News Type: Press Release

3Degrees, a leading global climate solutions provider and Certified B Corporation, announced today that Verra, the global carbon standards body, has approved a first-of-its-kind methane avoidance project at Skyridge Farms. This approval came after receiving a positive validation statement from verification firm First Environment Inc.

Dan DeGroot, owner of Washington-based Skyridge Farms, has made it his mission to produce dairy as sustainably as possible. Before installing a manure management system, the facility pumped approximately 200,000 gallons of manure per day into an open lagoon, where it was stored until it was ready to be used as fertilizer in the farm’s crop fields. As the manure sat stagnant in the open lagoon, anaerobic decomposition occurred, emitting potent methane gas. Today,  not only is that methane captured, but an innovative new system also delivers myriad benefits to the farm while the newly approved carbon credit project improves the farm’s financial health.

The First Wave System for methane capture and other benefits

The approval of this 3Degrees managed project marks a significant leap forward for manure management, particularly as it becomes the first to be approved as a voluntary carbon project. Livestock Water Recycling’s (LWR) First Wave System allows Skyridge Farms to eliminate methane production from their onsite waste, providing a notable alternative to methane capture. The First Wave System is a process designed to recover methane-causing volatile solids from raw manure while producing a clear filtrate liquid for reuse in flush systems or for fertigation through center pivot systems.   

By removing solid waste from the lagooning process, LWR’s First Wave System also provides Skyridge Farms with cleaner water for crops, increased compost value, healthier soils, and larger crop yields. Additionally, the surrounding communities recognized immediate benefits such as improved air quality and reduced odors commonly associated with farmlands. 

“For us, the decision to focus on removing solids from the system was an easy one,” DeGroot said. “We now use less water, have fewer offensive odors, fewer emissions, a better crop response with the newly created nutrients, and can provide added comfort to the cows with cleaner lanes. With the revenue generated from the carbon credits to help offset expenses, it becomes much more practical to continue operation.” 

An approval milestone for Skyridge Farms and farmlands nationwide

The 3Degrees project management team first applied for project approval in 2021. After a comprehensive evaluation process by third-party verifiers and an extensive review process by Verra, the Skyridge Farms methane avoidance project was officially approved in May 2023. The approval represents a significant milestone for Skyridge Farms, as the revenue generated from carbon credits underscores that a commitment to sustainable dairy farming practices in the Yakima Valley can also provide further economic benefits.

The approval of this methodology is a monumental achievement for LWR’s technology platform and farmlands nationwide, opening the door for future alternative manure management credit project opportunities. 

“We were thrilled to be able to work with Skyridge Farms to bring this innovative technology to the voluntary credit market,” stated Nick Facciola, Director of Carbon Projects at 3Degrees. “We are excited about the opportunities this technology presents to implement decarbonization programs within the supply chains of milk production.”

“We are immensely proud of the successful verification of carbon credits for Skyridge Farms and the pivotal role that our technology and advanced analytics reporting played in this achievement,” Karen Schuett, Co-Founder and CEO of LWR, said. “This milestone demonstrates the effectiveness of our technology in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, avoiding the creation of methane, and optimizing resource utilization. We are confident that this announcement will inspire other producers to embrace on-farm manure processing, as we remain committed to empowering our customers to build more environmentally sustainable and economically viable futures for their businesses.”

Contact 3Degrees to learn more about the Skyridge Farms methane avoidance project and other carbon credits opportunities.

3Degrees, a leading global climate solutions provider and certified B Corp, has announced the opening of a new office in Singapore, as well as the hiring of an in-region team of origination, business development, and renewable energy procurement experts. The company has been doing business in APAC for over a decade, and is now deepening its investment to scale its regional portfolio of energy attribute certificates (EACs) and provide enhanced market access and support for customers’ global strategy, carbon, and renewable energy procurement needs.

“Our multinational clients’ product and support needs in APAC continue to grow as they accelerate their commitments to reducing their scope 2 and 3 emissions, particularly in their supply chain, in pursuit of achieving their near-term climate targets,” said Scott Martin, Vice President, Global Commercial Business at 3Degrees. “Many of these companies have significant supply chains in the region, and 3Degrees’ expanded local presence and deeper regional relationships will enable us to better facilitate this support for our global customer base.”

Sourcing renewable energy across the APAC region can be challenging for customers due to disparate regulatory schemes, uncertainty regarding standards compliance, low-transparency certificate systems, limited access to projects, and unfamiliar contract structures. With a Singapore-based team, 3Degrees will provide immediate in-region access to high quality, standards-compliant EACs and power purchase agreements (PPAs) to help address buyers’ scope 2 and scope 3 decarbonization goals. To make further progress on scope 3 goals, buyers can couple this in-market access with 3Degrees’ recently launched Supplier REach platform, an online portal that enables large companies to activate their suppliers’ renewable energy journeys and seamlessly source renewable energy in this challenging market.

“By ensuring a wide availability of APAC-based EACs and renewable energy offtake agreements, 3Degrees is going to be in an even stronger position to help our corporate customers accelerate progress toward their climate goals,” continued Martin. “Simultaneously, we will also be strengthening the market for new renewable energy projects through increased financial support, product diversity, efficient transacting, and ongoing policy support and thought leadership.”

3Degrees, a global leader in sustainability solutions, announced today the launch of its innovative Carbon Removal Suite. The unique products are designed to facilitate corporate engagement with the carbon dioxide removal (CDR) market effectively and affordably. The Carbon Removal Suite, which aligns with the Oxford Principles for Net Zero Aligned Carbon Offsetting and other leading industry guidance, provides a strategic pathway for organizations to incorporate high-durability removals into their carbon procurement strategies.  

The Carbon Removal Suite offers two distinct products: 

• CDR Bridge: Facilitates access to a wide array of verified carbon removals, focusing on nature-based solutions, complemented by a curated selection of hybrid and engineered solutions.
• CDR Catalyst: Provides an opportunity for organizations to accelerate their commitment to emerging and innovative carbon removal solutions with an increased mix of engineered and hybrid technologies, complemented by nature-based solutions.  

All credits in the Carbon Removal Suite are verified, tracked, and retired on public registries operated by the leading standards bodies. Each portfolio uniquely combines a diverse range of carbon removal project types, including emerging solutions like biochar and enhanced rock weathering. The portfolio composition is intended to evolve each year to support the advancement and scaling of a diverse set of CDR approaches over time.

Designed specifically to overcome prevalent market barriers such as cost-prohibitive pricing, limited supply, and significant applicability risks, the Carbon Removal Suite equips organizations of all sizes with the tools they need to effectively and sustainably integrate carbon removal strategies into their environmental objectives. Additionally, each portfolio aids organizations with net zero targets in matching residual emissions with carbon removals by tailoring portfolios that align with best procurement practices and their strategic priorities.

“Recognizing that potential CDR buyers are facing a variety of challenges, we are thrilled to launch these two distinct CDR products to enable our customers to participate in the market with confidence,” said Ryan Pawling, Director of Product Portfolio at 3Degrees. “They are crucial not only for advancing removal technologies but also for achieving our shared long-term climate objectives.”

Backed by rigorous, project-level due diligence, 3Degrees provides a dependable avenue for companies to confidently engage with the complexities of the carbon removal market. Discover how the new Carbon Removal Suite can transform your sustainability strategy—contact 3Degrees today.

3Degrees, a leading climate solutions provider and certified B Corporation, is proud to announce its partnership with CarbiCrete, a pioneering carbon removal technology company headquartered in Montreal, Québec. CarbiCrete’s patented technology enables the production of cement-free concrete that not only reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but also permanently removes CO2 from the atmosphere.

Concrete is the second most widely used resource in the world, and traditional concrete production is responsible for about 8% of all global GHG emissions. Cement, the glue within cement, is responsible for the vast majority of those emissions both because it is energy intensive to produce and because the chemical process for creating cement releases process carbon dioxide emissions. CarbiCrete’s innovative solution addresses this environmental challenge by using steel slag, an industrial waste byproduct that is often landfilled, and captured carbon dioxide, eliminating the need for cement. By avoiding the use of Portland cement and mineralizing carbon dioxide into concrete for permanent storage, CarbiCrete’s concrete is carbon negative.

By mineralizing biogenic carbon dioxide, CarbiCrete is permanently storing carbon dioxide that was recently removed from the atmosphere. Carbon removal technologies, like CarbiCrete’s, are limited in supply and must scale to meet net zero climate goals. The decarbonization of concrete is particularly important for companies with scope 3 reduction targets and construction in their value chains, such as data centers, with concrete representing about 80% of total embodied emissions (source), hospitality, retail, and commercial / residential real estate development. CarbiCrete’s technology provides an opportunity to significantly reduce supply chain emissions through interventions that reduce or eliminate the emissions associated with concrete.

As CarbiCrete’s exclusive partner, 3Degrees plays a pivotal role in enabling this groundbreaking carbon removal technology to access environmental markets and help meet the growing demand for carbon removal and supply chain intervention projects. 3Degrees is dedicated to supporting the deployment of this solution by identifying corporate buyers eager to decarbonize the concrete industry. 3Degrees is the sole manager of the credits from the CarbiCrete technology, overseeing the quantification and verification of the emissions reductions and managing the sale of the environmental attributes. This partnership ensures that CarbiCrete’s carbon-negative technology’s benefits are fully recognized and valued in the market.  

“We are very excited to accelerate CarbiCrete’s growth by enabling access to the carbon removal and supply chain intervention markets,” said Peter Weisberg, Director of Development for 3Degrees. 

“We are tremendously pleased to be working together with 3Degrees to leverage the environmental markets,” says Jacob Homiller, CarbiCrete’s CEO. “This partnership will allow us to accelerate the deployment of our technology, reducing historic emissions while decarbonizing the construction industry.”

Emission reductions at CarbiCrete’s manufacturing facilities will be quantified using existing third-party carbon credit methodologies, with annual verification and delivery of the reductions. 

3Degrees specializes in bespoke greenhouse gas emission reduction solutions and has deep expertise in developing carbon reduction and removal projects. To learn more about CarbiCrete’s innovative process and how you can contribute to advancing this vital carbon removal technology, please contact 3Degrees.

In collaboration with Microsoft, 3Degrees, a leading global climate solutions provider, announced today the official launch of Supplier REach, an innovative tool that enables large companies to activate their suppliers’ renewable energy journeys. Suppliers can evaluate and source high-quality renewable energy to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while demonstrating progress to their referring customer all along the way.

Even though purchasing renewable energy is one of the best first-steps on the GHG reduction path, barriers to forward motion can leave suppliers at a standstill.  A first procurement can be complicated: pricing may be opaque, the appropriate choices may not be clear and may vary across geographies, and financial risks may be involved. To keep decarbonization on pace to meet global net zero targets, suppliers of all sizes need to navigate this transition effectively. Supplier REach is a new solution aimed at accelerating renewable energy adoption by helping suppliers overcome these challenges. 

Organizations that use Supplier REach will invite their suppliers to join the portal. Within the portal, suppliers can evaluate their options and source high-quality renewable energy tailored to their unique requirements. As needed, they can also access educational resources and reporting tools to build internal alignment around the need to take action. Referring organizations can track their suppliers’ progress toward renewable energy purchases and encourage forward momentum in convenient, customizable ways.

“Renewable energy is often the best way to begin a company’s transition to a lower carbon future. Supplier REach is a purpose-driven platform aimed squarely at enabling that all-important first step for an organization’s suppliers. We’re proud to have Microsoft’s ongoing engagement in the tool’s scope and features, and their support for early supplier releases. We both look forward to welcoming additional referring partners seeking to accelerate supplier adoption of renewable energy.”

— ERIN CRAIG, CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER & VP, CUSTOMER SOLUTIONS AND INNOVATION, 3DEGREES

“Supplier REach offers Microsoft’s suppliers straightforward paths to procure carbon-free electricity, serving as a resource for their journey to make the clean energy transition and reduce emissions.”

— EDMOND CHAN, SR. SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM MANAGER, MICROSOFT PROCUREMENT

San Francisco, May 07, 2024 — 3Degrees, a Certified B Corporation and a pioneer in global climate solutions, announced the launch of its Supply Chain Emissions Reduction Agreements product. The new solution empowers suppliers to deliver products with reduced emissions intensity, helping organizations hit their scope 3 goals. This offering focuses on direct interventions in agricultural supply chains, addressing a critical gap in the carbon reduction solutions market.

Food and apparel companies operate in complex, emissions-intensive supply chains and are constrained by limited resources and levers available to meet their Scope 3 goals. Direct supplier engagement often provides insufficient leverage, especially when emissions sources extend several tiers up the supply chain. Moreover, managing pilot projects at the farm level is resource-intensive and difficult to scale, further complicated by evolving supply chains.

Supply Chain Emission Reduction Agreements provide a simplified and de-risked approach to scope 3 emissions reductions. 3Degrees partners with upstream suppliers to source, finance, and develop emissions reduction projects that deliver lower-emission products under a pay-for-performance model that aligns with downstream purchasing requirements.  This service is part of 3Degrees’ commitment to providing scalable, impact-driven solutions supporting organizations in their climate journey.

“Our close collaboration with food and apparel brands has highlighted the pressing need for a simplified and de-risked approach to upstream emissions interventions,” stated John Bourne, Senior Director of Carbon Markets and Agriculture at 3Degrees. “Our new service is tailored to deliver a high level of customization, paving the way for broader adoption of sustainable practices.”

With fifteen years of experience and dozens of agriculture carbon projects registered, 3Degrees has established expertise in greenhouse gas quantification and full service project management from verification to reporting. Collaborating closely with hundreds of leading food and apparel brands, the company has gained extensive insights into the unique challenges and opportunities within this sector. Discover how Supply Chain Emissions Reduction Agreements can help you build a more resilient and climate smart agricultural supply chain: Click here to learn more.

3Degrees, a leading global provider of climate solutions, has hired Owain Morgan as its President of Markets. In this role, Morgan will oversee 3Degrees’ industry-leading Environmental Markets team in the development and trading of a growing suite of global environmental commodities that help customers take immediate and impactful action to meet their climate goals. Morgan brings more than 25 years of deep experience in emerging financial markets to bear as 3Degrees continues to expand its suite of products and technology solutions to deliver best-in-class service to its clients. That includes expanding into new products and markets to provide the most comprehensive set of climate management options possible.

“The markets we participate in are growing and changing quickly, and Owain brings significant expertise in systems, processes, risk management, and portfolio management that will be beneficial as we scale to meet our customers’ growing needs,” said 3Degrees CEO Steve McDougal. “I’m confident that Owain is the right person to lead our Environmental Markets team in this increasingly complex, and exciting, time of growth.”

Morgan has led businesses at some of the most well-known financial services firms in the world, including JP Morgan and Bridgewater Associates. At JP Morgan, he served as Managing Director and Global Head of Product, where he was responsible for developing portfolio risk and analytics solutions, powered by technology that the firm sold to institutional investors. At Bridgewater, he was responsible for a team of 60 investment and tech professionals responsible for advancing risk management and portfolio construction. Most recently, he served as the Principal Consultant at Anakain Advisors, providing interim C-Suite services to private investment firms and their portfolio companies.

“I’ve spent my career so far helping to mature emerging financial markets, and I’m so excited to be able to apply that expertise to climate change at such a pivotal time for the climate solutions space,” Morgan said. “I look forward to connecting with 3Degrees’ customers and building solutions together based on their evolving needs. There is a lot of important dialogue right now in the voluntary market, which will ultimately propel our industry towards better, more impactful market-based solutions. 3Degrees is going to continue to be at the forefront of this evolution.”

3Degrees, a leading global provider of climate solutions, has hired Suzy Taherian as its new Chief Financial Officer. Taherian brings over 25 years of experience driving growth in global energy companies. She’ll apply this experience as financial leader for 3Degrees as the company continues expanding and maturing its services, teams, and systems to serve its clients’ decarbonization efforts.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Suzy as our new CFO,” said 3Degrees CEO Steve McDougal. “After our previous CFO Sumit Kapur decided to move on after 11 years, we knew hiring the right person to step into this critical role would be paramount. Suzy brings everything we were looking for, including deep energy industry experience and a thoughtful approach to managing both financial complexities and human dynamics that was essential for the financial leader of a mission-driven B Corp like 3Degrees.”

Taherian began her career in a variety of roles over 16 years with Exxon and Chevron, after which she moved on to lead high-growth companies focused on the transition to a low-carbon energy system. Over her career, she has completed over $7 billion in M&A and financings. She was most recently CFO of Xpansiv, which provides the global market infrastructure for energy transition. Taherian led Xpansiv’s finance team through some incredible milestones, including completing $540M in private equity financing with several partners, completing four major acquisitions, and delivering strong top line growth and increased profitability while rapidly scaling up the size of the team. She has also been an adjunct professor in International Finance and International Business at UC Davis Graduate School of Management for the last ten years. She holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from UC Davis and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

“I’m excited to be part of the 3Degrees team,” Taherian said. “The company has achieved an impressive track record in helping our customers take urgent action on climate change, all while achieving consistent financial performance and adhering to strong values of passion, respect, commitment, integrity, and diversity. I look forward to advancing this impressive work and helping 3Degrees expand its footprint and suite of climate solutions for customers around the globe.”

3Degrees, a leading global climate solutions provider and Certified B Corporation, has added investment and risk professional Amy Wierenga to its Board of Directors. Wierenga brings 20 years of global private and public sector experience – including risk management, capital allocation, portfolio management, quantitative research, trade operations, and treasury management – to bear for 3Degrees, which offers a full suite of clean energy and scope 1, 2, and 3 decarbonization solutions that help global Fortune 500 companies, utilities, and other organizations achieve their climate goals.

“We are pleased to welcome Amy to our Board of Directors,” said Dan Kalafatas, 3Degrees Board Chair. “3Degrees is entering a new phase of growth as we continue to expand our decarbonization services and products globally to combat the existential threat of climate change. Amy’s expertise and contributions will help shape and refine our offerings and operations, better enabling us to help draw down global greenhouse gas emissions.”

Wierenga currently serves as Managing Director, Investments and Investment Chief Risk Officer at GCM Grosvenor, a $75BN global alternative investment manager specializing in customized investment solutions across absolute return, alternative credit, private equity, infrastructure, and real estate markets. In her role, Wierenga leads global risk strategy, oversight, and quantitative research to enhance decision-making and risk management across investment underwriting, portfolio construction and portfolio management activities.

Prior to joining GCM Grosvenor, Amy spent over a decade at BlueMountain Capital Management, where she was Partner, Chief Risk Officer, and Head of Risk & Portfolio Construction. Amy’s leadership was instrumental to enabling BlueMountain’s soundly managed growth from an emerging credit and volatility arbitrage fund manager into a $20BN global multi-strategy, multi-fund manager known for its integrity, collaborative intellectual rigor, and strong internal control culture.

Before BlueMountain, she served at Merrill Lynch where she managed risk for one of the largest U.S. Government & Agency flow interest rate derivatives and exotics books on Wall Street. Wierenga started her career as a Bank Examiner and Risk Specialist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, where she led and participated in regulatory assessments of banking and trading book risk at small, regional and Large and Complex Banking Organizations across the U.S.

“I am enthused by the 3Degrees leadership team’s vision and excited to help guide the organization’s growth at this pivotal time,” Wierenga said. “3Degrees’ thriving climate action advisory and unmatched expertise in the origination, sales, and trading of the evolving renewable energy and climate markets uniquely position it to meet rapidly increasing sector demand. I have been impressed by the entire team’s commitment to investing in institutional-quality trading risk process and systems, and to retaining the strong mission-centric culture that has characterized the firm’s success to-date.”