Carbon Accounting: Building the Knowledge Base for a Clean Energy Economy

Much of the new energy economy is predicated on understanding the level of greenhouse gases involved in everyday resources, processes, and activities.  Greenhouse gas accounting will be critically important to ensuring a level playing field and accurate execution of many policies and business activities. Several regulatory institutions attached with the public and private sector have started to mandate better greenhouse gas accounting systems and reporting in anticipation of eventual regulation. This panel explored the current status of greenhouse gas accounting systems (what we know, what we don’t know, and how sure we are of the numbers), whether they are adequate to support existing or proposed policies, and how the systems can and should be improved to ensure success.

Agenda

9:00 – 9:15 am:    Welcome and Introduction

Sarah Ladislaw
Senior Fellow, CSIS Energy and National Security Program

9:15 – 10:45 am:  Panel Discussion

Lawrence Goldenhersh
President & CEO, Enviance

Michael Hix
Assistant Director, Natural Resources and Environment, U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)

Kevin Ewing
Partner, Bracewell & Giuliani LLP

Reid Harvey
Chief, Climate Economics Branch, Climate Change Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Moderator: Rachel Posner
Fellow, CSIS Energy and National Security Program

10:45 am: Closing Remarks

Sarah Ladislaw
Senior Fellow, CSIS Energy and National Security Program