APPENDIX B
Disclosure of Unavoidable Conflicts of Interest
The conflict-of-interest policy of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (www.nationalacademies.org/coi) prohibits the appointment of an individual to a committee like the one that authored this Consensus Study Report if the individual has a conflict of interest that is relevant to the task to be performed. An exception to this prohibition is permitted only if the National Academies determine that the conflict is unavoidable and the conflict is promptly and publicly disclosed.
When the committee that authored this report was established a determination of whether there was a conflict of interest was made for each committee member given the individual’s circumstances and the task being undertaken by the committee. A determination that an individual has a conflict of interest is not an assessment of that individual’s actual behavior or character or ability to act objectively despite the conflicting interest.
Michael A. Méndez was determined to have a conflict of interest in relation to his service on the Committee on Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions because of his ownership of stock in Tesla, Inc., an electric vehicle and clean energy company. The National Academies have concluded that the committee must include a member with current experience working at the state and local levels in the policy-making process focusing on connecting climate change and communities of color, and helping to bring local knowledge, culture, and history into policy making to address the complexities of climate change. As his biographical summary makes clear, Dr. Méndez has extensive current experience at the state and local levels, and in linking issues of sustainability, health, and environmental justice into climate change policy. His multifaceted expertise in planning, regulation, legislation, and advocacy uniquely positions him to help the committee evaluate and elucidate the implications of its analysis to impacted communities.
Keith Paustian was determined to have a conflict of interest in relation to his service on the Committee on Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions because he is a paid advisor to Indigo Agriculture, a company that works to build a system for “carbon farming,” and was the founder and part owner of Soil Metrics (acquired by Indigo Agriculture in October 2021),
which provides modeling software for estimating agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. Dr. Paustian served through June 14, 2022, on the Science Advisory Team at Carbon Direct, which works to expand the development of carbon removal technologies. The National Academies have concluded that the committee must include a member with current experience in and understanding of the mitigation measures for reducing agricultural-sector emissions, their costs, and their overall potential to contribute to emissions reductions. This topic and specific expertise were identified as critical needs after the publication of the first report from this committee. The committee also requires a member with current direct transdisciplinary experience in the modeling, field measurement, and development of assessment tools for soil carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions from soils. As his biographical summary makes clear, Dr. Paustian has extensive current experience in soil organic matter dynamics, carbon and nitrogen cycling in agricultural ecosystems, and assessment of agricultural climate change mitigation strategies.
Edward Rightor was determined to have a conflict of interest in relation to his service on the Committee on Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions because he owns shares in Dow Chemical Company and DuPont. The National Academies have concluded that the committee must include a member with current experience in industrial energy efficiency and reductions in greenhouse gases, waste, and water use to accomplish the tasks for which it was established. The committee also requires current direct experience in business strategy, capital fundraising, and market analysis to drive corporate sustainability programs. As his biographical summary makes clear, Dr. Rightor has extensive current experience providing technical and strategic analyses of sustainability, energy efficiency, and greenhouse gas emissions reduction for manufacturing industries.
Susan F. Tierney was determined to have a conflict of interest in relation to her service on the Committee on Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions because she is currently employed by a consulting company (Analysis Group) that provides analyses of energy markets, clean energy regulatory policy, and resource planning and procurement for a broad range of clients (including grid operators, utility and other energy companies, governments, non-governmental organizations, and energy consumers) in the electric and natural gas industries. The National Academies have concluded that in order for the committee to accomplish the tasks for which it was established, it must include a committee member with current and extensive experience in electric power markets, natural gas markets, federal and state regulations, and utility planning processes. As her biographical summary makes clear, Dr. Tierney has extensive current experience providing technical and market analyses for electricity and gas system policy, planning, and operations.
The National Academies determined that the experience and expertise of the above individuals was needed for the committee to accomplish the task for which it was established. The National Academies could not find other available individuals with the equivalent experience and expertise who did not have a conflict of interest. Therefore, the National Academies concluded that the above conflicts were unavoidable and publicly disclosed them through the National Academies Projects and Activities Repository (NAPAR) (http://webapp.nationalacademies.org/napar).
