The Offset Quality Initiative at Carbon Forum America

Informing Emerging U.S. GHG Policy
The Offset Quality Initiative Side Event
Carbon Forum America
February 26, 2008

The Offset Quality Initiative [1] (OQI) is a partnership of six organizations, including the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. The group, which formed in Fall 2007, promotes effective greenhouse gas offset policy. The other members of OQI are: The Climate Trust; California Climate Action Registry; Environmental Resources Trust; Greenhouse Gas Experts Network; and The Climate Group. 

At the Carbon Forum America side event, OQI members explained the group's main objectives:

• To develop and promote consensus policy positions for the optimal integration and treatment of greenhouse gas offsets in current and future state, regional and national climate change policy. 
  
• To educate stakeholders on the opportunities and challenges presented by the integration of greenhouse gas offsets into regulatory and voluntary climate change mitigation strategies.
  
• To serve as a source of credible information on greenhouse gas offsets based on the diverse collective knowledge and experience of the Offset Quality Initiative members. 
  
• To promote innovation in the greenhouse gas offset market and to provide information and guidance on best practices and policies.

OQI is focused on several important topics, including: key criteria of high quality greenhouse gas offsets; the interaction of voluntary and regulatory greenhouse gas reduction markets; opportunities and challenges presented by various offset project types; and recommended roles for offsets in emerging climate change policy.