Emissions trading in the US was the focus of the Carbon Forum America conference and trade show that convened in San Francisco from 26-27 February 2008. The event, which drew 1400 participants and 80 exhibitors, involved conference sessions and side events on such issues as innovation in a global market, renewable energy, low carbon generation technology, carbon capture and sequestration, the agriculture and forestry sectors, legal and accounting issues, and voluntary carbon markets.

In
a speech on the state of multilateral negotiations, Halldor
Thorgeirsson of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
Secretariat said the negotiating process launched in Bali in December
2007 should result in a future regime that delivers emissions reduction
fast enough, is not excessively expensive, and is viewed as equitable
by governments. He highlighted the success to date of market mechanisms
such as the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).
Official website: post-meeting press release, February 2008
Conference programme and overview
Statement by Halldor Thorgeirsson, UNFCCCC, 26 February 2008