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In this episode of Deanna’s Dialogues, Deanna Reitman welcomes Rori Cowan, a seasoned expert in carbon accounting and environmental markets, to share her insights on advancing sustainable assets. Rori discusses her journey from carbon verification to protocol development, highlighting the importance of robust accounting principles and transparent methodologies to ensure credibility and legal viability in environmental projects.
She emphasizes the challenge and necessity of proving ownership and additionality when developing new asset types, especially as the market evolves to include water quality and soil health benefits. Rori explores the role of technology and AI in streamlining project design documents (PDDs), potentially reducing time and verification costs while maintaining rigorous standards.
The conversation underscores the value of peer review and legal experience in vetting innovative ideas, cautioning against reinventing the wheel and advocating for building on established protocols. As the market becomes more sophisticated, Rori encourages ongoing progress, even in the face of imperfection, and envisions a future where digital product passports recouple environmental goods with products and services. Her closing advice: let transparency, collaboration, and evolving science guide the creation of impactful, credible sustainability projects.
