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May/June 2015
TCR Newsletter
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Dear friends and colleagues,
As the UN conference in Paris edges closer, climate talk is getting louder. Just this week, the G7 committed to long-term decarbonization - meaning that, by the year 2100, the group of seven major industrialized nations (UK, Germany, U.S., Italy, Japan, France, Canada, and the European Union) would no longer burn greenhouse gas-emitting fuels, such as oil, coal, and natural gas for energy. The leaders declaration says, "...We emphasize that deep cuts in global greenhouse gas emissions are required with a decarbonization of the global economy over the course of this century." This is change we can get behind.
There is also a lot happening at the sub-national level, with Ontario's recent declaration to join California and Quebec in cap and trade being but one example. Check out our TCR Board Spotlight below.
And of course all this means that companies demonstrating leadership on climate and carbon are ahead of the curve: better positioned to address social license issues, better prepared to address carbon risk, and better able to be opportunistic in the emerging low-carbon economy. We count many of these leaders as our members, and encourage them - as well as other leading organizations in the U.S. - to apply for a Climate Leadership Award this year.
TCR and the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) run the Climate Leadership Awards and Conference with headline sponsor, U.S. EPA. Now in its fifth year, the event has honored 82 award recipients across six categories, with winners including Brown-Forman, Sprint, Cisco Systems, Inc., the City of Austin, TX, Staples, Inc., Capital One Financial, and Ford Motor Company. The application period for the 2016 awards opens June 24th and runs through September 25th.
Mark your calendars for the 2016 Climate Leadership Conference:
March 8-10 in Seattle, WA
www.climateleadershipconference.org
We look forward to continuing to support the leadership of our sub-national Board members and companies all over North America. A low-carbon future is closer than we think.
My very best,
David Rosenheim
Executive Director
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CDSB Launches Framework for Reporting Environmental Information and Natural Capital
Over the past few years, the TCR policy team has been active as part of the Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB) Technical Working Group. The Working Group has been busy drafting and finalizing an update to the CDSB framework, working to address the absence of an accounting standard for reporting environmental information and natural capital in mainstream financial reports. On June 8th, TCR participated in the CDSB launch of the new framework.
The new framework will help companies provide clear, concise and comparable information to investors in a way that connects the organization's environmental performance with its overall strategy, performance, and prospects. TCR is proud to have been part of these efforts and looks forward to continuing our work with CDSB in the future.
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Welcome New Cool Planet members!
Aquarium of the Pacific
City of Thousand Oaks, CA
County of Riverside, CA
PTI Technologies, Inc.
The Ritz-Carlton, Marina Del Rey
Walnut Valley Water District
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  Hot Off the Press:
Gills Onions is an innovative company that turns onion skins into energy and City of Brea leads on recycling and water conservation. These two organizations couldn't be more different, but what they have in common is a Cool Planet Success Story. Learn more about what both of these organizations are doing to safeguard the changing climate and contribute to a more sustainable world. |
ClimatEEfficientTM Webinar:
Is your organization looking to improve energy efficiency in existing buildings? If so, then you may be interested in Enhanced Retro-commissioning. This practice combines the energy-savings potential of retro-commissioning with the technology to optimize performance for existing buildings.
Thursday, June 25
10am-11am, PST
Speakers:
Chase Kadakia, Nexant
Jeffrey Haberman, Boeing
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Water-Energy GHG Guidance for
Southern California Edison business customers
Earlier this year, TCR conducted a research study of all available GHG accounting and verification methods related to the water-energy nexus in California to help Southern California Edison (SCE) business customers to accurately determine the GHGs associated with energy embedded in water. The Water-Energy GHG Technical Brief has served as a discussion document for 5 workshops that took place April-June, and the last workshop will be taking place on June 23rd (see details below).
Thank you to the following organizations for hosting these workshops:
- Irvine Ranch Water District
- SCE Energy Education Center
- West Basin Municipal Water District
- City of Ventura
- Inland Empire Utilities Agency
- Eastern Municipal Water District
Register for the LAST workshop to discuss the
Water-Energy GHG Technical Brief.
Tuesday, June 23, 10am-12pm, PST
Eastern Municipal Water District, Board Room
2270 Trumble Road, Perris, CA 92570
Guest Speakers Include:
- Rick Whetsel, Senior Watershed Manager, Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA)
- Brad Miller, Principal/President, Environmental Concepts Company (EC2)
- Jenna Jorns, Policy Associate, The Climate Registry
Discussion topics will include an overview of SAWPA's GHG emissions calculator tool for the water sector, a discussion of the Water-Energy GHG Guidance and the key issue areas, a recap of previous workshop discussions, and a Q&A session.
To attend via webinar, click the registration link below. If you would like to attend in person, RSVP to via email to events@theclimateregistry.org by June 22. For those attending the meeting in-person, there will be refreshments and a brief networking session beginning at 9:30am.
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What's Next?
TCR will utilize the comments and feedback gathered during the discussions process to draft the Water-Energy GHG Guidance. Look for the draft Guidance to be released for public comment later this summer. After this public comment period an a review by a team of technical experts, the final Water-Energy GHG Guidance will be released in the fall of 2015.
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2015 Cool Planet Award
The nomination period for the 2015 Cool Planet Award is now closed. Thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination form. Stay tuned for more details in our next newsletter!
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Upcoming Events & Webinars
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Attendees, partners and presenters will reflect the broad scope of stakeholders needed to rethink and renew our cities with resilience for a changing climate. Join water leaders, sustainability directors, transportation and parks & recreation officials, state and local leaders, publically elected officials, as well as business leaders, non-profit organizations, and regulators as we drive the paradigm shift for water sustainability.
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A Webinar Review of 2016 Categories, Eligibility Criteria, and the Application Process.
Tuesday, June 23
11am-12:30pm PST
The 2016 Climate Leadership Awards application period will open on June 24, 2015. Join this informative webinar to learn what's new this year and how your organization can be a competitive applicant for this prestigious recognition program. EPA and its NGO partners - The Climate Registry and Center for Climate and Energy Solutions - will provide critical information related to eligibility, evaluation criteria, and application content.
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TCR Board Spotlight: 
Ontario to join California and Quebec in cap and trade
Ontario has been a member of The Climate Registry's Board of Directors since The Registry was established in 2007.
The Province recognizes climate change as one of the most urgent issues facing humanity today and has demonstrated its leadership and commitment to fight climate change through a number of significant actions, including:
- ending coal-fired power - one of the largest greenhouse gas reduction initiatives in North America, equivalent to taking seven million vehicles off the road,
- meeting its 2014 greenhouse gas emission reduction target of six per cent below 1990 levels,
- setting a new mid-term 2030 greenhouse gas emission reduction target of 37 per cent below 1990 levels, and
- establishing a cap and trade program with the intention to link to carbon markets in Quebec and California.
Ontario is hosting global climate leaders, including Nobel laureate Al Gore, former president of Mexico, Felipe Calderón, and Governor of California, Jerry Brown, at the Climate Summit of the Americas in Toronto, from July 7-9. The Summit is a pivotal event showcasing subnational leadership, collaboration and action in the lead up to the Conference of the Parties in Paris in December 2015.
The Province will also be releasing a new forward-looking climate change strategy and action plan in 2015.
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Congratulations, Climate Registered™ Members!
Our Climate Registered™ Members have demonstrated a commitment to accurate and transparent carbon data by reporting and verifying their annual greenhouse gas emissions to The Climate Registry's high standards. To help celebrate their accomplishments, TCR awards its Climate Registered™ Members with certificates of achievement each spring.
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Bowman Design Group has been reporting and verifying their GHG emissions since 2006 - kudos on another #ClimateRegistered Year!
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Reporting Deadline Reminder:
Tuesday, June 30th
TCR members, we're nearing the reporting deadline for your 2014 GHG emissions. If you're well underway, congrats! If you need a little help getting started, please visit the Reporting Toolkit or send us an email at help@theclimateregistry.org.
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TCR welcomes a new staff member and intern
We're excited to welcome Jordan Faires to the TCR team. Jordan joins us as a Program Coordinator to staff the help desk, assist members with policy interpretation and clarification, and provide training and resources to guide members through the reporting process. Welcome, Jordan!
Meet Joey Kim, our intern from South Korea! Joey studied business management and has a certificate in GHG emissions trading. He's here to learn more about environmental policy in the US and to intensively study English. Thanks for all your hard work, Joey!
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California: Responding to drought, water restrictions and energy supply
Join TCR to hear from Tom Bowman, founder of Bowman Design Group and Bowman Change, Inc. and winner of a Cool California Small Business of the Year, as he presents the statewide Energy Upgrade California initiative to help small businesses and households save energy. Kevin Wattier, general manager of the Long Beach Water Department will also present the state of our water supply, actions by state and local water agencies to conserve water, and how businesses and households can participate.
The drought, which is one of the most severe in history, is bringing new restrictions on water use. This breakfast is open to everyone and attendees will learn what's in store for Long Beach and our region and what businesses can do to prosper in the changing situation.
Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce Green Business Council breakfast
Tuesday, June 23rd from 7:30 AM to 10:00 AM
Renaissance Long Beach Hotel
111 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90802
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