GHGMI and SEI re-launch Carbon Offset Research & Education (CORE) web resource

August 25, 2011, by Tim Stumhofer

There is no shortage of opinion on the concept and application of carbon offsets. The fervent debate these wonky mitigation instruments whip up runs an impressive multidisciplinary gamut from questions of morality to marginal cost of abatement. But while offsets have spurred a prodigious volume of discussion, there is a striking dearth of plain English analysis breaking down the complex commodities. Correspondingly there are startlingly few resources that dig beneath the veneer of marketing statements or go beyond a simple rehashing of basic concepts and statistics. In the face of this information shortfall, researchers at the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) have shown notable leadership. Over the past few years SEI has published a valuable catalogue of clear, accessible, and rigorous reports on the technical bits (e.g., greenhouse gas accounting and other programmatic rules) that underpin offset programs. In an effort to make this information even more user-friendly and digestible, SEI translated these materials into an interactive website: Carbon Offset Research & Education (CORE).

Now, more than a year after its initial launch, the Institute has partnered with the SEI to re-launch an updated CORE site to reflect recent program updates. In keeping with GHGMI’s mission to build the social and educational infrastructure necessary to enable climate change programs, the refreshed CORE site offers concise up-to-date programmatic detail across voluntary and compliance offset standards, making it both an excellent stand alone resource and an impeccable complement to GHGMI’s range of offset-related curriculum.

Please watch for these changes to be phased in over time. In the meantime, the current iteration of the CORE site offers a timeless introduction to many of the fundamentals that serve as the basis for specific programmatic rules and approaches.

A version of this blog post appeared as an article in an edition of The American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment “Implementer” newsletter.


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