Program presented in partnership with:  New NicholasInstitute logo web

Draft program subject to change.

Pre-conference Tours
2018-04-03
Day 1 Preconference
2018-04-04
Day 2 Conference
2018-04-05
Union Square, Third Floor
Grand Ballroom, Third Floor
Grand Ballroom C, Third Floor
Grand Ballroom B, Third Floor
Grand Ballroom A, Third Floor
Day 3 Conference
2018-04-06
Union Square, Third Floor
Grand Ballroom, Third Floor
Grand Ballroom C, Third Floor
Grand Ballroom B, Third Floor
Grand Ballroom A, Third Floor
Union Square, Third Floor
Grand Ballroom, Third Floor
Grand Ballroom C, Third Floor
Grand Ballroom B, Third Floor
Grand Ballroom A, Third Floor
Union Square, Third Floor
Grand Ballroom, Third Floor
Grand Ballroom C, Third Floor
Grand Ballroom B, Third Floor
Grand Ballroom A, Third Floor
08:00 - 17:00
Continuing to Lead with Science

Meet at the first floor lobby

The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has been committed to pioneering science since it was founded in 1931. To date, thirteen Nobel prizes are associated with Berkeley Lab, 70 Berkeley Lab scientists are members of the National Academy of Sciences, 13 Berkeley Lab scientists have won the National Medal of Science, 18 Berkeley Lab engineers have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering and three Berkeley Lab scientists have been elected into the Institute of Medicine. On this tour, attendees will visit the prestigious Berkeley Lab and hear from scientists conducting pioneering research in different areas of climate science, including GHG mitigation, and see work in progress.

Fee: $50

09:00 - 17:00
Sea Level Rise: Risks and Adaptation for the Bay Area

Meet at the first floor lobby

Sea level rise has already had very real and very catastrophic effects on island nations and coastal communities. It also poses very real threats for the Bay Area. Projections that were at one time considered extreme are now expected to be conservative, with the Bay Area expecting up to 4.6 feet in sea level rise by 2100. According to a state-commissioned report on climate change, California’s coasts could experience sea level rise 30 to 40 times faster than in the last century. On this tour, attendees will learn about the current effects and future threats of climate change on coastal communities and innovative initiatives to address climate impacts and sea level rise.

Fee: $50

08:00 - 17:00
Registration Open

Location: Grand Ballroom Foyer, Third Floor

09:00 - 12:00
California Cap-and-Trade 101 Workshop

Location: Union Square, Third Floor

California’s Cap-and-Trade Program is the centerpiece of the state’s landmark Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32) and has served as a model for national and subnational governments around the world since its launch in 2012.  With work being undertaken on the U.S. federal level to repeal or significantly weaken federal climate regulations, California’s program now sits in a brighter spotlight as an effective initiative with strong government support.    This three-hour workshop will cover the basics of California’s Cap-and-Trade Program. Speakers will discuss how the program fits into AB 32 and SB 32, what developments may happen with AB 398 in place, timeframes established under the program, compliance entities and their obligations and basic market structure.  The workshop is an excellent primer for people starting to learn about the program and a comprehensive refresher course for people wanting to brush up on their Cap-and-Trade Program knowledge.

Fee: $150

10:00 - 11:30
Short-Term Offset Issuance Forecast and Auction Impact Analysis

Location: Laurel Hill, Fourth Floor

The objective of CaliforniaCarbon.Info’s presentation is to provide insight into two major topics within the cap-and-trade program: offsets and auctions. This is a direct response to demand for more technical analysis on aforementioned topics. Traders and entities are seeking out more information surrounding offset issuances and auction analysis in order to gain a full understanding of the market. CaliforniaCarbon.Info wants to fill that knowledge gap by presenting our short-term (until December 2020) offset issuance forecast and short-term auction analysis. The short-term offset forecast will predict offset issuances of existing projects under ODS, mine methane, livestock and forestry. It will include scenario-based modelling including determinants such as listed projects and credit buffer pool. The auction analysis will present various auction scenarios that will include legislative and regulatory changes and how those changes impacts prices and auctions. By addressing both auction and offsets we hope that the event will benefit a range of stakeholders. Our overall goal is to provide those stakeholders with concrete analysis of topics pertaining to cap-and-trade while continuing to establish CaliforniaCarbon.Info as a leader in information service in the WCI carbon market.

10:00 - 12:30
Navigating the Mexican Carbon World

Location: Nob Hill, Fourth Floor

Mexico has recently announced plans to launch a national Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) with the initial phase to be developed by August of this year. More than 100 companies are participating in an ongoing simulation of the emissions and offsets trading system. How current voluntary protocols, such as forest, landfill and others, will be included in the national emissions trading system remains unclear. Mexico has been developing jurisdictional frameworks for forest accounting at national and subnational levels. Simultaneously, many projects are under development using the Climate Action Reserve’s Mexico Forest Protocol, which provides demonstrable social and environmental co-benefits, as well as the Reserve’s Mexico Landfill Project Protocol. Credits issued from the Reserve have been sold internationally. 

 

This workshop will consist of individual presenters followed by discussion on the policies related to developing an emissions trading system and how the land use sector will be included. Current developments and benefits of Mexico forest activities, both from a jurisdictional context and from a project perspective, will be addressed, as well as strategies that can be considered to reconcile the accounting frameworks.

12:00 - 13:00
How AB 398 Could Reshape and Restrict the California Offset Market

Location: Laurel Hill, Fourth Floor

California’s offset program will likely see significant changes in the post-2020 period from regulatory requirements and developments in each protocol. In this session, ICIS analysts will guide you through the numbers and help you to understand what the data says about the current state of the offset market. The presentation will focus on the potential implications new rules could have on market dynamics and will conclude with a long-term outlook derived from ICIS’ new 2030 offset forecast.  This workshop is presented by ICIS.

12:00 - 13:30
Lunch

Location: Pacific Terrace, Fourth Floor

13:00 - 14:00
Climate Action Reserve Board of Directors Meeting

Location: Stockton, Fifth Floor

View the agenda at www.climateactionreserve.org

13:00 - 15:00
California Compliance Offset Program Workshop

Location: Union Square, Third Floor

The Climate Action Reserve invites you to attend a workshop that will provide an overview of California’s Compliance Offset Program, which will explore the program basics including the process for submitting projects under Compliance Offset Protocols, verification of compliance offset projects and invalidation. The workshop also will cover important changes to the Compliance Offset Program and lessons learned from market participants and the Reserve in its role as an Offset Project Registry. Additionally, workshop presenters will discuss the projected impact on the Compliance Offset Program from AB 398, which reauthorized the continuation of the state’s Cap-and-Trade Program through 2030. This workshop will be useful for consultants, compliance offset buyers, project developers, policymakers, and anyone interested in learning more about California’s compliance offset program.

Fee: $100

13:00 - 16:00
Current Legal Issues Shaping and Reshaping Carbon and Climate Policy

Location: Telegraph Hill, Fourth Floor

Carbon and climate policies on state, regional, national, and international levels are facing a number of legal issues that could significantly reshape or potentially halt them.  On the U.S. federal level, lawsuits are proceeding against the Clean Power Plan and the Trump administration is continuing to fuel much speculation about how it can influence and rescind climate regulation. In California, 2017 saw closure to the lawsuit against the state’s California’s Cap-and-Trade Program and the upholding to most of the state’s low carbon fuel standard, but lawsuits continue to shape climate policy in the state. This workshop, which is hosted by Latham & Watkins, will assess the legal issues and mechanisms potentially reshaping carbon and climate policy. MCLE credits will be available. 

Fee: $245

Jean-Philippe Brisson
Partner, Latham & Watkins, LLP
Josh Bledsoe
Counsel, Latham & Watkins
Marc Campopiano
Partner, Latham & Watkins
13:30 - 14:30
Carbon Offsets in North America 101

Location: Nob Hill, Fourth Floor

Curious about North America’s markets for carbon offsets? Come learn about how offsets are included in voluntary and compliance markets in the US, Canada, and Mexico. In this session, Ecosystem Marketplace will draw on recent reports and new data to present the latest carbon offset policy and market developments, including: detailed data about where projects are located; who is buying offsets on the voluntary markets and why; and how many offsets were issued and retired in 2017.  This workshop is presented by Ecosystem Marketplace.

14:00 - 16:00
Agricultural GHG Reductions to Support Working Lands Conservation

Location: Laurel Hill, Fourth Floor

The agricultural sector in the United States is responsible for 7.9% of total annual U.S. GHG emissions from cultivation practices, as well as land use change (LUC). These sources are often difficult or costly to measure and mitigate, and GHG emissions from the agricultural sector are mostly unregulated. This leaves immense opportunities for driving GHG reductions through the use of market incentives, such as carbon offsets. Certain project types, like livestock manure digestion, have already proven successful in both voluntary and compliance carbon markets. This workshop will discuss the opportunities and challenges for agricultural offset projects while highlighting two specific project types that show promise: avoided grassland conversion and nitrogen management. Participants will hear from a diverse group of speakers and will gain a more detailed understanding of how these projects work and what opportunities they present.

14:00 - 16:30
ETS Simulation Workshop – For Smarter Market Design and Capacity Building

Location: Grand Ballroom A, Third Floor

Join us for a fast-paced, educational, fun, and inspiring session of CarbonSim.

Emissions trading systems (ETS) have the potential to cap and cut climate pollution, spur investment in innovative technologies, and contribute to economic growth. The nature of these benefits is a function of program design, administration, and the aptitude of those who administer and are subject to the ETS.

That’s where Environmental Defense Fund’s carbon market simulation tool—CarbonSim—comes in. This artificial intelligence-enhanced and multi-lingual application teaches the principles of ETS and brings markets to life. It provides policymakers, regulated companies, NGOs, and the public—with means to train key staff, gain risk-free experience, and collaborate to maximize program benefits. It demonstrates both the power and limits of markets.

During this workshop you will manage a facility, implement a carbon portfolio management strategy, and measure performance against environmental and economic metrics. Through this collaborative, experiential, and fun game, you will enhance your understanding—and become a more effective advocate—of environmental markets.

This session is co-sponsored by the EDF and Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions.

For more CarbonSim info see our website.

 

07:15 - 17:30
Registration and Exhibit Hall Open

Registration: Grand Ballroom Foyer, Third Floor
Exhibit Hall: InterContinental Ballroom, Fifth Floor

07:45 - 08:45
Breakfast and Breakfast Discussion Tables

Location: InterContinental Ballroom, Fifth Floor

Breakfast Discussion Tables

Join a roundtable breakfast discussion to gather together over a particular topic, learn information, and engage in discussion with fellow participants in an informal, small-group setting. 

 

The breakfast discussions will take place in the InterContinental Ballroom A, in the breakfast seating area. To participate, grab your breakfast from the Exhibit Hall in InterContinental Ballroom B & C and join the numbered discussion table in the InterContinental Ballroom A that corresponds to your choice.

Thursday, April 5

  1. Update on the EU ETS
    Discussion lead: Mike Szabo, Carbon Pulse
  2. Climate Finance
    Discussion lead: Max DuBuisson, Climate Action Reserve
  3. Hawai’i Climate Change Policy and Initiatives
    Discussion lead: Jody Kaulukukui, The Nature Conservancy
  4. Measuring Soil Carbon In Rangelands
    Discussion lead: Charlie Bettigole and Kristofer Covey, Yale University
08:45 - 09:50
Welcome and Keynote Addresses

Location: Grand Ballroom, Third Floor

Linda Adams
Chair, Climate Action Reserve Board of Directors
Craig Ebert
President, Climate Action Reserve
Veerabhadran Ramanathan
Distinguished Professor, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California at San Diego; UNESCO Professor of Climate and Policy, TERI University, Delhi, India
09:50 - 10:00
Climate Action Champion and Project Developer Awards Presentations

Location: Grand Ballroom, Third Floor

10:00 - 11:00
Plenary Session: Navigating the North American Carbon World

Location: Grand Ballroom, Third Floor

Climate leadership on the North American national level looks different now than it did even a year ago. Mexico is moving forward with its Climate Change Law, which addresses its commitments under the Paris Agreement, develops a National Policy for Adaptation and establishes a carbon market. Canada introduced its Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change to work together with provinces, territories and Indigenous peoples to address climate change and meet its NDC of reducing economy-wide emissions 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. And, in the U.S., the Trump administration is still noncommittal to its global climate commitments and working to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. Speakers in this plenary session will discuss how Mexico, Canada and the U.S. are now navigating through the carbon world at home and on the global stage.

Dirk Forrister (moderator)
President and CEO, International Emissions Trading Association
Rodolfo Lacy
Under Secretary of Policy and Environmental Planning at SEMARNAT
Julie Cerqueira
Executive Director, U.S. Climate Alliance
Glen Murray
Executive Director, Pembina Institute
11:00 - 11:20
Break
11:20 - 12:20
Breakout Sessions
11:20 - 12:20
Path 1: State of the North American Carbon Market

Path 1: Markets and Finance
Location: Grand Ballroom B, Third Floor

In 2017, the North American carbon market was impacted by a number of significant policy changes. At the beginning of the year, Ontario linked with Quebec, bringing it officially into the WCI and creating a stronger, larger market. In July, AB 398 passed both chambers of California’s legislature with a super majority, extending the state’s cap-and-trade program and bolstering confidence in the market. During the year, Mexico continued setting the stage for the future start of a cap-and-trade program. This session will look at how recent developments shaped the carbon market and the current status of the market today.

Lars Kvale (moderator)
Head of Business Development, APX
Jackie Cooley
Lead Market Analyst, ICIS
Jean-Philippe Brisson
Partner, Latham & Watkins, LLP
Bill Flederbach
President and CEO of ClimeCo Corporation
11:20 - 12:20
Path 2: West Side Stories: Climate Leadership from the Pacific Coast

Path 2: Subnational Leadership
Location: Grand Ballroom C, Third Floor

The Pacific Coast is the land of pioneers and entrepreneurs, free spirits and movie stars.  Clean air, clean water, bountiful wildlife and abundant food are what made this region a big promise of the promised land.  West Coast states have not forgotten what makes this land great and the need to protect it.  Hawaii, California, Oregon and Washington have all pushed full steam ahead with their state-level climate initiatives and doubled-down on their stances and activities in the absence of federal action and presence of climate denial.  Speakers will discuss their state initiatives that show subnational leadership to the rest of the country and the world.  

Greg Tamblyn (moderator)
Executive Director, Western Climate Initiative
Ken Alex
Director of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, State of California
Reed Schuler
Senior Policy Advisor for Climate and Sustainability to Governor Jay Inslee
Scott Glenn
Director of the State of Hawaiʻi Office of Environmental Quality Control
Hon. Ken Helm
Representative, Oregon State Legislature
11:20 - 12:20
Path 3: Local Stories: Environmental Justice Issues, Goals and Investments

Path 3: Climate Initiatives and Policy
Location: Grand Ballroom A, Third Floor

Disadvantaged communities are among those hit the hardest by day-to-day pollution and climate change issues. The environmental justice (EJ) voice has increased its volume and its audience has grown. In California, the EJ community has been vocal about its local issues, goals for emissions reductions and plans for investment of auction revenue and other funding. In this session, speakers from the community and working for the community will focus on the local voice and stories.

Quentin Foster (moderator)
Program Director, California, Environmental Defense Fund
Katie Valenzuela Garcia
Principal Consultant, Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies
Deidre Sanders
Director, Government and Community Affairs, East Bay Community Energy
Carina Miller
Tribal Council Representative – Agency District, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
11:20 - 12:20
Path 4: West Coast LCFS Policy Update and Outlook

Path 4: Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS)
Location: Union Square, Third Floor

Currently, California and Oregon are the only U.S. states that have adopted an LCFS. This session will discuss the status of California’s program, report on the first year of Oregon’s LCFS and take a look at the future for both states’ programs The discussion will also explore any expectations for other states to follow the lead of California and Oregon in the near future.

Matt Lithgow (moderator)
North American Environmental Markets Correspondent, Carbon Pulse
Sam Wade
Chief of the Transportation Fuels Branch, California Air Resources Board
Peter Weisberg
Manager at Climate Trust Capital and Senior Portfolio Manager at The Climate Trust
Cory-Ann Wind
Oregon Clean Fuels Program Manager
12:20 - 13:00
Lunch and Networking

Location: Intercontinental Ballroom, Fifth Floor

13:00 - 13:30
Speed Networking

Location: InterContinental Foyer, Fifth Floor

13:30 - 14:30
Breakout Sessions
13:30 - 14:30
Path 1: North American Carbon Market Outlook

Path 1: Markets and Finance
Location: Grand Ballroom B, Third Floor

Market participants and others have kept a close watch on the growth of the North American carbon market and for good reason. Ontario’s cap-and-trade program launched January 1, 2017 and in September, the province signed an agreement to link with the California/Québec markets. Oregon’s legislature is expected to vote on a cap-and-trade program for the state this spring, and other Canadian provinces are also looking at different options for pricing carbon. South of the U.S. border, Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies to the Climate Change Law is expected to be considered by the Senate this spring, and included in that law is the order for SEMARNAT to establish a carbon market. What does the future of the North American compliance and voluntary markets look like? What players and influences may have significant impacts in their continued development?

Kelley Hamrick (moderator)
Senior Associate, Ecosystem Marketplace
Chris Busch
Research Director, Energy Innovation
Sean Carney
President, Finite Carbon
Scott Hernandez
SVP North America, CBL Markets
13:30 - 14:30
Path 2: California Policy Roadmap: the Updated Scoping Plan and Direction of State Agencies

Path 2: Subnational Leadership
Location: Grand Ballroom C, Third Floor

In December 2017, the California Air Resources Board approved an updated Scoping Plan, which provides a roadmap for how the state will reach its economywide emissions reduction goals. This session will look at that roadmap, policies under it and the roles different state departments play in achieving the emissions reduction goals.

Peter Miller (moderator)
Senior Scientist, Natural Resources Defense Council
Edie Chang
Deputy Executive Officer, California Air Resources Board
Jenny Lester Moffitt
Undersecretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture
Claire Jahns
Assistant Secretary, Natural Resources Climate Issues, California Natural Resources Agency
13:30 - 14:30
Path 3: Rising from the Ashes: State Responses to the CPP Dismantling

Path 3: Climate Initiatives and Policy
Location: Grand Ballroom A, Third Floor

EPA is rolling back the Clean Power Plan, the federal rule setting greenhouse gas standards for the power sector.  Whether EPA abandons climate regulation of power plants entirely, or replaces the rule with a much weaker standard, the Clean Power Plan likely represents the high water mark for near-term federal climate action.  Many states are stepping into the void, and taking steps to address climate change through local initiatives. This session will explore the battle over CPP federal regulations, review the challenge to the EPA endangerment finding, and explore how state-level initiatives and best practices are addressing climate change in lieu of a federal mandate.

Tim Profeta (moderator)
Director, Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions
Megan Ceronsky
Executive Director, Center for Applied Environmental Law and Policy
Craig Segall
Assistant Chief Counsel, California Air Resources Board
13:30 - 14:30
Path 4: LCFS Market Update

Path 4: Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS)
Location: Union Square, Third Floor

California’s LCFS market has continued to develop since its original launch in 2011, with new fuels, potential regulatory changes, advanced vehicle technology and advances in fuels processing impacting it. Moving forward, how will the expected increases in CNG and LNG, the growing impact of EVs and the introduction of alternative jet fuels impact the market? This session will discuss the status of the California LCFS market and the market outlook with the upcoming CI reduction goal for 2020 getting closer.

 

Jordan Godwin (moderator)
Senior Journalist, Oil Price Information Service
Philip Sheehy
Technical Director, ICF
Josh Bledsoe
Counsel, Latham & Watkins
14:40 - 15:40
Breakout Sessions
14:40 - 15:40
Path 1: Offsets’ Continuing Role and New Market Growth

Path 1: Markets and Finance
Location: Grand Ballroom B, Third Floor

Carbon offsets have played an important role in easing the economic impact of California’s cap-and-trade program, while also driving investments into emission reductions outside of the cap, and outside of the state. With linkages to Quebec and Ontario, the market is poised to grow and new protocols are being developed. Under AB-398 the ARB is expected to initiate adoption of additional compliance protocols. This session will examine future offset supplies from existing protocols, as well as the outlook for new protocols and projects, including those on tribal lands.

Craig Ebert (moderator)
President, Climate Action Reserve
Sheldon Zakreski
Chief Operating Officer, The Climate Trust
Rajinder Sahota
Assistant Division Chief, California Air Resources Board
Karen Haugen-Kozyra
President, Viresco Solutions
Javier Kinney
Director of Office of Self-Governance, Yurok Tribe
14:40 - 15:40
Path 2: The Expansion and Strengthening of RGGI

Path 2: Subnational Leadership
Location: Grand Ballroom C, Third Floor

After remaining relatively quiet for the past several years, RGGI is back in the action with deeper emissions cuts proposed, new potential members and even its first offset project.  In November, Virginia regulators approved plans for the state to launch a carbon reduction program and potentially link to RGGI, and New Jersey is considering rejoining the East Coast program.  In August 2017, it proposed cutting GHG emissions from utilities an additional 30 percent from 2020 levels by 2030.  In this session, state regulators, market participants and market observers will talk about the current developments with RGGI and where the cap-and-trade program is headed.

Justin Johnson (moderator)
Head – Global Strategic Markets, MMR, LLC
Andrew McKeon
Executive Director, Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
Paul Hibbard
Principal, Analysis Group
Tom Ballou
Manager, Office of Air Data Analysis and Planning, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
Christopher Van Atten
Senior Vice President, M.J. Bradley & Associates, LLC
14:40 - 15:40
Path 3: New Opportunities for Voluntary Emissions Reductions

Path 3: Climate Initiatives and Policy
Location: Grand Ballroom A, Third Floor

Action on mitigation often focuses on compliance requirements. Yet voluntary actions across the economy offer an enormous opportunity for unleashing cost-effective, creative solutions to mitigation. Many companies and organizations are seeking solid opportunities for addressing climate change but want to do so in an environmentally rigorous manner that achieves solid benefits and avoids charges of greenwashing. New programs need to come to fruition that will provide a more robust option for voluntary action, augmenting the suite of strategies available for compliance markets. These programs will allow companies and organizations to innovate in ways better aligned with their respective strategies and stakeholder preferences.

Robert Z. Lee (moderator)
Program Director, Climate Action Reserve
Ken Newcombe
Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder, C-Quest Capital
Henry Hilken
Director of Planning and Climate Protection, Bay Area Air Quality Management District
Jonathan Parfrey
Executive Director, Climate Resolve
14:40 - 15:40
Path 4: EVs: Charging Forward in the Carbon Landscape

Path 4: Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS)
Location: Union Square, Third Floor

Electric vehicles have gained dramatic momentum in the past year. General Motors has declared that “the future is electric” and numerous automakers have announced tens of billions of dollars in investments to shift their new product mix to electrics. Governor Jerry Brown recently signed an executive order, committing California to five million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2030 and the state has demonstrated its strong support for the vehicles through a range of programs. Other major economies, including Germany, China and the United Kingdom, have announced plans to phase out gas cars altogether. In California, moreover, electric vehicles are a rapidly growing source of LCFS credits. This session will discuss the status of EVs in California from the legislative, regulatory, corporate and environmental perspectives.

Joel Levin (moderator)
Executive Director, Plug In America
Hon. Phil Ting
Assemblymember, State of California
David Sawaya
Clean Transportation Strategy Manager, Pacific Gas and Electric Company
15:40 - 16:00
Break
16:00 - 16:20
Keynote address – California Senate President pro Tem Kevin de León

Location: Grand Ballroom, Third Floor

Hon. Kevin de León
California Senate President pro Tempore
16:20 - 17:30
Plenary Session: Increasing Ambition: Leaders Stepping up to the Climate Challenge

Location: Grand Ballroom, Third Floor
Across North America, subnational jurisdictions, tribes and corporations have set ambitious climate goals to improve their local communities and support the Paris Agreement. Their leadership and ambition received considerable attention at COP 23 and will again be in the spotlight at the Global Climate Action Summit. This session will discuss current subnational, tribal and corporate leadership and the impact their ambitious goals stand to have.

Matt Rodriquez (moderator)
Secretary for Environmental Protection, California Environmental Protection Agency
Hon. Chris Lee
Member of the Hawaii House of Representatives
Josie Hickel
President, Chugach Commercial Holdings
Ray Williams
Director, Long-term Energy Policy, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)
17:30 - 18:30
Networking Reception

Location: Pacific Terrace, Fourth Floor

08:00 - 16:00
Registration and Exhibit Hall Open

Registration: Grand Ballroom Foyer, Third Floor
Exhibit Hall: InterContinental Ballroom, Fifth Floor

08:15 - 09:15
Breakfast and Breakfast Discussion Tables

Location: InterContinental Ballroom, Fifth Floor

Breakfast Discussion Tables

Join a roundtable breakfast discussion to gather together over a particular topic, learn information, and engage in discussion with fellow participants in an informal, small-group setting.

 

The breakfast discussions will take place in the InterContinental Ballroom A, in the breakfast seating area. To participate, grab your breakfast from the Exhibit Hall in InterContinental Ballroom B & C and join the numbered discussion table in the InterContinental Ballroom A that corresponds to your choice.

Friday, April 6

  1. Advancing Carbon Pricing Policy at Home and Abroad
    Discussion lead: Jackson Ewing, Duke University
    From leaded fuels to sulfur emissions to greenhouse gases, the United States has a storied history in using market-based policies to advance its environmental agenda. Such policies are essential for meeting global climate challenges and the expertise and experience underpinning market-based approaches, including that at the Duke Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, has growing relevance for subnational efforts in the U.S. and for a range of stakeholders around the world.
  2. National Energy Efficiency Registry (NEER)
    Discussion lead: Peggy Kellen, The Climate Registry
    The National Energy Efficiency Registry (NEER) provides a convenient, effective and scalable solution for states and companies seeking to meet environmental and energy objectives through energy efficiency certificate markets. Work to-date has established the critical requirements for a national web-based platform and a credible, broadly supported reporting and verification standard for energy efficiency projects (the NEER Enhanced protocol). Join Peggy Kellen from The Climate Registry, to learn more about this project and discuss opportunities to participate in a voluntary energy efficiency certificate market pilot.
  3. Distributed Ledger Technology for Climate
    Discussion lead: Andrew Thornton, APX
    Everyone has heard the hype around Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc. These cryptocurrencies are enabled by a potentially revolutionary technology called a blockchain or distributed ledger. This discussion is around the application of the underlying technology to carbon markets. Let’s discuss!
09:15 - 10:00
Keynote Addresses

Location: Grand Ballroom, Third Floor

Glen Murray
Executive Director, Pembina Institute
10:00 - 11:00
Plenary Session: Local Actions, Local Communities and Big Impacts

Location: Grand Ballroom, Third Floor

For local and indigenous communities, climate initiatives can have tremendous environmental and economic impacts. The challenge is not in identifying benefits but in getting initiatives implemented, including finding funding. In this plenary session, voices from local and indigenous communities will explore their own initiatives, how they were implemented, what the results have been and challenges faced by other communities.

Craig Ebert (moderator)
President, Climate Action Reserve
Linda Adams
Chair, Climate Action Reserve Board of Directors
Vern Cheechoo
Director of Lands & Resources, Mushkegowuk Council
Suzanne Leclair
Legal and Technical Advisor for the Climate Change file, Mushkegowuk Council
Javier Kinney
Director of Office of Self-Governance, Yurok Tribe
11:00 - 11:20
Break
11:20 - 12:20
Breakout Sessions
11:20 - 12:20
Path 1: California Auction Revenue at Work: Meeting Critical State Needs

Path 1: Markets and Finance
Location: Grand Ballroom B, Third Floor

California’s cap-and-trade allowance auctions generate billions in revenue for the state. Proceeds go to the California Climate Investment Program (still often referred to as the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund) and are invested in numerous projects that reduce emissions and improve the environment, economy and public health in California communities. These investments must achieve GHG reductions, with significant proceeds going to projects directly within and benefiting disadvantaged and low-income households and communities. This session will discuss some of the benefits achieved by the investments and perspectives related to the focus on investments within disadvantaged communities.

Ashley Conrad-Saydah (moderator)
Deputy Secretary for Climate Policy, California Environmental Protection Agency
Mary Creasman
California Director of Government Affairs, The Trust for Public Land
Angie Lottes
Assistant Deputy Director, Climate and Energy, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)
Alvaro Sanchez
Director, Environmental Equity, The Greenlining Institute
11:20 - 12:20
Path 2: Subnational Leadership on the Canadian Provincial and Mexican State Levels

Path 2: Subnational Leadership
Location: Grand Ballroom C, Third Floor

Subnational jurisdictions in Canada and Mexico have been moving forward with initiatives to support their own ambitious climate goals. This session will discuss initiatives within their own borders, as well as collaboration with their national governments and other cross-border subnational jurisdictions.

Lauren Sanchez (moderator)
‎International Policy Director, ‎California Air Resources Board
Rodrigo Aguilar Benignos
International Strategist and Consultant
Katie Sullivan
Director of the Americas and Climate Finance, IETA
Blas L. Pérez Henríquez
Founding Director of the California Global Energy, Water & Infrastructure Innovation Initiative, Stanford University & Director, Stanford – USAID Mexico Clean Economy 2050 Global Development Alliance
Gray Taylor
General Counsel and Principal, Climate Solutions Group
11:20 - 12:20
Path 3: Maximizing Impact: Opportunities and Strategies for SLCP Reduction

Path 3: Climate Initiatives and Policy
Location: Grand Ballroom A, Third Floor

Short-lived climate precursors (SLCPs, including methane and other gases) offer opportunities to reduce emissions that will have a more immediate impact on atmospheric loadings of GHGs. As a result, strategies that target SLCPs can be very popular for delivering more “bang for the buck” than other strategies. This session will explore the variety of options that can target SLCPs and update attendees on recent developments in this area, including promising options nearing commercialization.

Ryan McCarthy (moderator)
Science and Technology Policy Advisor, Office of the Chair at California Air Resources Board
Evan Johnson
Senior Environmental Scientist, CalRecycle
Tanya Peacock
Environmental Policy Manager, Southern California Gas Company
Jack Brouwer
Associate Director, National Fuel Cell Research Center and Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, UC Irvine
12:20 - 13:10
Lunch and Networking

Location: Intercontinental Ballroom, Fifth Floor

13:10 - 13:40
Speed Networking

Location: InterContinental Foyer, Fifth Floor

13:40 - 14:40
Breakout Sessions
13:40 - 14:40
Path 1: The Growing Role and Impact of Climate Finance

Path 1: Markets and Finance
Location: Grand Ballroom B, Third Floor

Increasing amounts of public and private funds are being directed toward uses that are intended to reduce GHG emissions. Global estimates approach $100 trillion for achieving a low/no carbon economy. There is incredible diversity in not only the projects that seek these funds but also the funding sources and distribution mechanisms. This panel will discuss the status of climate finance, where the market is headed, approaches to validating climate benefits of finance and the engagement of private capital. The discussion will include ways to address GHG mitigation, adaptation and resilience.

Alan Gordon (moderator)
Senior Fellow for the Climate Impact Score, Climate Action Reserve
Tim Schaefer
Deputy Treasurer for Public Finance, Office of California Treasurer John Chiang
Teveia Barnes
Executive Director, California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank
13:40 - 14:40
Path 2: Evergreen Strategy: Inclusion of Forests in Climate Policies and Markets

Path 2: Subnational Leadership
Location: Grand Ballroom C, Third Floor

As a well-known, cost-effective option for removing atmospheric carbon, forests continue to be a centerpiece of policy development, discussions and actions aimed at increasing carbon storage or reducing emissions from converting forests to other land use activities, such as grazing and agriculture. Forest offsets are a popular project type within California’s Cap-and-Trade Program. Subnational jurisdictions have led innovation to develop frameworks to quantify forest carbon and develop programs to reduce emissions and increase sequestration. Many nations are considering how forests can be included in their emission reduction strategies under the Paris Agreement. This session will discuss the status of the inclusion of forests in subnational and national emission reduction strategies and the status of market mechanisms to support their efforts.

Steve Schwartzman
Senior Director, Tropical Forest Policy, Environmental Defense Fund
Jason Gray
Chief of the Climate Change Program Evaluation Branch, California Air Resources Board
Odette Preciado Benítez
Ministry of Environment and Territorial Development, Jalisco, Mexico
Karine Hertzberg
Counselor for climate and environment at Norway’s embassy to the US
13:40 - 14:40
Path 3: State of Play for the Paris Agreement and the Role of Article 6

Path 3: Climate Initiatives and Policy
Location: Grand Ballroom A, Third Floor

While the Trump Administration has signalled its intention to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, the rest of the world remains resolute in its determination to move forward collectively on addressing climate change. Many of the rules for achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement are currently being formulated, with the initial “rulebook” to be discussed in detail at COP 24 in Poland later this year. Among other objectives, key elements defining how the market-based solutions under Article 6 will be defined and implemented are being negotiated. This session will discuss the current state of the negotiations and outline the key questions that need to be addressed and the timeline for progress.

Alex Hanafi (moderator)
Senior Manager, Multilateral Climate Strategy and Senior Attorney, Environmental Defense Fund
Alden Meyer
Director of Strategy and Policy, Union of Concerned Scientists
Rodolfo Lacy
Under Secretary of Policy and Environmental Planning at SEMARNAT
Dirk Forrister
President and CEO, International Emissions Trading Association
14:40 - 15:00
Break
15:00 - 16:00
Breakout Sessions
15:00 - 16:00
Path 1: Emerging Carbon Markets: Understanding the Chinese Carbon Market

Path 1: Global Innovative Solutions
Location: Grand Ballroom B, Third Floor

In December 2017, China announced the official start of its national emissions trading system (ETS) construction program. When fully implemented, this program could more than double the volume of worldwide carbon dioxide emissions covered by either tax or tradeable permit policy. Many of program’s design features reflect those of China’s pilot programs but widely differ from those of emissions trading programs in the United States and Europe. This session will explore the design of China’s new carbon market, contrast it with western markets and highlight possible implications to the North American markets.

Jackson Ewing (moderator)
Faculty Fellow at Nicholas Institute of Environmental Policy Solutions and Adjunct Associate Professor at the Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University
Fan Dai
Special Advisor to the Governor on China, Office of Governor Jerry Brown, State of California
Craig Hart
Lecturer, Johns Hopkins University, and Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council
Xiaolu Zhao
Program Manager of Climate Change and Carbon Pricing Program at Beijing Representative Office of Environmental Defense Fund
15:00 - 16:00
Path 2: Starting at Home: City and County Climate Leadership

Path 2: Subnational Leadership
Location: Grand Ballroom C, Third Floor

Local climate initiatives generate environmental, social and economic benefits close to home, producing impactful results for local habitat, air quality, water and more. These initiatives also can be testing grounds for developing innovative approaches, like jurisdictional accounting frameworks. In this session, voices from the local level will discuss initiatives on their home fronts and the impact of local leadership.

David Rosenheim (moderator)
Founder and CEO, JobsWithImpact
Zach Baumer
Climate Program Manager, Office of Sustainability, City of Austin, Texas
Kathleen Ave
Climate Program Manager, Sacramento Municipal Utility District
Wendy Goodfriend
Program Manager, San Francisco Department of the Environment
15:00 - 16:00
Path 3: Taking Flight: the Development of CORSIA

Path 3: Climate Initiatives and Policy
Location: Grand Ballroom A, Third Floor

The Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement only address the emissions within the borders of the participatory nations. A significant source of GHG emissions that has historically been excluded from such agreements is international aviation. In 2016, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) adopted a resolution to form the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), providing a framework for voluntary reporting and offsetting in this sector. Though the details are still being negotiated, it is nevertheless anticipated that the CORSIA market will represent a sizeable new demand for carbon offsets. This panel will discuss the program details known to date, the potential market supply and demand and the expected market dynamics.

Mike Szabo (moderator)
Correspondent and Co-founder of Carbon Pulse
Max DuBuisson
Policy Director, Climate Action Reserve
Nancy Young
Vice President of Environmental Affairs, Airlines for America
Takashi Hongo
Senior Fellow, Mitsui Global Strategic Studies Institute
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