Program Background & Management
In 1997 the State of Oregon signed into law the Oregon Carbon Dioxide Standard, which allows for the use of innovative carbon offset programs such as C3 to meet required reductions in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
The Oregon Carbon Dioxide Standard (PDF link) was the first U.S. law aimed at reducing levels of CO2, the most abundant greenhouse gas (GHG), by requiring new fossil-fueled power plants in Oregon to reduce their lifetime CO2 emissions by about 17 percent. To date, all power plants have chosen to meet their emission reduction requirement by providing funding to The Climate Trust, the only nonprofit organization qualified to select and manage carbon offset projects on their behalf. These offset projects must avoid, sequester, or displace CO2.
The Climate Trust is the only nonprofit organization qualified by the State of Oregon to purchase CO2 offsets to meet the Oregon Standard.
The Climate Trust, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Portland, Oregon, was founded in 1997 to administer the Oregon Standard and remains the only organization qualified to do so. Their mission is to promote climate change solutions by providing high-quality GHG offset projects and advancing sound offset policy. The Climate Trust specializes in climate solutions for governments, utilities, and large businesses by providing carbon offsets, customized voluntary offset and climate benefit programs, and climate consulting services. The Climate Trust applies this market experience to the development of sound climate policy. For more information, please visit www.climatetrust.org.
The Climate Trust funds the C3 Program as a GHG offset project to meet the Oregon Standard.
The first phase of the C3 Program, which was initiated by Scot Horst in May 2004 with The Climate Trust, was managed by his sustainable materials consulting firm, Horst, Inc. In April 2009, Scot Horst accepted the position of Senior Vice President for LEED with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and his staff created West Main Consultants, LLC.
West Main Consultants, LLC is a leading sustainable materials firm that specializes in innovative environmental programs relating to materials technologies. In collaboration with The Climate Trust, West Main developed and is currently administering the second phase of the C3 Program, which began October 1, 2009.
West Main is a 7group company. 7group is a multi-service sustainable building and integrative design consulting firm that has led project teams on over 50 LEED certified projects and is currently involved with over 100 registered or soon to be registered LEED projects. As a 7group company, West Main has 3 Green Building Certification Institute LEED Project Reviewers and 5 LEED AP BD+C on staff and focuses on LEED project management. For more information, please visit www.sevengroup.com.
West Main also contracts to run Athena Institute International, the U.S. nonprofit affiliate of the Canadian Athena Sustainable Materials Institute. Through this work, West Main is involved with a broad range of work related to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), including regional database development and LCA education. For more information, please visit www.athenasmi.org.
