ND Department of Agriculture Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MARCH 13, 2008

JOHNSON INVOLVED IN CARBON TALKS

BISMARCK – Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson is in Detroit, participating in a regional discussion on the design of a regional “cap and trade’ carbon emission program for the Midwest.

The Cap and Trade Workshop brings together government officials from nine states with industry representatives, environmental scientists and other experts. Johnson, the president of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, was specifically invited to provide an agricultural perspective.

“Our agricultural sector is already profiting as a source of carbon credits for industry through the North Dakota Farmers Union carbon trading program,” Johnson said. “It appears evident that the Midwest is moving toward a regional agreement, and North Dakota could be playing a still larger role.”

In a cap-and-trade system, the government establishes an overall emissions cap and assigns specific emissions allocations to the different sources of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. It is up to private industries and companies to meet their allocations by reducing their own emissions or paying someone else to reduce theirs. A business can profit by cutting their emissions below the cap and then selling their extra carbon credits to others. By enhancing carbon storage in soils and trees and selling the extra carbon credits, farmers may also benefit from a cap and trade program.

Johnson said he is especially interested in the session, “Potential Reductions through Technology in the Midwest.”

“The discussion will center on options for coal, biofuel switching and energy efficiency, and enhanced oil recovery – all topics of major interest to the Midwest,” he said.

Jill Duggan, head of the United Kingdom’s international emissions trading department, will present Thursday’s final program, “Toward an International Carbon Market.”

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MEDIA: For more information, please call Ted Quanrud at (701) 328-2233 or tquanrud@nd.gov or Patrice Lahlum at (701) 239-7210 or plahlum@nd.gov.