Carbon Offsets – Going Green

At Going Green this week a serious discussion centered on the topic of carbon offsets and carbon trading. The fact is that the magnitude of the potential transfer of wealth is going to be unprecedented in the history of civilization.

Where these funds going? Where should they go? Restructure the urban environment, rebuild forests, or to incentivize global trade?

One panel member said they would like to see these funds going to urban poor populations to fund an increase in facilities and resources for the community. Another panel member would send the money straight to investing in renewables, to increase the scalability of projects that is not currently possible with government funding.

This is a first world solution to carbon reduction so how does carbon trading in any way solve global carbon pollution such as in Asia and China? One panel member suggests creating a global market for carbon offsets instead of just a first world implementation.

These are difficult issues to get a grasp on because there are so many different interests and views on where you take the benefits and how they are allocated. Can the first world policy makers and collectors of credits be trusted to help the third world?

What do you think? Comment on Carbon Trading.

Resources on speakers:
Bob McCooey – NASDAQ
Josh Margolis Cantor CO2e
John Gimigliano KPMG
Elise Zoli Goodwin Procter