A Calgary company that promotes telecommuting is selling rights to greenhouse gas emission reduction credits to a consortium of major Canadian energy companies.
Teletrips.com offers Internet-based software that helps companies manage trip-reduction programs, including the measurement of telecommuting time and emission reductions.
The companies belong to the Greenhouse Emissions Management Consortium (GEMCo), set up in 1996 by a group of Canadian energy companies interested in investing in greenhouse gas emission offsets. They include ATCO Electric, BC Gas, Enbridge Consumers Gas and Pipelines, EPCOR Utilities Inc. and TransCanada PipeLines Ltd.
GEMCo plans to buy options for up to 3.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emission (GHG) credits generated by the Teletrips as part of a U.S. government-sponsored pilot program to encourage telecommuting.
“Interest in telecommuting has soared since the tragedies of Sept. 11,” says Teletrips CEO Scott Fleming. “Both corporate and individual security concerns are leading more businesses to start providing flexibility and redundant offices for their knowledge workers.”
Several Canadian cities have recently expressed interest in using Teletrips to help reduce road congestion and pollution as well as plan future infrastructure improvements.
GEMCo, which promotes market-based mechanisms for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, called the deal a ground-breaking transaction that will help Canada meet its Kyoto commitments on greenhouse gas reductions.
GEMCo can exercise its option to purchase the credits over the 2002-2012 period. The credits must come from private vehicle emission reductions resulting from verifiable telecommuting programs that have registered with Teletrips through its website. The credits can then be used by consortium members to comply with regulated emission limits. Fleming says that money from the GEMCo deal will be invested in expanding an existing e-commute project in the U.S. and launching similar programs in Canada.
Web Watch:
www.gemco.org
www.teletrips.com
