EMA Policies

• Bylaws
• Meeting, Education and Event Sponsorship Policy
• Public Speaking Policy
• Meeting Pre-registration List Policy
• Membership Policy
• Conflict of Interest Policy
• Refund Policy

EMA Meeting, Education and Event Sponsorship Policy

In order to underwrite EMA event, program and meeting costs, and create opportunities for promotion of member programs and services, EMA has established a practice and process for sponsorships.

In return for the financial comment of sponsors, EMA is committed to providing sponsors with program exclusivity during sponsored events and programs.

To this end, we request that meeting attendees refrain from hosting or sponsoring events or programs that conflict with the official program of the Environmental Markets Association.

EMA Public Speaking Policy

Individuals interested in speaking opportunities representing the Environmental Markets Association., must receive prior written approval from the EMA Executive Committee. Communications and statements for approved speaking opportunities must be consistent with EMA practices and be preapproved by the Executive Committee.

In general, Directors, Officers, members, and staff of the EMA are not prohibited from speaking to the media or expressing their opinion as private citizens representing their respective firm(s). However, they must ensure that they are not identified as EMA officials, thus creating the impression that they are speaking for the EMA.

The Executive Director will coordinate public service announcements, as appropriate, with the EMA Operations Manager, Communications Committee Chairperson and the EMA Chairperson for Executive Committee approved requests to speak as a representative of the EMA.

EMA Meeting Pre-registration List Policy

The Environmental Markets Association.will make available to qualified meeting sponsors, a one-time use version of a meeting preregistration list ten (10) days prior to the beginning of the program/meeting being sponsored. No updates will be available until the start of the meeting. The sponsor agrees to only use this list for a one-time mailing and to not add to or formulate a database with this information. The list may not be reproduced, copied, or distributed.

The preregistration list will only be sent to meeting co-sponsors, reception sponsors, and luncheon sponsors. Other individuals that are not meeting, reception, or luncheon sponsors, including members of the EMA board of directors, the program chairperson, and members-at-large requesting the list, must submit in writing their requests for a copy of the preregistration list for board consideration.

A final preregistration list will be included in the final program that includes: name, title, company, city, state, and country (if outside U.S.A.).

EMA Membership Policy

Membership in the EMA is on an individual basis only and runs on a calendar year (January through December). Membership dues are non-refundable.

A paid membership may only be transferred to another individual for the following reasons:

• paid member transferred to another area in the company that is not involved with emissions trading, or
• paid member no longer employed by the company, or
• paid member deceased.

Requests for transfers of paid membership are to be in writing on company letterhead and must indicate the reason for requesting the transfer. Only one request per paid membership will be considered during a dues cycle. Requests for a transfer of membership will be reviewed by the Membership Chair and/or the Membership Committee.

Corporations or institutions may participate in multiple memberships in the EMA under the following guidelines:

• First five (5) members who join from a company/institution in a calendar year (January – December) will be invoiced for the full dues payment for individual memberships;
• Corporations/institutions with five (5) or more individual members, will be allowed to have other representatives from the respective company/institution register for EMA conferences at the EMA member rate; and
• No other benefits of membership are extended to individuals that do not have an individual membership in the EMA, including voting privileges, delegate status to UNFCCC meetings, members-only website access, member directory listing, committee or board participation, newsletter subscription, etc.

Conflict of Interest Policy

I. Policy

It shall be the policy of the Environmental Markets Association (EMA) that no member, while serving the Association in a leadership capacity, either as an Officer, a Director, a Committee Chair, or in another type of leadership capacity, will take personal advantage of his or her leadership role by allowing a situation to exist that may be construed as a conflict of interest situation.

II. Purpose

It has been the intent of the Environmental Markets Association since its inception to carry on its activities in accordance with the highest ethical standards. Adoption of this Policy by the EMA Board of Directors is, therefore, a reaffirmation of EMA's intent that all Directors, Officers, Committee Chairs, and other members holding elected or appointed leadership positions practice the highest ethical standards and give undivided loyalty to EMA and its goals. Any activities which do not serve the best interest of EMA or which favor the personal advantage of another person or corporation are inconsistent with the duties and responsibilities owed to EMA.

III. Practice/Procedure

It is therefore resolved that:

1. All Directors, Officers, Committee Chairs, and members holding other leadership positions within the Association (Leaders) shall scrupulously avoid any conflict between their own respective individual interests and the interests of the Environmental Markets Association, in any and all actions taken by them on behalf of EMA in their respective capacities.
   
   
2. Conflicts of interest would include, but not be limited to, direct financial or close personal interests in a company or product which could be affected by a decision of a Board, Committee, or other Association governing body on which the Leader serves; acceptance of any gift, entertainment, services, loans, or promises of future benefits from any person or organization that might benefit, because of the Leader's connection with EMA (note: this does not apply to gifts and/or similar entertainment of nominal value); and compensation in the form of fees or salaries if such payment is affected directly or indirectly by the Leader's work with the Association (note: EMA is not critical of such interests; it merely requests that Leaders disqualify themselves from direct service to the Association if they have such interests).
   
   
3. Annually, at the fall meeting of the Board of Directors, all Officers and Directors shall disclose any direct or indirect relationships with organizations, either for-profit or not-for-profit, that may, during their term of office, be involved with the Association in a formal capacity. Examples of such relationships may include, but not be limited to, employer-employee relationships, governance relationships, shareholder relationships, contractor-contractee relationships, etc.
   
   
4. In the event any Director or Officer of EMA may stand to derive a personal gain or benefit from a transaction with EMA, or shall have any direct or indirect interest in or relationship with any individual or organization (i) which proposes to enter into any transaction with EMA for the sale, purchase, lease or rental of property; or (ii) which proposes to render or employ services, personal or otherwise, to EMA; or (iii) which may be seen as competing with the interests or concerns of EMA, such Director or Officer shall forthwith give the Board of Directors of the Emissions Marketing Association notice of such interest or relationship. After being alerted to a possible conflict of interest from such Director or Officer, it shall be the sole responsibility of the Chair of the Board of Directors, after consultation with the President of EMA, to decide when a Leader needs to refrain from voting on (or otherwise attempting to affect any decision of the EMA) any issue considered to be in conflict which comes before the Board or EMA's General Membership. If the President is the person that is conflicted the responsibility to decide when a Leader needs to refrain from voting shall pass to the Vice Chair of the Board with consultation from the President of EMA. Minutes of appropriate meetings should reflect that such disclosure was made, and that such Director or Officer abstained from voting and absented him or herself from the final review and vote on the matter.

A copy of this Policy shall appear in the orientation materials for newly elected Board members and be shared with the Nominating Committee for distribution to all prospective candidates. It shall also be included in all unit handbooks (i.e., Chapter and Division Guidelines, Committee Guidelines).

This Policy shall be reviewed periodically for the information and guidance of all individuals who serve the Association in a leadership capacity.