Methods and systems for combining securities and carbon credits

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for reducing or neutralizing a carbon footprint of a security using carbon credit. A carbon footprint of at least one security may be calculated. A first amount of carbon credit necessary to neutralize the carbon footprint of the at least one security may be determined. A second amount of carbon credit may be acquired. A financial instrument having an at least partially neutralized carbon footprint may be generated by causing the at least one security and the second amount of carbon credit to be combined, e.g., in a trust.

1 - 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . An apparatus comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, direct the at least one processor to:
 determine a first amount of carbon credit for neutralizing a carbon footprint of at least one financial instrument; and 
 generate a financial instrument determined to have a neutralized carbon footprint, 
 in which the act of generating the financial instrument comprises:
 based on the act of determining the first amount of carbon credit, causing to be purchased a second amount of carbon credit; and 
 causing the at least one financial instrument and the second amount of carbon credit to be stored in a trust. 
 
   
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , in which the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, direct the processor to perform a method further comprising:
 before the act of determining an amount of carbon credit for neutralizing a carbon footprint of the at least one financial instrument, calculate a carbon footprint of the at least one financial instrument, in which the act of determining a first amount of carbon credit comprises determining a first amount of carbon credit for neutralizing a carbon footprint of at least one financial instrument based on the calculated carbon footprint of the at least one financial instrument.   
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 30 ,
 in which the act of calculating the carbon footprint comprises determining an estimated emission of at least one greenhouse gas by an issuer of the financial instrument,   in which the estimated emission of the at least one greenhouse gas comprises an estimated amount of emission associated with one or more activities conducted by an entity associated with the at least one financial instrument, and   in which the at least one financial instrument comprises one or more financial instruments excluded by a filter associated with an investment fund.   
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , in which the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:
 cause at least one share of the trust to be sold to the investment fund;   after causing the at least one share of the trust to be sold to the investment fund, cause a third amount of carbon credit to be purchased; and   cause the third amount of carbon credit to be stored in the trust.   
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , in which the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:
 cause at least one share of the trust to be sold to the investment fund;   after causing the at least one share of the trust to be sold to the investment fund, receive from the investment fund a fee to maintain a neutralized status of the trust.   
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , in which the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:
 cause at least one share of the trust to be sold to the investment fund;   after causing the at least one share of the trust to be sold to the investment fund, calculate a second carbon footprint of the at least one financial instrument for a second predetermined period of time;   calculate a third amount of carbon credit necessary to neutralize, during the second predetermined period of time, the second carbon footprint of the at least one financial instrument for the second predetermined period of time;   cause the third amount of carbon credit to be purchased; and   cause the third amount of carbon credit to be stored in the trust.   
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 30 ,
 in which the act of calculating a carbon footprint of the at least one financial instrument comprises determining an estimated emission, during a first predetermined period of time, of at least one greenhouse gas associated with one or more activities by at least one entity associated with the at least one financial instrument, the at least one greenhouse gas comprising carbon dioxide;   in which the act of calculating a first amount of carbon credit comprises calculating an amount of carbon credit necessary to neutralize, during the first predetermined period of time, the carbon footprint of the at least one financial instrument;   in which the act of causing a second amount of carbon credit to be purchased comprises causing to be purchased an amount of carbon credit necessary to neutralize, during the first predetermined period of time, the carbon footprint of the at least one financial instrument; and   in which the act of generating a financial instrument determined to have an at least partially neutralized carbon footprint comprises generating a financial instrument determined to have, during the first predetermined period of time, a neutralized carbon footprint.   
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , in which the act of calculating the carbon footprint comprises:
 calculating an amount of carbon emission generated for a first period of time, in which the carbon emission is generated by an entity associated with the at least one financial instrument;   calculating an amount of securities owned by the entity during the period of time;   calculating an amount of the at least one financial instrument;   determining a carbon-to-security ratio based on a quotient of (1) the amount of carbon emission generated divided by (2) the amount of securities; and   determining the carbon footprint for the at least one financial instrument by multiplying the carbon-to-security ratio by the amount of the at least one financial instrument.   
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , in which the at least one financial instrument comprises at least one of: an equity, stock, fixed income instrument, debenture, certificate of interest or deposit, warrant, option, future, forward, and swap, and
 in which the second amount of carbon credit is greater than the first amount of carbon credit.   
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , in which the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:
 before the act of determining a first amount of carbon credit for neutralizing a carbon footprint of at least one financial instrument, determine, by at least one processor, that the at least one financial instrument is excluded from an investment fund.   
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , in which the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:
 cause at least a portion of the trust to be sold to an investment fund, in which the investment fund comprises an entity that buys, holds, and sells a plurality of different types of securities, and   in which the act of causing the at least one financial instrument and the second amount of carbon credit to be stored in a trust comprises causing the at least one financial instrument and the second amount of carbon credit to be stored in a trust such that the trust has a carbon footprint that is less than the carbon footprint of the at least one financial instrument.   
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , in which the first amount of carbon credit and the second amount of carbon credit are equal, and in which the act of causing the at least one financial instrument and the second amount of carbon credit to be stored in a trust comprises generating a financial instrument determined to have a neutralized carbon footprint. 
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , in which the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:
 before the act of determining a first amount of carbon credit for neutralizing a carbon footprint of at least one financial instrument, receive from an investment fund an identification of the at least one financial instrument.   
     
     
         42 . The apparatus of  claim 41 , in which the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:
 cause at least one share of the trust to be purchased by the investment fund.   
     
     
         43 . The apparatus of  claim 41 , in which the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:
 before the act of receiving from the investment fund an identification of the at least one financial instrument, select the investment fund from a plurality of investment funds based on at least one of a size of the investment fund, an amount of money managed by the investment fund, and a type of social cause supported by the investment fund.   
     
     
         44 . The apparatus of  claim 42 , in which the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:
 before the act of receiving from the investment fund an identification of the at least one financial instrument, retrieve a filter associated with the investment fund, in which the filter is stored by the at least one memory, in which the filter comprises at least one criteria for evaluating carbon emission information associated with the at least one financial instrument, and in which the second amount of carbon credit is equal to the first amount of carbon credit.   
     
     
         45 . The apparatus of  claim 44 , in which the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:
 before the act of determining the at least one financial instrument, generate a list comprising the at least one financial instrument,   in which the at least one financial instrument is excluded from the investment fund based on at least one criteria of a filter associated with the investment fund,   in which the at least one financial instrument consists of debt or equity of a single company, and   in which the second amount of carbon credit is less than the first amount of carbon credit.   
     
     
         46 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , in which the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:
 transmit at least one formula used for calculating the carbon footprint to at least one shareholder of the trust,   in which the carbon credit is generated from at least one greenhouse gas project comprising at least one of forest sequestration, soil conservation, electric efficiency, fuel switching, animal waste recovery or landfill gas capture, and   in which the carbon credit comprises one of the following: an allowance, a certified emission reduction (CER), an emission reduction unit (ERU), and a verified emission reduction (VER).   
     
     
         47 . A method comprising:
 determining, by at least one processor electronically coupled to at least one memory, a first amount of carbon credit for neutralizing a carbon footprint of at least one financial instrument; and   causing, by the at least one processor, to be generated a financial instrument determined to have a neutralized carbon footprint,   in which the act of generating the financial instrument comprises:
 based on the act of determining the first amount of carbon credit, causing to be purchased a second amount of carbon credit; and 
 causing the at least one financial instrument and the second amount of carbon credit to be stored in a trust. 
   
     
     
         48 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by at least one processor, direct the at least one processor to:
 determine a first amount of carbon credit for neutralizing a carbon footprint of at least one financial instrument; and   generate a financial instrument determined to have a neutralized carbon footprint,   in which the act of generating the financial instrument comprises:
 based on the act of determining the first amount of carbon credit, causing to be purchased a second amount of carbon credit; and 
 causing the at least one financial instrument and the second amount of carbon credit to be stored in a trust.