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ICF International offers a broad range of analysis of policies, technologies, and programs to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, at the international, national, state, provincial, and local levels. For more than 20 years, ICF has performed mitigation analyses for public and private clients related to climate, stratospheric ozone, and air pollution.
In crafting GHG mitigation programs, decisionmakers are challenged with balancing many factors. At the highest level, they need to balance the need for significant emission reductions with the need for a healthy economy. The decision factors are complex, and involve cost-effectiveness, equity across the various emitting sectors, implementation and compliance issues, uncertainty, trade effects, and selection and design of policy instruments (e.g., cap and trade systems, voluntary programs).
By virtue of ICF’s experience supporting mitigation strategies that range from individual sectors (e.g., the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which focuses on the power sector) to fully integrated, multi-sectoral approaches (e.g., Canada’s National Round Table on Economy and Environment strategy for deep, long-term emission reductions), we provide decisionmakers with sound analysis that supports a credible, transparent, fair, and scientifically defensible result.
Among the other advantages of choosing ICF are:
- We understand which key factors vary on a regional basis, and how to take advantage of this geographic texture.
- We have expertise in all of the key sectors—transportation, electric power, energy efficiency (commercial, residential, industrial), industrial processes, waste management, agriculture, and forestry.
- We have the capability to integrate GHG mitigation analysis with evaluation of conventional air pollutants. Many of the emission reduction measures deliver substantial “co-benefits” in terms of reducing local and regional air pollution.
- We are developing a multi-sector modeling capability that allows integrated analysis of all energy sectors, with feedback to regional economic models. We are currently using this integrated approach for projects in Ontario, Canada; Illinois; and California.
Selected Projects
Expert Guidance on UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) for UK Department of Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). ICF International has been retained by UK’s DEFRA to provide expert guidance on the UK ETS. ICF’s specific responsibilities include advising DEFRA on the technical robustness of the greenhouse gas emission measurement and reporting protocols for carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases covered under the Kyoto Protocol. ICF International is applying Monte Carlo analysis to ascertain the statistical uncertainty inherent in the UK emissions trading system and to provide guidance on what levels of confidence to ascribe to various proposed emissions reductions.
Update to the Government of Ireland’s Strategy under the Kyoto Protocol. ICF International is helping the Government of Ireland assess its distance to target in 2008-2012 and the implications for the suite of measures it needs to consider for the trading sectors as well as nontrading sectors, and use of project-based mechanisms such as Joint Implementation (JI) and Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).
Advisor to the European Commission's (ES) Directorate-General (DG) for Environment on European Climate Change Programme. ICF International advised the EC's DG Environment on several assignments related to design and implementation of Europe's Climate Change Programme, including elements such as the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, ozone-depleting greenhouse gases, and the appropriate work programme for strengthening capacity for managing climate change in the Russian Federation.
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