Analysis of Carbon Credit Trading (CCT) Practices: A Study of Manufacturing Organizations in British Columbia, Canada

Climate change is a growing fear of the public. Carbon credits (carbon offsets) that reflect the omission of a carbon dioxide equivalent from the atmosphere, such as investing in new renewable energy, can meet this challenge. In essence, “carbon credit” is a phrase used to represent a regulation by the government used to decrease the amount of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) (any natural or man-made gas that absorbs atmospheric infrared radiation) by industry and other organizations. Organizations that regulate emissions of GHGs may receive carbon credits that permit them to emit to a specified level of GHGs. Companies get a set number of credits, which decline over time. They can sell or trade any excess to another company. Thus, "cap-and-trade" is an incentive to reduce emissions. Government, industry, and private people in Canada can buy carbon credits to regulate emissions of GHGs. Methods that organizations implement to explore trading carbon credits are examined in this article. Factors related to carbon credits related to the profile of Canadian organizations (such as avoiding carbon taxes, international expansion, venture capital, competitive advantage, clean technology) are then discussed. The survey findings (questionnaires) and statistical analysis of 14 Canadian companies in British Columbia (150 participants) indicate that the second variable (international expansion) has maximum influence on the number of carbon credits traded by these organizations.