An Evaluation of Participation in Voluntary Greenhouse Gas Tracking and Reduction Programs

The debate on climate change has moved from a question of whether humans are responsible to how best to address man-made greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that are the cause. The United States has yet to pass any legislation that aggressively and appropriately addresses this issue. In the absence of legislation mandating emission reductions, many voluntary GHG tracking and reduction programs have surfaced. The main objective of this project is to profile the participants of three differing GHG tracking and reduction programs in order to determine specific criteria used when deciding to join a particular program. The results conclude that the sector of the participant company could be a major determining factor when joining a voluntary program. Those companies in the highest emitting sectors tend to join the least stringent voluntary program that does not include reduction goals. Additionally, companies that are publically traded and produce end products for consumer use are more likely to join a more rigorous program that contains reduction goals. Finally, the creation of regulations for voluntary programs could serve as a basis for future mandatory legislation.