Carbon Emissions Reduction Taskforce (CERT)
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The Carbon Emissions Reduction Taskforce (CERT) was a limited-time taskforce established by Gov. Inslee in 2014. Composed of 21 leaders from business, labor, health and public interest organizations, the taskforce provided recommendations to the governor on design and implementation of a market-based carbon pollution program.
Gov. Inslee directed the taskforce to consider measures to offset costs to consumers and businesses, and to design strategies to help energy-intensive industries transition from carbon-based energy sources. Final recommendations were delivered to Gov. Inslee on Nov. 17, 2014.
Final report and Governor's response
- Memorandum: Transmittal of Final CERT Report [PDF]
- CERT Report to the Washington State Governor's Office [PDF]
- Gov. Inslee's response to CERT report [PDF]
Members
See list of members
- Rod Brown, Cascadia Law Group (co-chair)
- Ada Healey, Vulcan (co-chair)
- Dow Constantine, King County Executive
- Perry England, MacDonald-Miller
- Adam Glickman, SEIU Healthcare 7775NW
- KC Golden, Climate Solutions
- Jay Gordon, Washington State Dairy Federation
- Kimberly Harris, Puget Sound Energy
- Jeff Johnson, Washington State Labor Council
- Renee Klein, American Lung Association
- Dennis McLerran, Environmental Protection Agency
- Colin Moseley, Green Diamond Resource Company
- Dave Myers, Washington State Building Trades Council
- Mark Reddemann, Energy Northwest
- Fawn Sharp, Quinault Nation
- Virinder Singh, EDF Renewables
- Rich Stolz, OneAmerica
- Brad Tilden, Alaska Air Group
- Remy Trupin, Washington State Budget and Policy Center
- Steve Wright, Chelan County Public Utility District
- Chris Youngmark, United Steelworkers District 12
Past meetings and materials
November 17, 2014 - Present final report, recommendations and advice to the Governor.
- Memorandum: Transmittal of Final CERT Report [PDF]
- CERT Report to the Washington State Governor's Office [PDF]
- Gov. Inslee's response to CERT report [PDF]
October 28, 2014 - Review economic analysis results. Discuss revisions to policy design.
- OFM Forecasting & Research: Modeling Carbon Pricing - presentation slides [PDF]
- Renée Klein, American Lung Association of the Mountain Pacific: Climate Change and Public Health - presentation slides [PDF]
- Dr Howard Frumkin, University of Washington: Climate Change and Human Health - presentation slides [PDF]
- Handout: Climate Change: Challenges and Opportunities for Global Health (Journal of the American Medical Association) [PDF]
- Handout: National Climate Assessment, Chapter 9, Human Health [PDF]
- Agenda, Oct. 28 [PDF]
September 9, 2014 - Review economic analysis results. Discuss revisions to policy design.
- Meeting materials [PDF]
- OFM modeling presentation - updated 9/23 [PDF]
- CERT economic modeling memo - 10/15 [PDF]
At the September 9 meeting of the CERT, the state’s OFM modeling team presented preliminary economic analysis of two examples of carbon emission pricing. Three slides comparing the baseline state GDP growth to state GDP growth for the two examples looked incongruous with the rest of the results presented. Several members of the CERT mentioned this and pointed out the inconsistency. OFM economists committed to looking into this inconsistency to determine the source of the variation.
Upon careful examination of the data used to construct the three GDP charts in the presentation, it was discovered that a mistake had been made and the incorrect GDP series of the low price and high price scenarios were included in the charts. This was not an error in the analysis or using the incorrect data in the analysis. This was an error in putting the presentation together. This charting error only affects the three graphs that compare GDP to baseline namely GDP in low price scenario compared to baseline, GDP high price scenario compared to baseline and the final graph that compares the two scenarios to baseline on one graph.
The appropriate results of the two scenarios described in the analysis has now been rendered graphically and the incorrect charts have been replaced with charts reflecting the corresponding correct data. Specifically, slides 19, 22 and 25 have been updated. The new graphs better reflect the correspondence in findings of other similar studies of regional carbon markets in California, New England and elsewhere, and support the conclusion on slide 30 that the “statewide economic effects on jobs, GDP, and personal income are small.”
July 29, 2014 - Discuss preferred policy design options for economic analysis. Discuss baseline scenario.
- Meeting materials [PDF]
- Presentation slides: Governor's Office Starting Point Proposal for Carbon Emissions Reduction [PDF]
June 24, 2014 - Discuss initial policy design options. Discuss scope and methods for economic analysis.
- Meeting materials [PDF]
- Michael Gibbs, California Air Resources Board - presentation slides [PDF]
- Tim Lesiuk, British Columbia Ministry of Environment - presentation slides [PDF]
May 15, 2014 - U.K. presentation on emissions trading and market mechanisms. Discuss key carbon market design elements.
- Agenda and advance meeting materials [PDF]
- Summary of Emission Trading Systems [PDF]
- Ecofys U.K. presentation on emissions trading and market mechanisms [PDF]
April 29, 2014 - Organization; discuss charge; background information.
- Agenda and advance meeting materials [PDF]
- Taskforce member list [PDF]
- Executive Order 14-04 [PDF]
- Request for Qualifications and Quotations (RFQQ) [PDF]
Resources
See a collection of articles and reports related to the work of the CERT.
Contact
Chris Davis, Governor’s Advisor on Carbon Markets
(360) 902-0490
chris.davis@gov.wa.gov
