The British Columbia government’s Crown corporation Pacific Carbon Trust (PCT) announced August 27 that it would be issuing a general Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for carbon offsets in September 2009.
Established in 2008 as part of BC’s Climate Action Plan, the Trust purchases carbon offsets on behalf of the public sector and other clients who want to offset their greenhouse gas emissions to reach their carbon reduction goals. PCT announced delivery of its first 34,370 tonnes of emission offsets to government just this past July 21, through its investments in new energy technologies.
As of July 21 the Trust had agreed to acquire offsets from 15 facilities in BC, including more than 300,000 emission offsets over five years from Offsetters Clean Technology Inc. The agreement with Offsetters covers five projects in the Lower Mainland, including four greenhouses and a cement plant.
PCT has also acquired 11,000 emission offsets over the next three years under an agreement with Sempa Power Systems Ltd., which has installed hybrid heating systems in 10 hotels, staff residences and care home facilities in Vancouver, Revelstoke, Sun Peaks and Whistler. These hybrid heating systems lower energy costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and cut energy consumption. The patent-pending technology automatically determines the best time to switch between fossil-fuel based energy and electricity in a 24-hour cycle.
The upcoming RFQ represents the next stage in the competitive selection process to assess and qualify vendors to supply BC-based carbon offsets. By June 30, 2011, Pacific Carbon Trust will acquire between 700,000 and one million tonnes of carbon offsets. To be considered, carbon offsets must:
• be generated in BC;
• have began operation after November 29, 2007; and
• meet the BC Emission Offsets Regulation
A notice of the RFQ will be posted on the Pacific Carbon Trust and BC Bid (www.bcbid.ca) websites. The solicitation will be open to proposals for different types of offsets from multiple sectors such as energy, transportation, buildings, agriculture and waste management.
A separate, targeted forestry offset procurement call is under development. The Province of British Columbia has made commitments in its Climate Action Plan to reduce BC’s greenhouse gas emissions. These include the reduction of BC’s GHG emissions by at least 33 per cent below 2007 levels by 2020 and 80 per cent by 2050. Government has also committed to a public sector that will be carbon neutral by 2010.