Perrin Quarles Associates, Inc. to Develop Australia's Emissions Trading Registry Under the Kyoto Protocol

Business Wire, Sept 26, 2008

Registry Will Meet Australia's Kyoto Protocol Requirements and Support Its Domestic Emissions Trading Scheme

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Perrin Quarles Associates, Inc. (PQA), a leading provider of environmental consulting services focusing on air quality and climate change, announced today that the firm was selected by Australia's Department of Climate Change to develop, implement, and support an emissions trading registry software solution that meets Kyoto Protocol requirements and will support the operation of Australia's Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme.

The registry is expected to be Kyoto Protocol-compliant by the end of 2008. This includes conformance to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Data Exchange Standards (DES) under the Kyoto Protocol as well as initialization with the International Transaction Log (ITL), an application designed to verify all international emissions unit trading and transactions under the Kyoto Protocol. Target completion for a fully integrated and operational system is December, 2009.

PQA will develop the system as a customized version of its Emissions and Allowance Tracking System (EATS), a software application for collecting, verifying, and managing emissions and tradable allowance data for state, regional, national, and international emissions trading programs. EATS was initially developed under contract to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and has been customized as a Kyoto Protocol-compliant registry for New Zealand and Canada.

PQA President, Perrin Quarles, stated that "the opportunity to support Australia's contribution to this important climate change initiative reflects PQA's corporate commitment to achieving environmental goals worldwide."

In recent years, PQA has emerged as a leader in implementing information technology solutions in support of major air quality and climate change initiatives. Continued work in this area has contributed to significant company growth. PQA has experienced an approximate 35% increase in staff in less than a year, with 67 employees at the end of 2007 and more than 90 in September of 2008.

As part of its strategy to increase capacity to serve an increasingly global clientele, PQA recently moved to a new LEED[R] (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified building with a substantial expansion of custom office space.

About PQA

Founded in 1979, PQA is a privately held, interdisciplinary environmental consulting firm located in Charlottesville, Virginia, approximately 115 miles southwest of Washington, DC. PQA specializes in environmental program development and implementation, including information technology solutions, with a major focus on air quality and climate change. PQA clients include the EPA and U.S. state and local environmental agencies. In recent years, PQA has expanded into international markets, supporting environmental initiatives undertaken by the European Commission, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat, Canada, and New Zealand. PQA has a diverse professional staff with experience ranging from environmental science, engineering, policy, and law to information technology, event planning, outreach, and communications. Learn more by visiting www.pqa.com.