Program Participation
The C3 Program encourages participants to continually reduce portland cement use in exchange for offset incentive payments. Eligible participants are ready mixed concrete manufacturers and concrete products manufacturers who purchase portland cement and SCMs from suppliers and blend their own cement during concrete production. Under the Program, when a participant reduces portland cement use in concrete production beyond their established baselines by substituting SCMs, CO2 emissions are avoided and offsets are generated. See sample Offset Calculations for how offsets are determined.
After participants enroll in C3, quarterly baseline cement to concrete ratios are established using data from the past three years of cement usage, SCM usage and concrete manufactured (baselines are developed to address additionality issues; please see Offset Quality). Baselines are updated annually and participants must continually reduce portland cement usage in order to continue generating offsets.
Similar data is also collected at the end of each calendar quarter of participation to determine the current cement to concrete ratio. The emissions avoided and offsets generated are directly related to the decrease of current cement to concrete ratios below established baselines. The resulting offsets are purchased by The Climate Trust and incentive payments of $4 per offset are paid to participants.
Below is a step-by-step outline of the participation process including both participant and administrative actions.
Step 1:
Participant enrolls in the Program by signing a Program Participant Contract and a Transfer and Disclaimer Form. Program participation begins with the calendar quarter beginning after the Program Participant Contract is signed. Sample program documents will be supplied upon request.
Step 2:
The next step for the participant is to provide three years of historical data for cement usage, SCM usage and concrete manufactured, in order to develop quarterly baseline cement to concrete ratios. Typical collection methods for this data include:
- reports requested by the participant from each cement and SCM supplier, on supplier’s letterhead, showing total purchases in tons for the participant broken down by quarter and year
- production reports provided by the participant, on company letterhead, showing total cubic yards poured by quarter and year
Step 3:
Using the information provided in Step 2 above, West Main calculates quarterly baseline cement to concrete ratios. After every four quarters of participation, West Main will reevaluate quarterly baseline cement to concrete ratios using data collected during participation.
Step 4:
At the end of each calendar quarter, the participant will provide cement usage, SCM usage and concrete production data for that quarter using the collection methods outlined in Step 2.
Step 5:
West Main will use the baseline ratios calculated in Step 2 and the information provided in Step 4 to calculate the offsets generated, and will complete a Monitoring Form on the participant’s behalf. See sample Offset Calculations for how offsets are determined.
Step 6:
Participant will review and sign a completed Monitoring Form each quarter that will be submitted by West Main to The Climate Trust to verify offsets. Sample program documents will be supplied upon request.
Step 7:
Incentive payments will be paid to participants for offsets delivered to and accepted by The Climate Trust.
