This recommendation for a suite of registries will meet Pennsylvania’s needs by creating a wide range of offset protocols and accommodating multinational businesses located within the commonwealth.

The Climate Change Advisory Committee, established under the Pennsylvania Climate Change Act signed into law in July, is charged with advising DEP on actions related to climate change, creating a report on potential climate change impacts and economic opportunities for the commonwealth, and developing an action plan to implement cost-effective strategies to reduce or offset the state’s greenhouse gas emissions.

For more information, visit thePennsylvania Climate Change Advisory Committee webpage.

Link:New Report Details Potential Impacts of Global Warming On PA Agriculture, Forests

10/3/2008