Offset – Environmental Justice Offset Working Group

Pedestrian pathway through grassy area and with wooden fence

Working group background

Washington’s Cap-and-Invest Program adopted four offset protocols related to forestry, urban forestry, methane digesters on dairy and swine farms, and ozone depleting substances from California’s cap-and-trade program. Ecology is now in the process of revising and adapting the protocols. 

The Environmental Justice Offset Working Group will be comprised of individuals with expertise in environmental justice and injustice. Members will help inform environmental justice considerations related to offset protocol changes proposed during the offset rulemaking process. This working group will happen in parallel to technical working groups.

Meeting schedule

The working group is expected to begin in early summer. They will meet once a month for 2 hours and have 1-2 hours of preparation time. The group is expected to last approximately 12 months.

Apply to be a member

Qualifications: Working group members are expected to have lived or professional experience with environmental justice and/or Tribal affiliation or knowledge. Members are encouraged, but not required, to have background or experience with carbon offsets. 

To apply, please submit reponses to the following prompts to Harrison.Ashby@ecy.wa.gov by June 27, 2024. 

  1. Why are you interested in participating in the Cap-and-Invest Offsets Environmental Justice Working Group? 
  2. Please describe your lived or professional experience with environmental justice. 

Note: Resumes and other supplemental materials are optional.  

Compensation

In alignment with the State Office of Equity’s community compensation guidelines, members of this working group will be compensated $45 per hour if they are not being paid by an employer or organization to participate.

Technical working groups

Ecology will have the following technical working groups comprised of individuals with experience in offset projects:

Resources

En español

El Departamento de Ecología está aceptando solicitudes para unirse a nuestro Grupo de Trabajo para Compensaciones de Carbono del Programa de Tope e Inversión Enfocado en la Justicia Ambiental. Este grupo nos ayudará a considerar las potenciales ramificaciones de justicia ambiental de los cambios a los protocolos de compensación de carbono, reducir los impactos negativos e incrementar los efectos positivos. Para más información, llame a Nikki Harris al 360-764-6018 y solicite un intérprete.

Working Group Contacts

Nikki Harris
Nikki.Harris@ecy.wa.gov

Jordan Wildish, Offsets Lead Planner
CCAOffsets@ecy.wa.gov