On taking things for granted, criteria, and MMRV platforms

Hi everyone,

Welcome to the November edition of the Carbon A List newsletter. Do you know someone who would enjoy our newsletter? Forward this email to them and they can subscribe here.

On taking things for granted

Do Joni Mitchell’s lyrics from “Big Yellow Taxi” ever pop into your head? “Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone…” I’m not ashamed to admit they do for me. This song serves as a gentle reminder of how we often overlook the treasures in our lives until they’re gone or altered. We tend to take for granted the natural beauty that surrounds us, the clean air we breathe, our good health and the intricate ecosystems, both natural and man-made, that support our well-being. This holiday season, let’s take a moment to express gratitude not just for the obvious blessings but also for the unsung individuals, ecosystem functions, and efforts that work tirelessly to protect and sustain our environment and contribute to a good quality of life.

On criteria

We’ve been thinking a lot about criteria. We use them when we’re evaluating potential hires (check out all the postings here), making personal choices, projects we’re working on, participating in working groups coming up with them, or allocating funds for environmental initiatives. They not only provide a shared language on what’s important but also help us discern what truly matters and why. By setting clear criteria, we can define our objectives and standards, making it easier to assess options based on our goals. When it comes to hiring, criteria enable us to identify candidates who align with our team’s mission and values, fostering a diverse and harmonious work environment. In personal decision-making, they guide us in weighing the significance of different factors, ensuring our choices align with our values and long-term aspirations and revisiting a feedback loop. When allocating funds for environmental projects, criteria allow us to select initiatives that are not only financially viable but also meet the need a program can fill. In essence, criteria help us uncover the essence of what matters most and why it matters. They are best understood when we frame them within the context of our goals, empowering us to make well-informed decisions that drive positive outcomes across various aspects of our lives.

On MMRV platform categories

Ever since our inception, we’ve been putting companies on lists that somehow contribute to climate action. This has helped us refine a lens to look at the broader landscape and ask more holistic questions, while making sense of how things work. We are pleased to be soft launching the next list with over 80 who will either directly respond, or get our best guesses, and already have over 10 platforms on it. The latest list we’re working on is an evolution of Measurement, Monitoring, Reporting and Verification for Agricultural and Forestry Projects. We presented these yesterday at the Off the Climate Record Event “Carbon Markets 3.0 or 3 point no event. Here is a gallery view (screenshot below), and a more comprehensive table view of the platforms who have filled out this form.

We zoomed out from these platforms to think about how a supplier of carbon credits can think about the different programs available. Below is a diagram spelling out this flow. In yellow the questions to ask, in cyan the stages, and the stickies are the key activities to take while using these platforms.

What we share publicly is the tip of the iceberg of the broader suite of data, resources and information that we have been putting together in service of getting better information to get the job done. If you want access to the above Miros and AirTable base, non attributed insights from off the record events, along with an AirTable subscription to use this data and the related bases on Protocols, Personas, PCSC projects, and more please fill out this form and select Ecosystem Service Pathways to be a premium beta user of Trailpass.

What we’re working on

We’re thrilled to be a convening force to United Soybean Board, World Wildlife Fund and others develop a framework that provides improved farmland preservation, greater certainty for native and natural ecosystem protection, access to global markets, and carbon accounting, and benefits the many other sectors that rely on accurate measurement of land use change. Check out more on what the project is about here.

We’re at the Sustainable Ag Summit this week! Did Nick and Katherine already see you there, or might they see you tomorrow?

What I’m reading

• Verra vows to turn over new leaf using AI and more credible methodology for carbon offsets. More accurate — and uncontested — data will help better capture the reality of deforestation. It may also change the number of credit issuances, making transparency ever critical.
• As noted in The Climate Summit Embraces A.I., with reservations (open NYTimes link), the climate industry is embracing AI, but is aware of the drive in energy consumption to deliver these services.
• The unusual suspects: are well-meaning environmental stakeholders and institutions undercutting the contributions that companies can make to fighting climate change? This is an academic takedown of the GHG-P, commodifying carbon, and Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions and proposes with a recommended path forward. Suggested improvements are Prioritize impact over process, fix mis-incentives in Scope 2, refocus Scope 3 rules and rewards to emissions impacts, and more.

Can you help?

• As referenced above, we’re hiring! Check out the new Program Manager, Communications Coordinator, and Contracts Coordinator full time positions as part of our USDA funded grant
• We continue to look for the right fit for a project director for our Land Use Change work who can take this part time contracting opportunity into a full time role. Must have a deep agricultural background and experience in the topic.
• I’ll be in Oakland next Monday, December 11th, at Drake’s Dealership starting around 6 pm. If you are in the area and free and would like to get together, I’ll be there with my colleague Hope Sims and a few other good folk in the climate space. Please let me know if you can make it so I can manage a headcount.

Signed,

Christophe