There is a new local approach for communities to lower their carbon footprint while kick-starting the local low-carbon economy. For the first time, small to mid-sized businesses and community organizations can generate revenue streams for every tonne of carbon reduced through eligible GHG projects by participating in the innovative online Community Carbon Marketplace (CCM) Program. This new revenu
e stream rewards sustainable business decisions and acts as a tipping point in favour of making them. By directing offsetting dollars back to the communities where they originate and monetizing locally-generated carbon credits, the CCM will create additional value for initiatives that reduce GHGs, and create a multiplier effect that supports ongoing growth of the local low-carbon economy. The Community Carbon Marketplace (CCM) is a community-based carbon exchange initiative to enable local governments, businesses and individuals to meet carbon-neutral objectives by purchasing carbon offsets from community-based projects that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and build community resilience. Prior to the CCM initiative, the knowledge and cost barriers to community-scale projects prevented local organizations and small businesses from being able to account for, and realize the value of carbon credits for which their projects would be eligible. First launched in 2012 by Cowichan Energy Alternative (CEA) in consultation with local and regional government as well as the provincial Climate Action Secretariat (CAS), this initiative creates a community-based alternative to existing carbon offset registries that is based on international protocols and works within BC provincial guidelines. The CCM matches buyers (municipalities, businesses and individuals) of Community Carbon Credits/GHG reductions with local sellers (Social enterprises, businesses and non profits that reduce carbon emissions). These organizations were previously unable to access the market because their projects were too small, the costs of assessments were too high, and the bureaucracy and jargon was too thick! The result is an online "Farmer's Market of the Carbon Market" featuring local projects that you can feel good about supporting. Each purchase of a community carbon credit (C3) is an investment that helps support the local economy and fosters community resilience!
