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Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan invests $250M in GreenCollar, a Sydney-based carbon credits developer.
KKR invested earlier to acquire a 49% stake of the company through a $100 million investment back in April 2020.
Ontario Teachers’ estimated $250M investment will give them 33% ownership.
Ontario Teachers’ and KKR have paired together before joining a $5.2 billion acquisition deal for Spark Infrastructure.
GreenCollar’s business model is simple: enter a partnership with land managers – and develop land-based environmental projects that cover carbon, water, nature, and plastics.
Many of their projects protect forests and restore the land. GreenCollar also helps land managers with outcomes, regulatory approvals, auditing, monitoring, and reports.
The generated carbon credits are then sold on behalf of land managers to first and secondary markets.
Between improved verification methods, high-quality offsets, and a global standard set through COP26, the carbon credit industry continues to expand. Many experts expect the global carbon market to reach $100 billion by 2030.
With such success in Australia, it is only natural for GreenCollar to take the next step internationally. They have been looking at projects spanning West Africa, the Pacific, South-East Asia, and Southern Africa, including forest protection, plastic recovery, and cookstove projects.
GreenCollar started a little over ten years ago – founded by James Schultz and Lewis Tyndale.
It accounts for nearly half of the carbon market in Australia — delivering over $800 million in revenue to land managers through 200 projects spanning about 25 million acres.
Ontario Teachers’ is one of the world’s biggest pension funds, with Assets Under Management (AUM) of ~ $320 Billion.
Ontario Teachers’ have put 2025 and 2030 targets in place to ultimately achieve net-zero investment activity by 2050. This move is undoubtedly making good on their promise.
With this partnership, it appears that net-zero goals for Ontario Teachers’ are well within reach.
EU Carbon prices have been soaring since the COP26 conference. Earlier this week we saw the price go just over €90.
Energy Aspects analyst Trevor Sikorski thinks “its possible prices could head to €100 per ton to get all of the open interest on call options on that strike into the money.”
Lawson Steel, a Berenberg Analyst, expects the carbon contract to reach €110 euros per ton before 2022.
In a daily report, Barbara Lambrecht said, “The escalating situation on the European gas market is additionally driving [carbon] prices up now.”
Other factors could be the expiration of options and tension between Russia and the US.
The European Union’s emissions trading system (ETS) requires airlines, manufacturers, and power companies to pay for each ton of carbon emitted. The EU’s goal is to cut emissions by 55% from 1990 levels by 2030.
The carbon credit industry is booming. Verifications are becoming more accurate, and world leaders have agreed to implement a global standard.
Carbon credits are essentially used by companies to offset their emissions. For every carbon credit purchased, a single metric ton of carbon is offset through an environmental project – such as reforestation.
Experts say the global carbon market could reach $100 billion by 2030 (up from just $300 million in 2018). With the figures for EU carbon up 50% since November alone, expansion is possible.
In conjunction with new technology and increased regulation, carbon offsets have an essential role to play in the fight against climate change.
As these factors work together towards a net-zero future, economies can grow, and the atmosphere can improve – a global win.
Last month SparkChange launched the world’s first physically-backed EU Carbon Allowances (EUAs) exchange-traded product (ETP).
Since then it has grown to over $100M in Assets Under Management (AUM).
Investors have expressed their support behind its primary selling point: the physical replication of carbon credits.
Their product tracks the price of EU Carbon Allowances (EUAs), which offer investors the opportunity to purchase carbon credit offsets from the European Commission.
Because these EUAs are physically withheld, this stops industrial firms from buying them to pollute, which creates a positive environmental impact and puts mounting pressure on the emitters to look for greener solutions.
Since EUAs are withheld, companies are required to pay an additional cost for operations that are not eco-friendly (making pollution more expensive).
In the first month, the ETC’s launch more than 1 million carbon offset credits were withheld. During that time the price of EUAs increased by over €20 per ton.
The carbon credit industry has grown exponentially over the past year. Some experts project it to be valued at $100 billion by 2030 (up from just $300 million in 2018). The difference with these credits, however, is that they are futures-based.
Advanced technology, increased regulation, and the use of carbon offsets can all help in the fight against climate change. It will be interesting to see how SparkChange’s program inspires companies and investments moving forward.
Colombia – a crude oil producer – is looking for a way to sell carbon-neutral oil.
Ecopetrol SA – the state-controlled oil driller – will offer 1 million barrels of oil, with future emissions offset credits through renewable energy projects throughout Colombia.
The overall oil industry isn’t ready to set net-zero goals. But, through technological advances, they could get there in time.
The carbon credit industry continues to grow as companies recognize its potential to improve the environment and generate economic growth. In February, Japan’s Index Corp sold gas offset by carbon credits. Occidental Petroleum Corp did so this year as well.
While many critics have often accused polluters of using the carbon offset industry to keep operations business-as-usual, the carbon marketplace has changed drastically.
Verification methods have improved, and the quality of offset projects has also improved. Even leaders at COP26 agreed that a global standard for the carbon marketplace should be put in place, which many expect will strengthen the carbon credit industry even more.
Each carbon credit equals one metric ton of carbon. So, when a carbon credit is bought, one metric ton of carbon is offset by green projects, such as enhanced agricultural practices or reforestation.
Depending on how this sale in Colombia goes, it is expected that Ecopetrol, SA will offer such deals regularly.
Fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas, and coal currently account for 80% of the world’s energy – and 89% of CO2 emissions. As crude oil begins the journey towards neutrality and then net-zero, the world will be in a much better place.
Soil holds three times as much carbon as the atmosphere does. Some scientists have this figure at 5 billion metric tons of carbon, while others believe it is much more.
Fungi are an important part of an underground network of connections with plants roots. This network helps recycle nutrients and sequester CO2 in the soil.
Different compounds and fungi within soil capture carbon at different rates, figures are unclear (which is why this research is needed).
The trouble is, many fungal networks are at risk due to agriculture, deforestation, and urbanization.
To combat climate change, scientists are diving into the life of fungi – hoping fungal networks within the soil can capture CO2. Believe it or not, very little is known about fungi – which many have labeled the “Wood Wide Web.”
The Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN) is leading this research initiative, including mapping and protecting fungal networks. Toby Kiers, Professor of Evolutionary Biology at VU University in Amsterdam, considers this the start of an “underground climate movement.”
Experts will collect 10,000 samples over 18 months to note global fungal hotspots. Machine learning will then determine the role fungi play in carbon capture.
According to Jane Goodall, Ph.D., DBE, and Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace, “This is an extremely important conservation project.”
Professor Kiers told BBC News, “If we lose this system, this is going to have really serious consequences for our ability to fight climate change.”
Conservation efforts fail to protect 50% of the biodiversity located underground. This is a real problem since 25% of all species on the Earth are found within the soil.
Kiers says fungi are “the invisible ecosystem engineers, and their loss is totally undocumented.”
Climate change is at the forefront of world leader, business, and consumer minds. COP26 discussions, including efforts to standardize the global carbon market, have shown us that. SPUN’s findings will be integral to plans moving forward.
Per Goodall, “An understanding of underground fungal networks is essential to our efforts to protect the soil, on which life depends before it is too late.”
Additional research, protections, technology, investments, and the use of carbon offsets are all key to combating climate change.
With fungal networks currently stretching 280 quadrillion miles within our soil, SPUN’s plans couldn’t come at a better time.
USA Today launched an investigation called Downpour, in which they analyzed the average annual precipitation across 344 divisions from 1951 through to 2020. The results were shocking. Extreme rainfall in some regions and a lack of rain in others result from climate change.
Data obtained from weather stations across the US measured the change in frequency and extreme nature of rainfall events. USA Today found that:
Over three years, 27 states east of the Rocky Mountains hit 30-year precipitation highs.
If you wonder how climate change impacts rainfall, you’re not alone. Many people do not recognize the correlation between increased temperatures and weather patterns.
Simply put, high temperatures result in stagnant pressure systems – affecting water levels, the soil, plants, and weather patterns. This means that areas worldwide could experience heavy rains or droughts simultaneously.
World leaders have expressed the need for immediate action regarding climate change, and companies seem to have followed suit. Many recognize the importance of reducing emissions and protecting the environment. They can no longer sit idly by when they see how climate change impacts day-to-day weather patterns in their own communities.
Though there is no one-size-fits-all solution, new technologies are needed to stop and limit the emission of carbon. When these technologies are combined with carbon offsets and increased regulation – the environment can improve by preventing the rapid increase in the atmospheric temperature.
The zeal with which COP26 participants worked to develop financing programs, global standards for carbon offsets, and increased regulations show just how urgent this fight is.
As organizations and companies, such as USA Today, continue to research and show why climate change is a cause everyday people should care about, net-zero goals feel more within reach.
At COP26, world leaders agreed to set a global standard for the carbon marketplace – a win for the carbon credit industry at large. Over 200 nations agreed on these guidelines under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
Article 6 is a guide to help create, account for, and verify carbon credits – a component many critics felt was lacking. It will help prevent double counting and allow existing certified emission reductions (CERs) to be traded across countries through Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs).
ITMOs are like carbon credits in that they are created by environmental projects that reduce or remove emissions from the atmosphere. ITMOs differ because they are used across country lines – either at the government or corporate level. Under Article 6, countries can use offsets to adjust their own emissions or sell them to another country to use.
Renant Heuberger, CEO of South Pole, was quoted as saying, “This is the rulebook we’ve been waiting for. It creates the clarity that we need to really ramp up massive private sector investments into projects that really cut emissions at a big scale.”
Most experts agree that this new international standard will boost the demand for carbon credits and carbon credit projects.
We have already seen an increase in prices in Europe. The European Union Allowance Futures price is now over 80 Euros / metric ton.
Mark Carney, former Bank of England Governor, believes that the global carbon market now can grow into a $100 billion a year industry.
Andrew Howard, senior director of climate markets at Verra, said that Verra is going through Article 6 decisions in detail to learn how they relate to its own carbon market standard.
Verra is currently the largest certifier of carbon credits.
It will be interesting to see how these new guidelines impact the carbon credit industry. One thing is for sure: this deal on Article 6 will undoubtedly boost confidence within the emissions markets.
BASF will let farmers track and profit from reducing carbon emissions through their new Global Carbon Farming Program. The long-term goal is to support BASF Agriculture Solutions’ promise to reduce the carbon footprint per crop ton by 30% by 2030.
Through BASF’s Global Carbon Farming Program, sustainable agricultural practices will be promoted and adopted – providing farmers with the tools necessary to help farmers make green choices.
As farmers reduce their emissions and utilize methods that capture carbon within the soil, farming can be part of the climate change solution.
Besides encouraging farmers towards sustainability, BASF will let farmers create carbon credits through verified practices. This will not only help companies offset their carbon emissions but provide farmers with an additional revenue stream – a win for companies, farmers, and the environment alike!
The carbon credit industry has grown over the past year. Companies have flocked to purchase credits to offset their emissions and meet environmental goals. Remember, many industries lack the technology needed to achieve net-zero emissions, so neutralizing emissions at this point in time is critical.
Though some critics have expressed concern over the lack of regulation within the carbon credit industry – verification methods continue to improve. World leaders at COP26 even agreed to set a global standard – recognizing the carbon market’s integral role in the fight against climate change.
Regarding this new program, Vincent Gros, president of BASF agricultural solutions, said, “The launch of our Global Carbon Farming Program is a testament to our strong commitment to sustainable agriculture. It will enable farmers worldwide to increase the health of their soils, reduce emissions, sequester carbon, and – at the same time – be rewarded for their sustainability efforts to combat climate change.”
The crops BASF’s Global Carbon Farming Program will focus on are wheat, soy, rice, canola, and corn.
The global steel industry could reach net-zero by 2050 through recycling, hydrogen, and carbon capture – but it won’t be cheap. Bloomberg’s energy data and analysis unit said it could cost the steel industry anywhere from $215 billion to $278 billion – but there’s a catch.
Steel produced under green conditions could, in fact, cost less to make long-term. Right now, steel costs $726 per metric ton. Under new technology, it could cost $418 to $598 per ton – significant savings.
Steel production currently emits about 7% of the world’s greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. 69% of steel production is fueled by coal.
According to the Bloomberg report, “The steel industry has a challenging path to decarbonization: It is heavily reliant on coal, has limited opportunities to increase its share of recycled production due to scrap availability, and will need to wait for hydrogen costs to fall to realize cost-competitive clean production.”
Companies cannot expect to do this alone; government support will be needed. Bloomberg believes that subsidies up to $145 per ton of carbon would help incentivize change.
Some steel companies, such as ArcelorMittal SA, find alternate ways to offset emissions while working towards net-zero. Their program, XCarb green steel certificates, was launched this year. It provides customers with the chance to lower their carbon footprint through carbon savings that are verified and converted into certificates – like a carbon credit.
The carbon credit industry has grown over this past year. Countries and companies alike recognize its potential to improve the environment and spark economic development.
Through innovative technology, the use of carbon offsets, and increased regulation, net-zero steel production seems within reach – even if it is expensive upfront.
For businesses to continue to thrive, reduced emissions are a must. Countries, along with consumers, will not have it any other way.
