Climate Change Policy Training

Meeting Materials:

View the Good Company Bibliography of Climate Change and Carbon Footprint Resources

View the Climate Change Policy Training PowerPoint presentation

View photos from the training

About the Training:

The RVCC hosted a Climate Change Policy Training on February 19, 2009 in Portland Oregon.  The training provided Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition (RVCC) participants and key partners with information on climate policy issues most relevant to rural communities, landscapes, and economic development.  It was intended to increase the capacity of RVCC participants and other rural community leaders to engage in the development and review of climate policy at the state, regional, and national levels.

Topics included:

• Fundamental analytical tools for examining climate policy, including cap-and-trade basics and cost of carbon, and in particular, the impacts to rural communities, forests, and landscapes.
• Background and status of regional cap-and-trade systems, especially the Western Climate Initiative (WCI) and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).
• Mandatory reporting guidelines in Washington, Oregon and California.
• The state of environmental markets for emissions reductions via carbon credits (or offsets) and renewable energy credits (RECs).
• Brief review of state and federal tax policies for renewable energy and alternative fuels, and Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS).
• Voluntary efforts by states, cities and higher education institutions that include targets and commitments related to emissions reductions, reporting and cross-jurisdictional cooperation.
• Review of the major issues being considered/debated in Congress in federal climate legislation.

More Information?
Learn more about RVCC
Learn more about RVCC policy priorities and working groups
Read the RVCC Issue Papers

RVCC member organizations Sustainable Northwest, Resource Innovations, Ecosystem Workforce Program, and the University of Oregon's Institute for a Sustainable Environment collaborated on the planning for this training.

Questions?

Contact Kathy Lynn, Resource Innovations, 541-346-0687