King County & Metro join climate exchange program

King County will be the first county and the first major bus transit agency in the United States to join the Chicago Climate Exchange, under a proposal by King County Executive Ron Sims.

The Chicago Climate Exchange is North America’s only voluntary, legally binding pilot program for reducing and trading greenhouse gas emissions, and is the most active carbon exchange in the United States. It requires members to reduce carbon emissions and allows trading of carbon credits.

The contract obligates King County to reduce emissions by six percent from a baseline of its year 2000 emissions. Sims said the county is expected to meet or beat this target. King County’s participation in the exchange can help expand the eligibility of credits that would reward and encourage the climate-friendly initiatives of the county and other local governments.