Carbon and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Services

ESI is a progressive leader in the development and provision of services within the emerging national and international greenhouse gas (GHG) ecosystem services, carbon sequestration and GHG validation and verification markets.

From designing educational programs for public awareness, to developing a patent pending environmental attribute tracking system, ESI provides businesses and landowners with the most innovative, science-based solutions to address the most challenging environmental issues.

The Emerging Carbon and GHG Markets

Markets change, laws change, economies change, sentiments change.

Opportunities change, as well.

ESI has continuously adapted and often innovated to help our clients address the growing need for ecologically and sustainably conscious services. The recent and ongoing surge of interest in reducing society’s impact on the environment has created a myriad of opportunities for informed organizations.

ESI helps you to clearly understand both the challenges and the opportunities associated with the rapidly changing ecosystems services, carbon sequestration and GHG validation and verification markets.

Broad Experience and Specific Science

From the small, forest service management company to the largest timber growers in the world, and from entrepreneurs forging new technologies in carbon sequestration to City, County, State, and Country governments, ESI provides services to a wide array of commercial, governmental, and social organizations seeking to create creditable projects and products.

LATEST NEWS

Environmental Services, Inc. is Awarded Accreditation Scope Extension by ANSI

April 2013: California Air Resource Board (ARB) VVB Accreditation Achieved

ESI is now a California Air Resource Board Accredited Offset Verification Body of Offset Project Data Reports. ESI has multiple ARB-approved Lead Verifiers for  both the U.S. Forest Protocol and Urban Forest Protocol that are currently working on ARB Early Action Desktop Reviews as well as full project verifications.

For additional information about our ARB services or to request a proposal, please contact Janice McMahon ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

On August 31, 2011, the American National Standards Institute’s (ANSI) GHG Validation/Verification Accreditation Committee (GVAC) voted to award Environmental Services, Inc. (ESI) an accreditation scope extension which included the verification of assertions related to GHG emissions and removals at the organizational level for Sector Groups 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. The new scopes allow ESI to perform organizational level verification for GHG programs such as the British Columbia Reg. 272/2009 and The Climate Registry. The accreditation scope extension adds to ESI’s already existing accreditation under ISO 14065:2007 for GHG Validation and Verification Bodies, including ISO 14065:2007, ISO 14064-3:2006 and the following activities and sector groups:

Verification of assertions related to GHG emissions and removals at the organizational level    
1 – General
2 – Manufacturing
3 – Power Generation
5 – Mining and Mineral Production
6 – Metals Production
7 – Chemical Production
8 – Oil and gas extraction, production and refining including petrochemicals
9 – Waste

Verification of assertions related to GHG emission reductions and removals at the project level
3 – Land Use and Forestry

Validation of assertions related to GHG emission reductions and removals at the project level
3 – Land Use and Forestry

ESI Participates in Climate Action Reserve Stakeholder Workgroup

Climate Action Reserve (CAR) is in the process of developing several protocols for greenhouse gas emission reduction and carbon sequestration projects for the agricultural sector. CAR develops its protocols in conjunction with experts in the field and a diverse group of stakeholders from industry, government agencies, environmental consultants, non-governmental organizations, academia and project developers. Richard Scharf, a Licensed Soil Scientist and Senior Scientist in ESI’s Forestry, Carbon, and GHG Services Division, is honored to lend a hand by joining CAR’s Nutrient Management Project Protocol Workgroup. The nutrient management protocol is intended to guide projects that involve a reduction in nitrogen fertilizer application rates on agricultural lands, along with management changes that increase nitrogen (N) use efficiency.

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is emitted as soil N is processed by microoganisms.  This natural process is exacerbated by high fertilization rates with N fertilizers. Reduction of these emissions is important because N2O has about 310 times the global warming potential as CO2. From a project developer’s point of view, this means that a tonne of N2O emission reductions is equivalent to about 300 tonnes of CO2 emissions reductions. Depending on climate, soil type and management practices, a large percentage of the N fertilizers added to crops are not taken up by the plants themselves. N can be lost to the atmosphere, leached to pollute groundwater and surface waters, and taken up by organisms other than the intended crop. Like many other GHG-reducing practices and technologies, increasing the efficiency of crop N use has multiple beneficial effects, including reducing production costs to the farmer and cleaner waterways.  Read More>>>

ESI's Janice McMahon to Co-chair Track 6-10 at Upcoming Low Carbon Earth Summit

Carbon emissions have been traded, albeit at minor levels, in the over-the-counter (OTC) market since the 1990s. The value of the carbon market has grown from $727 million in 2004 to $118 billion in 2008. Opportunities for market participants are expected to continue to increase as the value of global carbon markets are forecast to grow by 68% per year to $669 billion in 2013. Therefore, Emission Trade provides huge business potentials for culturing industrial championship to be part of it in this sector. This forum will invite worldwide active players to introduce to you their successful experiences so to gain the insight into this hot area. (Source: http://www.lcesummit.com/fullprogram_track6.asp)

ESI's Janice McMahon will co-chair Track 6-10: Emission Trading Schemes, Measuring, Validation and Verification at 8:30 am-12:10 pm on Saturday, October 22, 2011.  This session is featured at the upcoming Low Carbon Earth Summit: Leading the Green Economy, Returning to Harmony with Nature on October 19-26, 2011in Dalian, China.

Click here for details>>>

ESI Chosen As Third-Party Assurance Pilot Program Member

Environmental Services, Inc. (ESI) was chosen by the U.S. EPA (EPA) as third-party, independent verifiers to participate in the Small Business Network Member Third Party Assurance Pilot Program (August 2010-January 2011).  As a certified GHG verifier (GHG-v) through CSA America, Janice McMahon, represented ESI during the pilot program and conducted GHG inventory verifications for EPA’s Small Business Network members, and provided “best practice” feedback to EPA on the process.

The goal of the pilot program was for ESI and other verifiers to improve guidelines and checklists that the EPA will use in the future to efficiently and effectively provide assurances on small business network members GHG inventories and reductions.
Additional information on EPA’s Small Business Network can be found at the Small Biz Network. ESI has certified Greenhouse Gas Verifiers and Qualifiers through CSA America on staff.  The CSA America certification program assures third-party objectivity, quality assurance and helps establish consistency and competency in GHG verification services.

Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Approves Fourth New Methodology for Crediting Projects that Reduce Deforestation (REDD)

The Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) is the most widely used carbon accounting standard among projects issuing credits in the voluntary market. Founded in 2005 by the Climate Group, the International Emissions Trading Association and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, VCS has pioneered trusted and innovative tools for generating quality GHG credits.

Through our ANSI accreditation, ESI is authorized to conduct third-party GHG project validations/verifications for seven GHG programs, which establishes ESI as a leader in the environmental field. These GHG programs include: Climate Action Registry (CAR), CarbonFix (CFS), American Carbon Registry (ACR), Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX), Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance ( CCBA), and Pacific Carbon Trust (PCT).  Click here to read the VCS press release>>>

ESI Approved as CCBA Third-Party Auditor

We are pleased to announce that Environmental Services, Inc. (ESI) has been approved as third-party auditors for the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA) under the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standard (Second Edition, December 2008).  Read more>>>

Environmental Services, Inc., (ESI) Expands its GHG Validation and Verification Credentials

ESI is now listed on the approved validation/verification body list for Scope 3 (Land Use and Forestry) maintained by the Pacific Carbon Trust (PCT).  ESI’s accreditation through the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) under ISO 14065 for Greenhouse Gas Validation and Verification Bodies meets the requirements for validation/verification bodies under British Columbia’s Emission Offsets Regulations (EOR). Read more>>>