Commodity Futures Trading Commission

Voluntary Carbon Markets Convening

June 2, 2022 

Agenda

9:00 am Opening Remarks 

• Chairman Rostin Behnam 

• Commissioner Kristin N. Johnson 

• Commissioner Christy Goldsmith Romero

• Commissioner Summer K. Mersinger

• Commissioner Caroline D. Pham

9:15 am Keynote Speakers: 

• U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on 

Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 

• U.S. Congressman David Scott (D-GA-13), Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee 

9:30 am Panel 1: Carbon Offset Standards and Quality Initiatives: The discussion will include an 

introduction to the carbon offsets markets; carbon offsets standards; and a private sector 

supply-side initiative. 

•

Moderator: Kelley Kizzier, Fellow, Bezos Earth Fund 

Stephen Donofrio, Director, Ecosystem Marketplace of Forest Trends 

• David Antonioli, Chief Executive Officer, Verra 

• Mary Grady, Executive Director, American Carbon Registry

• Kristen Gorguinpour, Vice President of Programs, Climate Action Reserve 

• Sonja Gibbs, Managing Director and Head of Sustainable Finance, IIF; Board Member, 

Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market 

• Thomas Hale, Ph.D., Associate Professor in Public Policy (Global Public Policy), Blavatnik 

School of Government, University of Oxford

10:45 am Panel 2: State and Federal Regulatory Updates: The discussion will highlight the role of carbon 

offsets accepted in a domestic compliance market; provide an overview of recent regulatory 

initiatives which may directly or indirectly impact the markets for carbon offsets; and 

perspectives on the role of carbon offsets within a whole-of-government approach to mitigating 

climate change.

Moderator: Nat Keohane, President, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions 

• Jason Gray, Project Director of the Governors' Climate and Forests Task Force, Emmett 

Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at UCLA School of Law

• John E. Morton, Climate Counselor to the Secretary, U.S. Department of the Treasury 

• Sean Babington, Senior Advisor for Climate, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture 

• Carol A. (Annie) Petsonk, Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs, U.S. 

Department of Transportation

• Philip B. Duffy, Ph.D., Climate Science Advisor, Office of Science and Technology Policy, 

The White House 

• Christine Dragisic, Branch Chief, Partnerships and Initiatives, Office of Global Change, 

Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, U.S. 

Department of State
11:45 am Lunch Break

12:45 pm Panel 3: Carbon Offsets Trading and Infrastructure: The discussion will provide an overview of 

carbon offset spot markets; exchange-listed derivatives; registry infrastructure; and OTC 

intermediation.

Moderator: Eric Pitt, Consultant, Climate Finance, Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital 

Markets

• Kathy Benini, Managing Director, Sustainable1, S&P Global 

• John Melby, President and Chief Operating Officer, Xpansiv 

• Dan Scarbrough, Co-founder, President & Chief Operating Officer, IncubEx, Inc. 

• John Frederick, Chief Financial Officer, Indigo Agriculture

• Evan Ard, Chief Executive Officer, Evolution Markets 

• Mike Kierstead, Head of Environmental Products, Intercontinental Exchange

• Pete Keavey, Managing Director of Energy and Environmental Products, CME Group

2:00 pm Panel 4: Market Participants Recommendations for the CFTC: The panel will discuss 

perspectives on carbon offset projects from industry and the public interest. The panel will 

discuss the challenges and opportunities of trading carbon offsets and/or carbon offset 

derivatives; documentation issues; and recommendations for the role of the CFTC in these 

markets.

Moderator: Janet Peace, Chief of Advisory Services, BlueSource

Part I: 

• Mark Kenber, Co-Executive Director, External Affairs, Voluntary Carbon Markets 

Integrity Initiative and Managing Director, Climate Advisers

• Bella Rozenberg, Senior Counsel/Head of Regulatory and Legal Practice Group, 

International Swaps and Derivatives Association 

• Linda French, Global Head of ESG Policy & Regulation, Sustainability and Global 

Government Relations, JPMorgan Chase & Co.

• Aoife Kearney, Assistant General Counsel, Neuberger Berman

• Darcy Bradbury, Managing Director, head of Global Public Policy, the D. E. Shaw group

• Alexia Kelly, Director, Net Zero + Nature, Netflix

3:00 pm Moderator: Angela Churie Kallhauge, Executive Vice President for Impact, Environmental 

Defense Fund

Part II: 

• Chuck Conner, President & CEO, National Council of Farm Cooperatives

• Shelby Swain Myers, Economist, American Farm Bureau Federation 

• Tyson Slocum, Director, Energy Program, Public Citizen

• Jeff Swartz, Vice President Low Carbon Strategy, Regulatory Affairs and Partnerships, BP

• Michael LeMonds, Vice President, Environment, Land and Government Affairs, Holcim 

US 

4:00 pm Closing Remarks: Chairman Rostin Behnam

4:15 pm Conclude