by Georges Dyer, Senior Fellow, Second Nature

As many of you know, the ACUPCC Voluntary Carbon Offset Protocol and accompanying guidelines document was released at the AASHE conference. The Protocol was developed under the leadership of three ACUPCC presidents - David Hales of College of the Atlantic, Judith Ramaley of Winona State University, and David Shi of Furman University - with the help and support of representatives from other ACUPCC institutions, experts from the carbon markets, and Second Nature. Many thanks to all of you who provided comments and feedback to create such a strong final product. The Protocol, accompanying guidelines document, press release and news articles can all be accessed at: http://presidentsclimatecommitment.org/offsetprotocol.php. These resources will:

1. Help ACUPCC institutions evaluate if, when, and how to incorporate offsets in their climate action plans;
2. Help institutions that have not yet signed to better understand the Commitment and the role of offsets; and
3. Raise the bar and help improve the offset markets (it is already doing so), by providing a strong, collective voice from the higher education sector.

The project is an example of the power of collective action that the ACUPCC embodies, and we encourage you to share it widely with your colleagues, students, and broader networks. The release of the Protocol marks the beginning of the larger process of dealing with the questions of if, when, and how to incorporate offsets into climate action plans? As the Protocol notes, our primary responsibility should be eliminating/reducing internal GHG emissions. At the same time, we know that because CO2 remains in the atmosphere for 100 years, dramatic reductions now are urgently needed. Sometimes offsets can be an effective way of achieving these reductions in the short-term, (e.g. transportation-related emissions), while other emissions-reduction actions are pursued. The Protocol stresses the potential educational, research, and public service value of offset projects, and calls for a high level of transparency and connection between institutions and offset projects. It also calls for projects that concretely reduce existing emissions (as opposed to projects that reduce the emissions-intensity of overall emissions growth by avoiding potential future emissions). We encourage all of you to familiarize yourselves with the Protocol, continue to engage in the process and provide feedback (this is intended to be a living document as the markets evolve), and work together to explore possibilities for investing in high-quality offsets that add value to the education, research, and public service missions of higher education. If your president or institution has interest in exploring the possibilities of collaborating with other ACUPCC institutions around offset investments, or if you have any questions, comments, or feedback, please contact Georges Dyer at gdyer@secondnature.org.