Climate Change Regulation After Copenhagen: Now What? For Starters, Consider Turning Your GHG Emission Reductions into an Asset
This post was written by Larrry Demase, Jennifer Smokelin, Todd Maiden and David Wagner.
In this client update, Reed Smith attorneys (including COP15 delegates Larry Demase and Jennifer Smokelin) reflect on what transpired in Copenhagen and offer some advice regarding what regulated entities should do next.
Among other issues, the update discusses how to position your GHG-intensive business to minimize compliance costs in a carbon-constrained economy. It also addresses how to position your GHG emission reduction credits to serve as an asset. For example, regulated entities should make sure they have documented and verified all of the GHG credits to which they are entitled. One group of potential GHG credits that comes to mind after the economic downturn last year are credits available as a result of reduced GHG emissions. Consider: Have your facilities reduced GHG emissions in the past year, because of plant idling or reduced production capacity? Have you reduced your carbon footprint measurably and permanently? Or are you beginning to reduce your GHG emissions to improve efficiency? If so, some of these reductions in GHG emissions may be eligible for credits. These credits, which must be properly documented and verified, could potentially be sold or traded on various mandatory and voluntary markets (EU-ETS and/or the Chicago Climate Exchange, for example), or banked for compliance with the inevitable domestic cap-and-trade program.
In short, there may be opportunity here. Reed Smith can work with you to determine which GHG reductions at your facilities are eligible for credits, and help plan how to maximize the potential opportunities, or even how to profit from these credits.
