BC Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association inks carbon deal
By Adam Freill
Asphalt Construction Green Construction Infrastructure RoadsDevvStream and BC Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association announce offtake agreement for pioneering carbon offset project.
(Image courtesy of BCRB)
The BC Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association (BCRB) is getting into the carbon credit game. Under a recently announced offtake agreement, DevvStream Holdings Inc., a technology-based sustainability company, has committed to the pre-purchase of 25,000 carbon credits generated by BCRB’s greenhouse gas reduction program, a revolutionary carbon offset project the organization says is poised to make a substantial impact on global carbon emissions in the transportation sector.
The BCRB program is aimed at reducing carbon emissions associated with road construction and maintenance activities – a significant contributor to the transportation sector’s emissions. With transportation responsible for approximately 25 per cent of the world’s energy-related emissions in 2020, the association says the program represents a crucial step towards a more sustainable future.
Under the agreement, DevvStream will pre-purchase 25,000 carbon credits generated by BCRB’s offset project during 2024 and 2025 and have a right of first refusal for any additional credits generated by BCRB. The program is designed to enable road construction and maintenance organizations across Canada and the United States generate carbon credits by implementing eligible activities, including electrification of fleets and upstream equipment, as well as use of low-carbon materials, including asphalt. By geographical footprint, it is one of the largest offset projects in the world.
The offset project leverages several existing Verra and CDM quantification methodologies and is expected to be registered under the Verified Carbon Standard program from Verra, a leading program authority. This certification ensures the highest standards of environmental integrity and transparency. All data will be regularly verified by an independent accredited validation and verification body, which lends transparency, credibility and accountability to the program.
Under the requirements of the program, only actions that exceed regulatory requirements are eligible to generate carbon credits, ensuring that the program makes a significant and verifiable impact on reducing carbon emissions. The BCRB program is set to become operational by early next year, with the first verified carbon credits expected to be delivered by late 2024.
“We are thrilled to be part of this pioneering initiative with BCRB,” said Sunny Trinh, CEO at DevvStream. “By pre-purchasing carbon credits from the BC Road Builders Program, we are not only supporting the reduction of carbon emissions but also fostering innovation in the construction and maintenance industry. This project exemplifies the kind of forward-thinking solutions needed to address the climate crisis. We look forward to developing our partnership with BCRB to expand this program to other regions beyond North America.”
“This partnership with DevvStream is a testament to our commitment to sustainability and innovation,” added BCRB vice-president Matt Pitcairn. “We believe that our greenhouse gas reduction Program will set a new standard for the industry while contributing significantly to global efforts to combat climate change.”
