Uncommon Dialogues & Workshops

Forest carbon accreditation at the project, jurisdictional, and national levels rely on traditional, indirect approaches to estimating changes in forest carbon stocks, implementing a heterogeneous set of definitions and methodologies. As science and technologies advance, and Article 6 of the Paris Accord emerges as a mechanism for results-based finance at all scales, developing interoperable Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems presents a real opportunity to incentivize and scale effective conservation, restoration, and carbon sequestration outcomes. This Uncommon Dialogue on Interoperable MRV in Forest Carbon brought together standards bodies, buyers, researchers, and data providers to advance the alignment of key forest carbon MRV attributes across voluntary carbon market, jurisdictional, and UNFCCC initiatives. The topics focused on methodological evolutions in biomass estimation and durability metrics, as well as the role of academic and research institutions in such evolutions. 

OUTCOME: The group identified a number of key takeaways, including unique roles for research institutions, and published a white paper to activate next steps with aligned partners.

Solar development to address the climate crisis involves building large projects at megawatt or gigawatt-scale. Such projects, and related transmission and electricity storage, require substantial acreage whether at the edge of suburbs, in farm fields, on disturbed lands, or other public, private, and tribal lands. Siting and building these projects can be challenging, and often requires trade-offs. An Uncommon Dialogue among  six large solar developers, leading land conservation and environmental organizations, tribal nation representatives, agricultural interests, community groups, and investors has reached a major agreement focused on addressing three key imperatives in the development of large-scale U.S. solar projects: climate, conservation and community (the “3Cs”). The parties have agreed to create six Working Groups to advance critical aspects of the 3Cs, including: Community and Stakeholder Engagement; Siting; Energy and Agricultural Technologies; Information Tools; Tribal Nations; and Policy.

Dams serve many roles including electricity generation, flood control, irrigation, navigation, water supply, and recreation. Some dams, however, pose safety risks if they have not been properly maintained or have outlived their useful lives. There are more than 90,000 dams in the U.S. National Inventory of Dams, and many more that are not inventoried, identified, or under clear jurisdiction – making it harder to keep dams in good working order. 

In 2018, Stanford University’s Woods Institute for the Environment and Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance launched an Uncommon Dialogue to find common ground on issues around hydropower and river restoration. Dialogue participants included NGOs, hydropower companies, trade associations, government agencies, Tribes, universities, and investors. The dialogue initially led to an agreement to address issues and opportunities with the nation’s dams built around “3Rs:” rehabilitation, retrofit, and removal. 

OUTCOME: The 2021 inclusion of $2.3 billion in a federal bipartisan infrastructure law to implement the agreement; pending bipartisan bills to address multiple aspects of the 3Rs; and white papers on dam innovations, dam safety, workforce development, and other action areas.

In response to the West Coast Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia Science Panel’s Recommendation 3 (Revise water quality criteria), 25 experts were convened at Stanford University on October 17–18, 2016, to chart a path toward development of ocean acidification (OA) water quality goals. Participants were asked to help develop goals that in the short term could be used as management tools for defining monitoring needs and for interpreting modeling and monitoring output, and in the longer term could form the foundation for water quality criteria. The workshop had three objectives: 1) Identify the chemical parameters and biological indicators that are most appropriate for assessing the status of ocean acidification; 2) Prioritize the research needed to advance the parameters and indicators toward use as water quality goals; and, 3) Pinpoint the biggest impediments to development of criteria from these goals and actions that can be taken to lessen those impediments.

OUTCOMES: A summary report from the dialogue was produced and disseminated to key stakeholders including the Ocean Protection Council.  

As the effects of existing climate change become increasingly apparent, focus on the development of adaptation measures has grown. Coastal communities are on the front lines of a changing climate. Rising, warming seas are contributing to stronger storms, higher extreme sea levels, and associated coastal flooding. These shifting hazards amplify risks for people, valuable assets, essential infrastructure, and important economic industries such as energy production and shipping. They also pose risks for human security, for example through impacts on migration, culture, territorial integrity, and national security. To prepare for and respond to such risks, U.S. policy makers across all levels of government --national to local -- need sound, actionable evidence in support of critical decisions.  From 2017 to 2020 the Hoover Institution, the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars jointly convened a series of six discussions focused on pathways to solutions for our coastal challenges. The last two Dialogues included wildfire resilience as a focus to compare and contrast the set of solutions and options for both extreme events. 

OUTCOMES: A report(link is external) summarizing the conversations and the action items identified was produced and widely disseminated among the federal climate change policy community, including Congressional offices. A briefing was convened and attended by nearly 100 Congressional staff.