Carbon Offsets | Promise, Perils and the Path Forward in an Era of Rapid Climate Change

As Earth’s temperatures surge and emissions reductions lag, the push to harness private capital for climate solutions intensifies. Enter the world of voluntary carbon offsets: an oft-debated solution.

The urgency of climate change requires the rapid deployment of a diverse range of solutions. For some, like wind and solar-generated electricity and electric vehicles, the question is HOW FAST can they be deployed. But for voluntary carbon offsetting, the conversation has centered much more about WHETHER they should be deployed at all, and if so, HOW? Some argue carbon offsets are a way to leverage enormous amounts of private capital to low-cost, efficient emissions reductions and carbon storage. Others reply that offsets are a moral hazard that allows institutions to avoid the immediate need for in-house emissions reductions. So how should we move forward?

On April 13, dive deep into the complexities of this emerging topic during “Carbon Offsets: Promises, Perils and the Path Forward,” a full-day conference bringing together prestigious guests from a variety of perspectives to discuss pressing questions about carbon offsets including: an overview of the carbon offset market, a focus on “nature-based” offsets, and the decisions institutions have to grapple with when engaging in the offset market.  Our panelists include experts from the private sector, from organizations developing standards for the voluntary carbon market, from carbon offsets verification bodies, and from academia.

This event is co-sponsored by the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, the Office of the Provost, and the Climate Solutions Lab at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs.