Results of a program using Aspen’s Canary Initiative to sell carbon offset credits to Democratic National Convention attendees are a little underwhelming.

The program, set up by the DNC Host Committee through the Denver Convention and Visitors Bureau and rolled out about a week before the convention started, raised a total of $18.34 worth of Canary Tags, offsetting 0.9 tons of carbon emissions.

The offsets were aimed at DNC-goers other than the official delegates, who had a separate carbon offset program through Vermont-based Native Energy. That program, set up in January through the Democratic National Convention Committee, was utilized by 65 percent of the DNC’s 4,440 delegates.

Carbon-offsetting programs estimate the amount of CO2 generated through the burning of fossil fuels associated with transportation, lodging and other travel-related activities. For rates between $10 and $20 per ton of CO2, users purchase the offsets and the money goes to pay for renewable energy projects or other programs that reduce carbon emissions.

 According to Parry Burnap, director of greening for the 2008 host committee, the program’s DNC aims suffered due to the limited time her committee and the Denver Convention and Visitor’s Bureau had to get the word out to media, vendors and various others on the periphery of the DNC.

“You need more targeted marketing than a general press release,” Burnap said.

But the program and the carbon calculator it uses — which can be found through the Web site Denver.org — are not going anywhere. “We regard this as a legacy program,” Burnap said.

Denver is also the first city to offer carbon offsets for large events on its convention and visitors bureau Web site.

“Any convention that comes to Denver has a way to easily calculate its carbon impact,” said Kim Peterson, director of Aspen’s Canary Initiative.

The Canary Initiative’s Canary Tags program was selected because it has been up and running for several years and has a portfolio of in-state projects. The Denver offset program could eventually partner with a carbon offsetting program through Gov. Bill Ritter’s Energy Office and its Colorado Carbon fund, but the Web site still directs offset purchasers to Aspen’s Canary Tags Web site.

Peterson was hoping funds raised through the host committee for the DNC could be used for a signature project. But that will not be possible, as less than $20 was raised.

“Here’s three (compact fluorescent) light bulbs for the office,” Peterson said.
curtis@aspendailynews.com