Abstract: The economic transformation required to reach global net zero requires change on the scale of the Industrial Revolution, taking place with the speed of the Digital Revolution (Al Gore, 2021). And while progress is encouraging, it is still too slow. The private sector is an important lever for change, but in order for the private sector to act, the range of solutions presented must be palatable and practical for corporate actors. The voluntary carbon market (VCM) is a critical mechanism that can be scaled for impact to help companies meet their own net zero goals. This talk will introduce the VCM, describing how it works and the opportunities it presents, as well as the barriers it faces.

Bio: Dr. Jennifer Jenkins is Chief Science Officer at Rubicon Carbon, a company specializing in supporting enterprise customers through their decarbonization and net-zero journeys with market-based products and solutions. Dr. Jenkins is broadly responsible for ensuring that Rubicon’s products and portfolio meet the highest standards for quality and integrity. In addition, she leads Rubicon Carbon’s work on monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) as well as stakeholder engagement, ESG strategy, marketing, and thought leadership.

With a technical background in carbon cycling and ecosystem science, Dr. Jenkins brings more than 25 years of experience on matters at the intersection of business and climate across government, academia, and the private sector. A co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Prize along with Al Gore and other IPCC scientists, she led the work that culminated in the publication of the “Jenkins Equations,” the widely accepted method for estimating tree biomass from diameter in the US. Dr. Jenkins earned a Ph.D. in Ecosystem Science and Natural Resources from the University of New Hampshire, a Master of Forest Science from Yale University’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College, and a Master of Business Administration from University of Maryland’s RH Smith School of Business.

This event is presented as part of the 2024 Perspectives on the Climate Change Challenge Seminar Series:

• Most Mondays, Spring Semester 2024, 2:55-4:10pm
• Via Zoom

This university-wide seminar series is open to the public (via Zoom), and provides important views on the critical issue of climate change, drawing from many perspectives and disciplines. Experts from Cornell University and beyond present an overview of the science of climate change and climate change models, the implications for agriculture, ecosystems, and food systems, and provide important economic, ethical, and policy insights on the issue. The seminar is being organized and sponsored by the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering and Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability.