Carbon Trading Simulation

Register to join us on Sept. 27 for an interactive Emissions Trading System (ETS) simulation by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). Using the EDF CarbonSim tool, this session will help students, scholars, and other members of the Duke community gain valuable ETS experience in a risk-free, entertaining, and fast-paced learning environment.

The simulation highlights choices, provides a framework for decisions, and serves as a platform for experiments in emissions trading scenarios. Through the simulation, participants will learn how they can use an ETS to achieve environmental and economic outcomes, develop a carbon portfolio management strategy, minimize liabilities and capitalize on opportunities. They will also come to understand that choices made by both policymakers and industries are shaped by the design and administration of the ETS.

CarbonSim is a multi-user, artificial intelligence-enhanced, state of the art simulation tool. It can be played in four different languages and a half dozen currencies. It can be used to both train stakeholders and run “what if” ETS design scenarios. CarbonSim has been tested and improved with the help of more than 1800 players from China, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Laos, Thailand, Bangladesh, Korea, Mexico, the EU, and the United States.

Schedule

4 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.: Introduction to CarbonSim
4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.: ETS Simulation Exercise
6:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.: Discussion on ETS Simulation Exercise Results

Presenters

• Josh Margolis is Managing Director, Environmental Markets, China Program, at the Environmental Defense Fund
• Jackson Ewing holds a joint appointment as a senior fellow at Duke University's Nicholas Institute of Environmental Policy Solutions and an adjunct associate professor at the Sanford School of Public Policy

Advanced registration is required to attend. 

Ecosystem Service Conceptual Models

Note: This webinar has been rescheduled to September 28 due to the potential impact from Hurricane Florence.

Learn about the National Ecosystem Services Partnership’s (NESP) new Conceptual Model Series in a webinar, Friday, September 28, 3-4 p.m. ET.  

Series authors (Lydia Olander, Sara Mason and Katie Warnell) will discuss the publications and go over key takeaways. Federal partners Frank Casey of the U.S. Geological Survey, Pete Wiley of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Rebecca Moore of the Bureau of Land Management will share their thoughts on how the products could be used by federal agencies and others.

The Conceptual Model Series provides resources that explain why ecosystem services conceptual models (ESCMs) are useful for decision making. It provides guidance for building ESCMs and describes NESP’s initial efforts to standardize and apply these models with federal agency partners.

The series aims to provide practical guidance for those who wish to apply ESCMs as a tool for incorporating ecosystem services considerations into their decisions. 

Register for the webinar to learn more.

Energy Week at Duke University

Mark your calendar for the 3rd annual Energy Week at Duke University. The week of events includes:

• Kickoff Featuring EV Overdrive, November 4
• Energy Technology Day, November 5
• Energy in Energy in Emerging Markets Case Competition, November 6
• Energy Mix, November 6
• Spark Career Event, November 6
• The Duke University Energy Conference, November 7
• Research Poster Presentation, November 7
• Startup Demo Day, November 9

Energy Week at Duke is organized by seven student energy clubs across campus, with support from the Duke University Energy Initiative and the Center for Energy, Development and the Global Environment (EDGE) at the Fuqua School of Business. This year, the Duke University Energy Access Project, which partners the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions and other key Duke collaborators, is a program sponsor.

Methods for Incorporating Ecosystem Services into Decision-Making: Conceptual Models and Benefit Relevant Indicators

Lydia Olander, director of the Ecosystem Services Program at Duke University's Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, will lead a pre-conference workshop on Monday, December 3, at the 2018 A Community on Ecosystem Services Conference (ACES). The workshop, "Methods for Incorporating Ecosystem Services into Decision-Making: Conceptual Models and Benefit Relevant Indicators," will delve into specific ecosystem services assessment methods reviewed in the Federal Resource Management and Ecosystem Services (FRMES) Guidebook, focusing on ecosystem service conceptual models (ESCMs) and benefit relevant indicators (BRIs).

The presentations will provide detailed explanations of ESCMs and BRIs and examples of how they are used to help build a common understanding of what it means to incorporate ecosystem services into decision making. This workshop provides an opportunity for the broader community to explore ecosystem service conceptual models and indicators in more depth with experts, using participant exercises to enhance the discussion and shared learning experience. Integrated question and answer sessions will provide opportunities to engage participating experts.

Those interested in attending the workshop have the option to sign up when registering for the ACES conference. For more information on the workshop, visit the conference website. Follow the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #2018ACES.

ISO/RTO Perspectives on System Reliability and Resilience

Jennifer Chen, senior counsel for federal energy policy at Duke's Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, will speak at the Federal Energy Policy Summit on Wednesday, December 5. 

Chen will be a speaker on the panel, ISO/RTO Perspectives on System Reliability and Resilience, from 11 a.m. to noon ET in Washington, D.C. She and other panelists will discuss how the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's efforts to study, define, and ultimately address system resiliency could initiate major changes in grid planning and investments. 

For more information, visit the event website.

Mobilizing Technology and Business Models to Close the Energy Gap

Globally, 1.1 billion people around the world lack basic electricity, and billions more lack access to the reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy systems that form the backbone of job creation and broader economic growth. How this shortfall is addressed over the coming decades will have resounding impacts on broader development outcomes, the environment, and U.S. and global security. The Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, the Duke University Office of Undergraduate Education, and the Energy Access Project at Duke University will host the 2019 Winter Forum "Mobilizing Technology and Business Models to Close the Energy Gap" on Sunday, January 6, 2019, to Tuesday, January 8, 2019. 

From solar and batteries to telecom and mobile money, technology is enabling new approaches and business models for solving the energy access challenge. Duke students can apply to scale-up their knowledge, sharpen their story-telling, and unleash their creativity in a competition for solutions to end global energy poverty. Applications are accepted August 27 to September 28.

For more information, visit the Winter Forum website.