The environment is now a global priority, evidenced by the threat of increasing carbon dioxide emissions reaching 414.72 parts per million, a new record high in 2021, as reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate in the United States. With the impact of these emissions on climate change in mind, many countries have publicized their mission to lower their carbon emissions. For example, the United States has openly communicated its plan for environmental commodity measurement through the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
However, for many sectors, achieving absolute-zero carbon emissions is impossible; carbon offsetting becomes crucial to counteracting residual emissions. Under this model, organizations can compensate for residual emissions by investing in projects which absorb carbon. Carbon offsets then become a method for tracking the number of credits an individual or organization needs to be carbon neutral.
Consequently, the president and founder of 1GCX, Michael Wilson shares:
“Environmental commodities, a class of assets that exist as non-tangible energy credits, are now recognized as the most crucial value creators in the next 10–50 years.”
Consider that with the environment and carbon becoming a top priority for the world, the traditional way the world will view energy and, more importantly, value, is also likely to shift. As more countries begin operating on an energy-credit-first approach, a value denominated in U.S. dollars and debt that may never be repaid may no longer be sustainable.
Value, which is a construct of perception, may shift for countries to recognize non-tangible energy credits — more specifically, carbon credits to their balance sheets. Recognizing energy over dollars makes sense when you consider how significant U.S. debt is and how paying it off requires a budget surplus, which hasn’t occurred in the country since 2001.
Unifying the carbon market
Currently, there is still no unified solution for the carbon market that allows participants to quickly and seamlessly capture the value of carbon commodities. Today, several private companies offer carbon offsets to companies or individuals, each representing investments of contributions to forestry or other projects with a negative carbon footprint.
Alternatively, buyers may purchase credits on a carbon exchange, but unfortunately, traditional finance (TradFi) has a poor reputation for being archaic and part of a suppressive system. High-quality carbon…
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