Call for Projects: Squamish Community Carbon Marketplace launched

Community-based exchange platform connects carbon credit buyers with local projects

The District of Squamish is one step closer to achieving carbon-neutrality through its own Community Carbon Marketplace (CCM), an online carbon exchange initiative supporting local projects that target Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission reductions. A CCM will enable the District to meet carbon-neutral objectives by purchasing community carbon credits generated by local projects. A call for projects was launched today.

“Squamish is rising to the climate challenge,” says District of Squamish Mayor Patricia Heintzman. “Establishing a Community Carbon Marketplace brings us closer to achieving our carbon-neutral goals, while supporting local organizations that are demonstrating leadership through carbon reduction initiatives. This is a win-win, which allows the District to keep our money in the local economy, and encourage the growth of a green industry for the benefit of Squamish and the planet.” 

The District is among the first local governments in the BC Lower Mainland to develop a CCM, an initiative created and facilitated by the non-profit Cowichan Energy Alternatives. The CCM concept was piloted in the City of Duncan, which became the first Canadian municipality to balance its GHG emissions entirely from local GHG reduction projects.

“We’ve essentially created an online, locally-sourced ‘farmer’s market’ for the carbon market,” says CEA Director Brian Roberts. “Our goal is to grow a marketplace for ethical community-based GHG reduction projects such as waste or energy projects, which will ultimately help grow the local green economy.”  

The first phase of establishing a Squamish CCM is to seek organizations or businesses to join the marketplace. Businesses working on green, GHG emission-reducing projects such as renewable fuel/energy, organics composting, land conservation/restoration, or carbon capture initiatives should apply. Carbon credits that are generated through these local projects can be listed and sold through the CCM to the District of Squamish and other buyers interested in offsetting their carbon footprint. This provides additional revenue to the local green initiatives, and an opportunity for the District of Squamish to offset its carbon footprint.

For more information on the Community Carbon Marketplace and to register as an eligible seller or buyer, visit the CCM website at: www.communitycarbonmarketplace.com.

About Cowichan Energy Alternatives:

The Cowichan Energy Alternatives Society is a non-profit organization empowering local citizens to actively adopt sustainable energy practices and technologies that encourage better living while reducing Greenhouse Gases (GHG). Projects include a bio-diesel production and distribution facility at Bing’s Creek in partnership with the Cowichan Bio-Diesel Co-op and the Cowichan Valley Regional District, and the Community Carbon Marketplace (CCM), an online marketplace that supports credible, ethical community-based Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction projects by ensuring community dollars are transparently directed to local organizations and small-businesses that have a true need to fund green initiatives.

March 2, 2017