Barbara Haya

Barbara Haya is a prominent figure in environmental policy, serving as the Director of the Berkeley Carbon Trading Project at the University of California, Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy. She is also a Research Fellow at the Center for Environmental Public Policy (CEPP). Haya's work focuses on the effectiveness and design of carbon trading and offset programs, emphasizing the need for rigorous evaluation of these systems to ensure they contribute meaningfully to climate mitigation efforts.

Academic Background and Research Focus

Haya holds a PhD from UC Berkeley’s Energy and Resources Group. Her research employs an interdisciplinary approach to assess carbon trading mechanisms, exploring their limitations and potential improvements. She has published extensively on topics such as carbon offsetting, program evaluation, and the effectiveness of various climate policies. Notably, her findings have been featured in major publications including the Financial Times, Bloomberg News, and MIT Technology Review .12

Key Projects and Contributions

Under her leadership, the Berkeley Carbon Trading Project conducts research aimed at informing policy and program design related to carbon markets. The project has been critical in analyzing the integrity of carbon offset credits and advocating for higher standards in carbon accounting practices. Recent projects include developing strategies for the University of California's carbon offset procurement and evaluating voluntary carbon market standards .123

Areas of Expertise

• Climate Change
• Carbon Offsetting
• Energy Policy
• Program Evaluation

Haya's work is pivotal in shaping discussions around carbon offsets and their role in climate action, advocating for more effective alternatives to traditional offsetting methods .12