CantorCO2e, LLC, a leading global financial services provider to the
world´s environmental and new-energy markets
announces the launch of the Social Carbon Company. This unique new
venture will provide advice and carbon management services to project
developers in the Verified Emission Reduction (VER) market. The Social
Carbon Company specializes in applying the Social CarbonTM methodology, a system of adding value to carbon credits offsets by
quantifying a project´s contribution to
sustainable development.
Laurence Rose, Chairman of CantorCO2e, said, "Our
key objective in creating the Social Carbon Company is to help bring to
market carbon emission offsets that not only meet independent
verification tests, but reach or exceed the highest quality standards.
The Social Carbon methodology allows us to execute this strategy and
create proprietary products that we think will be unique in the
marketplace." In addition, Rose said, "by
integrating a sustainability model, we will create additional economic
value for project developers thereby enhancing overall value for our
clients."
The voluntary carbon market, which is growing rapidly with increasing
consumer consciousness of climate change, is open for innovation in
quality. In a market where legitimacy is becoming increasingly valued
Social CarbonTM provides a uniquely transparent way of demonstrating to buyers of VERs
that with their purchase they are helping to improve the lives of
communities in developing countries. The Social CarbonTM methodology was developed and is owned by the Ecológica
Institute, a renowned climate change research centre in the Amazon. The
Social Carbon Company implements carbon emission reduction projects in
partnership with project developers leveraging its exclusive license to
the Social CarbonTM methodology.
Stefano Merlin, CEO of the Social Carbon Company, was a founder of the
Ecologica Institute and co-developer of the Social CarbonTM methodology. Commenting on the launch, he said: "We
are currently involved in more than 60 projects in Brazil and are
rapidly expanding our client base in Latin America. We are excited by
the possibilities of our partnership with CantorCO2e and have ambitions
to bring the benefits of Social CarbonTM to projects all around the world."
Steve Drummond, Co-CEO of CantorCO2e said, "We
believe that Social CarbonTM is the next step
in the evolution of standards in the voluntary carbon market, and has
the potential to shape the future of compliance markets. Having
contributed to the development of the principal standards in the
voluntary market, I believe the Social Carbon methodology now brings a
new dimension of true and ongoing sustainability to carbon projects. I
am excited to be able to implement this new vision through CantorCO2e´s
global network."
About Social CarbonTM
Social CarbonTM is a
methodology developed by the Ecológica
Institute (www.ecologica.org.br)
that is founded on the principle that transparent assessment and
monitoring of the social and environmental performance of projects
improves their long-term effectiveness, and adds value to the VERs
generated. The methodology uses a set of analytical tools that assess
the social, environmental and economic condition of communities affected
by projects, and demonstrates, through continuous monitoring, the project´s
contribution to sustainable development. The methodology is also unique
in that it is the only one of the commonly used carbon standards which
was developed south of the equator.
A key element of Social CarbonTM is the active participation of the communities and stakeholders
involved, taking account of the full potential of human and natural
resources to help give projects stability and reduce risks. Applied
every year of a project´s life, it confirms
that project objectives are met and any problem areas identified on an
ongoing basis. This makes Social CarbonTM projects unique.
About The Social Carbon Company
The Social Carbon Company provides advice and carbon management services
to project developers in the Verified Emission Reduction (VER) market.
It has exclusive rights to apply and license (worldwide) the Social
CarbonTM methodology
and uses this to implement carbon emission reduction projects in
partnership with project developers. This unique approach to project
development and sustainability has attracted significant attention. The
take-up of Social CarbonTM as an ethical basis for project development has rapidly grown across
Latin America in the last eighteen months and more recently in the USA
and Europe. The current list of projects includes the transition from
non-renewable native wood species as a fuel source to renewable biomass
sources, reforestation, energy efficiency, landfill and small-scale
hydro-electricity. Social CarbonTM has also recently been used by the Benfica football team in Portugal as
the basis of its commitment to emissions neutrality. The agreement
includes licensing of the Social Carbon? brand, providing an ongoing contribution to the funding of the Ecológica
Institute.
For more information please visit www.socialcarbon.com.
About CantorCO2e
CantorCO2e is a leading global provider of financial services to the
world´s environmental and new-energy markets
offering transaction and consulting services to clients engaged in using
energy and managing emissions across the world.
CantorCO2e serves environmental credit buyers and sellers in all of the
world´s principal emissions markets
including the Kyoto markets (CDM, JI and European emissions trading)
the US compliance markets, and the voluntary carbon market. We help
entities transact via electronic trading screens, recorded telephone
lines, auctions and negotiated contracts. We advise equity investment
funds on carbon finance, introduce investors to projects, and structure
forward sales to enable project developers to fund their
investments. CantorCO2e is headquartered in London and San Francisco and
has over 60 emissions trading professionals located in fourteen offices
across five continents. This global yet local presence, together with
the unique experience of our staff, enables CantorCO2e to provide an
unparalleled level of service to our clients.
For more information please visit www.cantorco2e.com.
