OUr Strategy
The Carbon Lighthouse Association (CLA) was founded to offer customers a more impactful alternative to the offset market. Instead of providing offsets, we reduce the amount that entities can pollute by purchasing carbon allowances from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative’s cap and trade auctions and holding them indefinitely.
Each allowance we purchase has a traceable serial number, is verified by state governments, and creates a legally-binding requirement for power plants and utilities in the United States to emit one fewer ton of CO2.
By aggregating demand for carbon allowances, the Carbon Lighthouse Association enables companies and individuals to bid against utilities, power plants and other regulated entities for the limited supply of available allowances. Once that allowance is purchased by CLA, it cannot be used by a power plant to emit carbon dioxide.
This strategy drives direct emissions reductions while also shifting the structural incentives perpetuating the fossil-fuel based market economy. Learn more about carbon markets here.
Triple Impact
By purchasing and indefinitely holding one allowance, you are:
1. Preventing a fossil fuel company within the cap and trade program from using that allowance to emit 1 ton of CO2.
2. Increasing the demand for allowances thereby putting pressure on prices, making renewable energy and investments in green technologies an increasingly attractive economic option for our grid.
3. Directing the funds used to buy the allowance to fund local green projects, doubling the impact/dollar, and lowering the cost of electricity for all consumers in the RGGI region.
What We've Achieved
Our Impact
We have eliminated 90,000 tons of CO2e, which is equivalent to eliminating emissions from over six power plants (150 MW single-cycle natural gas power plant)
Through a combination of direct donations and setting the clearing bid, we have driven $10 million+ to clean energy programs in the Northeast.
TRANSPARENT TRACKING
We believe that our donors should be able to easily identify and track the allowances we’ve purchased in their name, and that everyone should be able to see our tangible impact. Our tracking table list the serial numbers of every carbon allowance we are holding indefinitely, listed in order of allocation year. Take a look!