The programme was initially launched as a pilot in the Nordics in February. During the first nine months, customers helped offset 26,000 tonnes of carbon emissions, the equivalent to almost 1,800 European flights.
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Lenovo is focusing on long-term decarbonisation. Last year, the company set science-based targets to halve emissions from its operations and reduce value chain impacts by 25 pct by 2030, with a view to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The new targets have been approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) and are aligned to limiting global temperature rise to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, as envisioned by the Paris Agreement.
(Source: Lenovo, PR, edie 6 Jan., 2020) Contact: Lenovo, www.lenovo.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Offset news, Carbon Emissions news,
Santos' strengthened targets come as it nears a final investment decision for one of the world's cheapest CCS projects at its Moomba gas plant in South Australia. After completing the final field trial, successfully injecting 100 tonnes of CO2 into a depleted gas reservoir in the Cooper Basin, Santos is now waiting for the Clean Energy Regulator to finalize the methodology for CCS to qualify for federal carbon credits. (Source: Santos, Sydney Morning Herald, 1 Dec., 2020) Contact: Santos, Kevin Gallagher, CEO, Brett Woods, Exec. VP, Low Carbon Operations, +61 8 8116 5000, www.santos.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News CCS, Carbon Credit, Carbon Emissions, Carbon Footprint,
Horsley Witten measured the impact of their annual average 300,000 miles of travel across the country and quantified this footprint to then offset it through local opportunities.
(Source: Cape Cod.com, 1o Nov., 2020) Contact: Horsley Witten Group, 508-833-6600, www.horsleywitten.com: Habitat for Humanity, www.habitat.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Offset, Carbon Credits,
The program is built on a partnership with the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) Carbon Offset Programme, providing customers to offset emissions.
IATA's Carbon Offset Programme has been approved by the independent audit organization Quality Assurance Standard which assesses how organizations calculate emissions, select offset projects and how they communicate this information to their customers. IATA is one of only four organizations worldwide to meet this standard. (Source: Qatar Airways, FTN, 3 Nov., 2020)
Contact: ClimateCare, Robert Stevens, CEO, +44 (0) 1865591000, business@climatecare.org, www.climatecare.org: IATA, Michael Gill, Director Aviation Environment, Alexandre de Juniac, CEO, +41 22 770 2967, (514) 874-0202 -- Montreal Office, www.iata.org; Qatar Airways, www.qatarairways.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Qatar Airways, Carbon Offset, Carbon Credits, IATA, ClimateCare ,
Both Tilhill and CarbonStore are part of BSW, the UK's largest integrated forestry group. Also in partnership with CarbonStore are Maelor Forest Nurseries, a progressive commercial tree nursery and also part of the BSW Group. Together, the partnership can grow the tree seeds, design the new woodland creation schemes, plant the saplings, manage the trees and sell the carbon units.
(Source: Tilhill, PR, Scottish Farmer, 11 Oct., 2020} Contact: Tilhill, David McCulloch, +44 0 1786 435000,
Fax-- 01786 435001, enquiries@tilhill.com, www.tilhill.com; CarbonStore, +44 1786 649387, www.carbonstoreuk.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News CarbonStore, Carbon Emissions, Carbon Offset,
Forest Carbon Works delivers premium payments to landowners for long-term conservation and climate outcomes on properties as small as forty acres. As members of Forest Carbon Works, some landowners are already getting paid more than $50,000 each year. Membership payments are substantial because carbon credits generated using the platform are legally recognized by the first enforced cap-and-trade program in the United States.
(Source: Forest Carbon Works, PR, 6 Oct., 2020) Contact: Forest Carbon Works , (415) 475-8966, inquire@forestcarbonworks.com, www.forestcarbonworks.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Credits, Forest Carbon Works, Carbon Sequestration, Carbon Emissions,
Under the terms of the partnership, the project will roll out in multiple phases, starting with streamlining existing programs in Canada and evolving into the US market. Radicle will manage the credit development process with a focus on maximizing the value of carbon credits for growers. Farmers Edge will provide the technology for carbon management, including tools to measure sustainability metrics, quantify soil health, track agronomic practices, and identify which carbon credits growers can qualify for.
Farmers Edge has supported growers through the Conservation Cropping Protocol and Radicle has generated over $53 million for Canadian growers since 2015.
(Source: Farmers Edge, CropLife, Oct., 2020) Contact: Farmers Edge, Wade Barnes, CEO, (866) 724-3343, info@farmersedge.ca,
www.farmersedge.ca;
Radicle Group, Alastair Handley, Pres., www.radiclebalance.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Farmers Edge, Radicle Group, Carbon Credit,
According to the release, Novozymes is the technology leader in fiber conversion, enabling new revenue for biofuels producers from low-carbon credits such as in California and EPA's cellulosic RIN credits. Through Fiberex, Novozymes is collaborating with the biofuel industry to further expand the boundaries of corn-based ethanol -- literally breaking down some of the barriers between what is considered conventional biofuels and advanced biofuels.
Novozymes' Fiberex enzymes are specifically designed to break down this complex matrix -- resulting in more corn oil and converting the fiber into simple sugars that are easily converted into ethanol.
As part of the platform announcement, Novozymes is also launching the first Fiberex products: Fiberex R1, a technology specifically designed to provide maximum ethanol in separate fiber-to-ethanol processes, and Fiberex F1, a cellulase enzyme designed to provide fiber conversion for in-process technologies. Additional solutions, to launch in 2021, are in proof-of-concept trials now, according to the release. (Source: Novozymes, Website PR, 16 Sept., 2020) Contact: Novozymes, Brian Brazeau, VP Bioenergy, 646-671-3897 , www.novozymes.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Novozymes , Corn Ethanol, Ethanol,
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In 2016, the company announced plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 pct by 2025 across its entire supply chain and in 2017 launched
Smithfield Renewables that united its carbon reduction and renewable energy efforts. The company is known for its anaerobic digestion biogas efforts to turn methane from hog manure into renewable natural gas,
The company will also work to sequester more carbon in farmlands and natural ecosystems.
It also intends to add more wind and solar energy; streamline distribution routes to reduce miles traveled;
reduce energy consumption for refrigeration, lighting and equipment.
(Smithfield Foods, PR, 8 Sept., 2020) Contact: Smithfield Foods, Kenneth M. Sullivan, Pres., CEO, Lisa Martin, (757) 365-1980, lvmartin@smithfield.com, www.smithfield.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Smithfield Foods, Carbon Emissions, Carbon Negative, Biogas, Methane, Anaerobic Digestion,
GreenCollar has more than 200 hundred projects covering over 6 million hectares under the Australian Federal Government's Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF), accounting for approximately 50 pct of delivered abatement across the Australian carbon market to date. With its landholder partners, GreenCollar develops land-based carbon projects and facilitates the sale of the resulting credits to private and public organisations to offset their environmental footprint. (Source: GreenCollar, Mirage, 1 Sept., 2020)
Contact: GreenCollar, James Schultz, Co-Founder and CEO, +61 2 9252 9828, www.greencollar.cp.au
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Farming, Climate Change, Carbon Emissions, Carbon Credits,
According to the IEA, Thailand's experience of carbon market mechanisms began in 2007, when the government established TGO to implement and manage GHG emissions projects. In 2103, the public body launched the Thailand Voluntary Emission Reduction programme, a baseline and credit programme. By 2020 it had 191 registered projects that are due to reduce emissions by 5.28 Mt CO2-eq annually and the Thailand Carbon Offsetting Program which encourages public and private organisations to calculate their carbon footprint and buy carbon credits to offset their unavoidable emissions.
In 2015 TGO launched the Thailand Voluntary Emission Trading Scheme to serve as a pilot, setting up the infrastructure to develop a national emission trading system and identify gaps and opportunities. The first phase (2015-17) established and tested the market's design features and the measurement, reporting and verification system. During the second phase (2018-20) TGO aims to encourage wider participation and develop participants' trading capabilities.
Thailand is aiming to reduce GHG emissions to 20.8 pct below the business-as-usual level by 2030. (Source: IEA , New Europe, Aug., 2020)Contact: IEA, Fatih Birol, Exec. Dir., +33 1 40 57 65 00, www.iea.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Tax, IEA,
Select Carbon partners with farmers and other landowners to develop carbon farming projects throughout Australia which aim to reduce emissions and capture CO2 while benefiting biodiversity and local communities. Carbon credits generated through Select Carbon's projects are offered through the Australian government's Emissions Reduction Fund and other markets, creating an additional revenue stream for farmers and landowners, according to the Shell release.
Select Carbon has to date developed and manages a portfolio of over 70 projects covering 9 million hectares across various ecosystems and agricultural uses in Australia, according to the Shell release.
The acquisition of Select Carbon is subject to Australian regulatory approvals and expected to close before the year end. (Source: Shell Australia, S&P, 3 Aug., 2020) Contact: Shell Australia, +61 8 9338 6600, www.shell.com.au; Select Carbon, +61 414 334 170, www.selectcarbon.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Farming, Carbon Credit, Shell Australia, Select Carbon, Carbon Credits,
To reach its goal, the company undertook a range of measures to reduce its emissions footprint, including the purchase of zero emissions renewables generated electricity, improved energy efficiency at some of its operational sites, and
the purchase of carbon offsets from overseas, particularly in India, because of a lack of opportunities to invest in local carbon abatement projects. Of the remaining 2.33 million tonnes of Telstra's emissions footprint leftover to be offset 11,000 tonnes was offset using emissions reductions purchased from Australian based projects. (Source: Telstra, PR, July, 2020) Contact: Telstra, www.telstra.com.au; Australian Climate Active Program, www.climateactive.org.au
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Neutral, Carbon Credits,
The inaugural agreement kick-starts the sale of carbon-neutral LNG through an online trading platform, which the Shanghai exchange described as a "global innovation."
(Source: Shanghai Oil and Gas Exchange, Kallanish, 23 June, 2020) Contact: CNOOC Gas & Power, www.cnooc.com.cn
More Low-Carbon Energy News LNG, Alternative Fuel, Carbon Neutral Fuel, Carbon Credit,
In January, BofA reported it achieved carbon neutrality a year ahead of schedule by reducing their location-based emissions by 52 pct since 2010, by purchasing 100 pct of their electricity from renewable sources, and, for unavoidable emissions, purchasing high-quality, third-party verified carbon credits. The bank also plans to transition away from purchasing unbundled renewable energy credits (RECS).
Under its Environmental Business Initiative (EBI), the bank has deployed $145 billion to low-carbon sustainable activities since 2007, with another $300 billion committed to these efforts until 2030. (Source: Bank of America, April, 2020) Contact: Bank of America, www.bankofamerica.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Bank of America, Climate Change, Carbon Neutral,
The Family Forest Carbon Program offers a practice-based approach, where landowners are given incentive payments to implement science-based sustainable forest practices guaranteed to produce additional carbon sequestration. This unique, practice-based methodology takes into account the constraints of small forest ownership, yet is more credible and scalable, to allow small landowners to contribute at a landscape level. The program also provides a range of co-benefits that address biodiversity, forest health, water quality, ecosystem resilience and related issues.
Download Family Forest Carbon Program details HERE .
(Source: American Forest Foundation, Sustainable Brands, Mar. Apr., 2020) Contact: Family Forest Carbon Program, Tom Martin,
President & CEO, 202-765-3472,
tmartin@forestfoundation.org,
www.forestfoundation.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News American Forest Foundation, Carbon Credits, ,
Accordingly, the ICAO
will allow airlines to purchase CO2 offset units from six programs under CORSIA in order to meet its emissions reduction targets up to 2023. The approved schemes include the U.N. Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), the Gold Standard and the Verified Carbon Standard.
Carbon Offsets under the CORSIA mechanism are set to be established using total emissions for 2019 and 2020 as the baseline.. (Source: ICAO, GreenBiz, 18 Mar., 2020) Contact: ICAO, Secretary General Fang Liu, www.icao.in
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Offset, Carbon Credits, Aviation Emissions, CORSIA, International Civil Aviation Organization,
To that end, EY will focus on reducing travel emissions, sustainable procurement practices and purchasing more renewable energy to power EY offices. It will also purchase carbon credits to offset the EY carbon footprint and invest in projects that reduce carbon emissions or remove carbon from the atmosphere, for example reforestation projects. The company is also expanding its global sustainability strategy which will focus on helping clients innovate and use technology to reduce their own carbon emissions, while driving sustainable economic growth. To date the company has:
To that end, the PM announced the formation of an official inquiry to investigate and make recommendations on emissions reduction and building better resilience and adaption to climate events such as fire, drought, floods and cyclones.
However, the PM emphasized, reducing carbon emissions required a "balanced and global response because even if Australia shut down all its power-generation assets, the equivalent amount of emissions would be produced by China in just nine days." (Source:Office of Australian Prime Minister Scott MorrisonFinancial Review, 13 Jan., 2020) Contact: Office of Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, www.pm.gov.au
More Low-Carbon Energy News Australia Climate Change, Carbon Credits ,
This includes offsetting all net emissions from Project Sunrise, the carrier's plan to operate non-stop flights from the east coast of Australia to London and New York, should the project proceed. This will also extend to domestic flying, meaning that growth on key routes like Melbourne-Sydney will be carbon neutral.
Qantas will work with industry, research institutions and governments to develop the long-term solutions to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the aviation industry over the next three decades. The airline currently operates the largest carbon offset program in the aviation industry, with around 10 pct of customers booking flights on Qantas.com choosing to offset their flights.
This additional investment will see Qantas Future Planet, which is already the largest private sector buyer of Australian carbon credits, support more conservation and environmental projects in Australia and around the world. Existing projects include protecting the Great Barrier Reef, working with Indigenous communities to reduce wildfires in Western Australia and securing over 7000 hectares of native Tasmanian forest.
Additionally, Qantas will invest $50 million over the next ten years to support the sustainable aviation fuel industry and continue to reduce its emissions through continued investment in more fuel efficient aircraft, more efficient operations and smarter flight planning to reduce fuel burn.
(Source: Qantas Group, RusTourism News, 11 Nov., 2019)
Contact: Qantas Group, Alan Joyce, CEO, (02) 9691 3636, info@qantas.com, www.qantas.com/au/en.html
More Low-Carbon Energy News Qantas Group, Aviation Emissions,
The government is committed to planting 11 million trees by 2022, as part of its effort to hit net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 to tackle climate change.
Under the new scheme, farmers can sell the carbon dioxide they capture by growing trees in the form of Woodland Carbon Units (verified carbon credits) to the government for a guaranteed price every five or 10 years up to 2055/56. (Source: DEFRA, Farmers Weekly, 5 Nov., 2019) Contact: Woodland Carbon Guarantee, www.gov.uk/guidance/woodland-carbon-guarantee;
DEFRA, www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs
More Low-Carbon Energy News DEFRA, Climate Change, Reforestation, Carbon Emissions,
These credits, when approved, will be eligible under the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) regime. Each tradable token will be backed by one equivalent tonne of CORSICA-compliant, highly liquid and tradable carbon credits. AirCarbon is applying for the recognized market operator (RMO) licence from the Monetary Authority of Singapore, and aims for the exchange to be fully operational in 2020.
AirCarbon also operates the AirCarbon Fund, an investment fund which invests in carbon-mitigating projects such as reforestation, methane capture and carbon emissions reduction. Through these projects, the fund intends to generate CORSIA-compliant tradable carbon offsets, which will then be listed on the exchange.
(Source: AirCarbon Pte, Business Times, 30 Oct., 2019)
Contact: AirCarbon Pte Ltd., www.aircarbon.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Credit, EEUs, Carbon Offset, ICAO,
The flights used a 30/70 blend of low-carbon, drop-in SAF and traditional, petroleum-based Jet A fuel. The emissions associated with using 70 pct Jet A were more than offset by the company's purchase, for a per-flight-hour fee, of verified emission reduction (VERs) credits through a third-party offset provider. The offsets represented more than 200 percent of the carbon emitted during the trip. (Source: Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., PR, 21 Oct., 2019) Contact: Gulfstream Aerospace, www.culfstream.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Credits, VERs, Carbon Neutral,
The Index tracks the performance of the largest, most liquid and most accessible tradable carbon markets -- the European Union Emission Trading System (EU ETS), the California Cap-and-Trade Program, and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). The index is calculated using OPIS data and carbon credit futures pricing in those markets.
The IHS Markit Global Carbon Index was developed in consultation with Climate Finance Partners, a specialist in climate finance.
IHS Markit is also well known for its daily OPIS Carbon Market Report, national carbon policies database and for developing industry standard methodologies for greenhouse gas accounting and disclosures. Its research and expertise on carbon policy impact, low-carbon and cleantech technologies and carbon risk management guide companies in energy, petrochemical, automotive, shipping, agriculture and other sectors critical to the global economy.
(Source: IHS Markit , 25 Sept., 2019)
Contact: IHS Markit, www.ihsmarkit.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News RGGI, EU ETS, IHS Markit Carbon Market, Carbon Credit,
The voyage was completed by the car carrier Aries Leader which is equipped with the latest energy-saving technologies, which the company claims reduces CO2 emissions per unit by 30 pct compared with existing large pure car carriers, comparing emissions on a per car basis. In this initiative, the remaining CO2 emissions not yet eliminated by technology were offset by carbon credits.
(Source: NYK, PR, Sept., 2019) Contact: NYK Line, www.nyk.com › english
More Low-Carbon Energy News Maritime Emissions, Carbon-Neutral,
The Quito airport Operator, Corporacion Quiport, joined the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme in 2015 and has achieved carbon-neutral status through concrete actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce fuel consumption, increase energy efficiency, improve water management, maintain conservation areas for flora and fauna and more. The Quito Airport's 2018 carbon footprint was calculated at 3,273 tons of CO2 emissions, a 41 pct drop compared to 2014 as the base year (5,534 tons of CO2).
The airport offsets its direct emissions by buying certified carbon credits in sustainable projects including the MANOA REDD+ Project which works to preserve 74,000 hectares of forest in Rondônia State, Brazil. (Source: TASS, World Airport, 27 Aug., 2019) Contact: Airport Carbon Accreditation, +44 845 868 2708, www.airportcarbonaccreditation.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Neutral, Airport Carbon Accreditation,
Annual emissions have to reduce by 29-32 gigatonnes of equivalent carbon dioxide (CO2e) by 2030 to maintain a fighting chance to stay below 1.5 degree C -- a five-fold increase on current ambitions, the report notes.
According to the report, carbon offset schemes were set up to allow the largest polluters who exceed permitted emissions’ levels to fund projects, such as reforestation, that reduce CO2 in the air, essentially balancing out their emissions equation. The types of carbon offset projects that are implemented range from forestry sequestration projects to energy efficiency and renewable energy projects (which reduce future CO2 emissions in the atmosphere).
Carbon offsets are useful while infrastructure and industry make the transition to electric mobility, alternative energy and the new technology necessary for low- and zero-carbon lifestyles. Where there are no viable alternatives in the short term, an offset scheme promises to cancel out the emissions in one place with emission-reducing actions in another.
Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) credits have also come under fire with a 2016 study found 85 pct of the offsets had a "low likelihood" of creating real reductions, and the UN has struggled to reconcile its support for offsets with evidence that they are problematic.
Download the UN Carbon Offsets are Not Our Get-Out-of-Jail Free Card
report HERE; (Source: UN Environment, Pro Publica, 10 June, 2019) Contact: UN Environment, Niklas.Hagelberg, Niklas.Hagelberg@un.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News CDM, Carbon Emissions, Carbon Offsets,
Attis plans to immediately begin the process of deploying its patented biorefinery technology to further diversify the biofuel and biobased product manufacturing at the campus. Attis will convert extracted locally sourced woody biomass pulp into cellulosic fuels and lignin into bioplastics, carbon fiber and advanced biofuels like renewable diesel and jet fuel.
Attis also aims to improve the quality and volume of co-products currently being produced at the Fulton ethanol plant by implementing its patented and licensed corn oil extraction technology that will almost double the current corn oil production yields at the plant and provide an augmented revenue stream. (Source: Attis Industries, DTN, June, 2019) Contact: Attis Ind., Jeff Cosman, CEO, 678-580-5661, www.attisind.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Attis Industries, Ethanol, Sunoco LP,
Under the program, King County acquires high-value forests that are at risk of development and then offers buyers the opportunity to purchase carbon credits generated by keeping carbon in the forests. The county will then invest the revenue generated by the program to protect additional forests and offer credits to additional buyers.
In the first five years of the program, the urban and rural components of King County's Forest Carbon Program will store at least 100,000 metric tons of CO2 that otherwise would have been released into the atmosphere.
The project will meet standards developed by the internationally recognized Verified Carbon Standard, while the county's urban forest carbon projects meet the standards developed by City Forest Credits, a Seattle-based nonprofit that developed an innovative verification protocol for urban forest canopy preservation.
Microsoft has committed to purchasing all of the credits from the rural program in its first year to offset carbon emissions from its operations.
Download program details HERE. (Source: King County Washington, PR, 9 May, 2019) Contact: King County, https://kingcounty.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Credits, Microsoft, Forest Carbon, Verified Carbon Standard,
Each free permit gives a firm the right to emit a tonne (1,000kg) of CO2. British Steel claims that it is discussing the impact of Brexit on its business with ministers and officials from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (DBEIS) and is in talks with Department for Business about financial assistance. British Steel has until 30 April to comply with EU emission rules.
(Source: British Steel, Insider Media, 2 May 2019
More Low-Carbon Energy News UE ETS, Carbon Emissions, Brexit, British Steel,
Under its initiative, BikeFlights.com purchases high quality carbon offsets through its partner carrier UPS which then retires an equivalent amount of carbon offsets from verified carbon reduction projects. Target projects have included improved forest management, methane and landfill gas destruction and wastewater treatment.
BikeFlights .com has also adopted other environmentally-friendly practices to be more sustainable, including helping to reduce the impact of customer travel, having a remote workforce, reducing its own materials consumption, sourcing boxes locally and recycling. It also works toward the sustainability of cycling as a sport.
(Source: BikeFlights.com, PR, BikeBiz, 23 April, 2019) Contact: BikeFlights.com, Sue George, VP, (541) 705-2453, www.bikeflights.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Offsets, Carbon Credits,
Each free permit gives a firm the right to emit a tonne (1,000kg) of CO2.
British Steel claims that it is discussing the impact of Brexit on its business with ministers and officials from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (DBEIS) and is in talks with Department for Business about financial assistance.
British Steel has until 30 April to comply with EU emission rules. (Source: BBC, Steel Times, 14 April, 2019)
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Emissions, EU ETS,
Under the government plan, business will earn credits for reducing pollution below their baselines which they canto sell or carry over to meet their future pollution cap.
Business that exceed their caps will will be required to purchase carbon credits to meet their caps.
(Source: Financial Review, Various Media, 31 Mar., 2019)
More Low-Carbon Energy News Australia Carbon Emissions, Cap-and-Trade, Carbon Emissions,
The TPI research found none of the airlines assessed had a clear plan for cutting emissions from flights after 2025, with hopes instead pinned on the industry-wide carbon offsetting scheme under which all emissions growth after 2020 would be offset by carbon credits.
According to the TPI research, aviation currently accounts for around 2 pct of all global CO2 emissions, and around 12 pct of transport emissions. Even so, the aviation industry is expanding and could account for for a quarter of total emissions by mid-century.
The TPI is an investor-led initiative which uses analysis from the LSE's Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment to evaluate how prepared firms are for the coming low-carbon transition.
(Source: LSE Grantham Institute, Business Green, 5 Mar., 2019) Contact: LSE Transition Pathway Initiative, www.lse.ac.uk/GranthamInstitute/tpi
More Low-Carbon Energy News Grantham Institute, Aviation Emissions, Climate Change,
From January, any carbon permits issued by Britain will have to be identified by a country code ("marked") but
transfers of permits already in circulation in and out of accounts held by UK operators will not be affected by the suspension.
If BREXIT is ratified the suspension will be lifted, the EC added.
(Source: European Commission, Reuters, 20 Dec., 2018)
More Low-Carbon Energy News European Commission, Carbon Credits, BREXIT, EU ETS,
Carbon farming uses land management and conservation to increase the amount of carbon that agriculture pulls out of the air and locks into the soil and vegetation. Existing carbon farming programs in California, the Midwest and other countries have shown that a 2.5 acre plot of pasture or rangeland can store about one metric tpy of carbon. The NC peatlands, once re-wetted, have much greater potential -- perhaps 15 to 20 times more -- meaning the land could yield hundreds of thousands of metric tpy of carbon.
The Duke project will launch with a 300 acre pilot which could be expanded depending on its results. To date, the university has invested approximately $300,000 on the project which could sell carbon credits to companies.
(Source: Duke University, Triangle Business Journal, Dec., 2018) Contact: Duke University, Curtis Richardson, Dir., Wetland Center, ww.researchgate.net/profile/Curtis_Richardson
More Low-Carbon Energy News Peatland, Peat, Duke University, CCS, Carbon Emissiuons, CO2, Climate Change,
OSU will use these credits to offset a portion of its annual greenhouse gas emissions, such as those from its own transport fleet. The program is being facilitated by North Carolina-based Urban Offsets.
DHL Supply Chain's GoGreen program has delivered an average reduction of 3 pct in CO2 emissions, year over year, for every mile travelled and every square meter of space used worldwide for its customers.
Urban Offsets helps companies and universities reduce their environmental impact by investing in sustainability projects around the world and directing profits into local projects that build climate resilient neighborhoods. Since 2017, more than 80,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions have been offset and 12,000 trees planted in at-risk communities around the country.
(Source: DHL, PR, 12 Sept., 2018)
Contact: Urban Offsets, https://registry.urbanoffsets.co; DHL Supply Chain, Nicole Porter,
(614) 865-8437, nicole.porter@dhl.com, www.dhl.com; DHL GoGreen Program, HERE; OSU, Kate Bartter, Dir. Ohio State University Office of Energy and Environment, (614) 247-4762, energy.environment@osu.edu, https://oee.osu.edu
More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Change, Carbon Footprint,
The application protocol is intended to serve as a means of submitting verified data and automatically issuing certified carbon credits.
The aim is to streamline and accelerate the data verification processes for GHG inventory management and carbon credit origination. The application protocol has the potential to reduce MRV costs by up to 10x in comparison to current practices and to allow real-time tracking of GHG inventories and issuance of carbon credits. (Source: South Pole Group, Crypto Land, Sept., 2018)
Contact: Gold Standard, Marion Verles, CEO, +41 22 788 7080, www.goldstandard.org; IXO Foundation, Dr. Shaun Conway, Pres., www.ixo.foundation; South Pole,
Sophie Smithers Renat Heuberger, CEO and Co-Founder, +41 43 501 35 50, www.southpole.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Credit, GHGs, Greenhouse Gas, Gold Standard,
The EDF facilitated the development and sale of the credits with the help of a Conservation Innovation Grant from the USDA. Natural Capital Partners purchased the credits on behalf of its client Microsoft, which began a carbon neutrality program in 2012.
Grassland carbon credits reward landowners for retaining soil carbon and avoiding the emissions associated with converting grasslands into croplands. Grassland projects also provide ecosystem benefits such as habitat for threatened species.
The Climate Action Reserve's Grassland Project Protocol uses biogeochemical modeling and emissions factors to quantify carbon that would be released from the soil if the land were tilled. (Source: EDF, Aug., 2018) Contact: Environmental Defense Fund, www.edf.org;
Southern Plains Land Trust, https://southernplains.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Environmental Defense Fund news, Carbon Credit news, Carbon Sink news,
Arbre-Evolution's pioneering approach to carbon offsetting focuses on the "social aspect of planting trees." Arbre-Evolution selects and supports projects from ideas put forward by businesses and community groups seeking to offset their carbon footprints through community tree planting and reforestation projects on publicly or collectively owned land.
In addition to its partnership with Coop Carbone, Arbre-Evolution is working with the Forest Stewardship Council of Canada.
The co-op's approach enables communities and companies to be part of the process rather than simply purchasing carbon credits.
(Source: Coop News, 28 Aug., 2018) Contact: Arbre-Evolution, (514) 207-3686,
(418) 607-0697, info@arbre-evolution.org,
www.arbre-evolution.org; Coop Carbone, Jean Nolet, Pres., http://coopcarbone.coop
More Low-Carbon Energy News Coop Carbone, Carbon Offsets, Carbon Emissions, Reforestation,
On a weekly basis, the Zero Carbon Project will purchase 30 units, equivalent to the annual carbon emissions from around 10 typical households. This purchase will help reduce the 30 tonnes of carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere. Purchases and the projects they support will be announced to the Zero Carbon Project community, accompanied by an explanation of the different issues and aspects involved in the carbon market.
The Zero Carbon Project carried made it first purchase and cancellation of CERs using the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) website platform, known as Climate Neutral Now.
(Source: Zero Carbon Project, AZO CleanTech, 13 Aug., 2018) Contact: Zero Carbon Project, Derek Meyers, CEO, www.zerocarbonproject.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Credit, Carbon Tax, Zero Carbon Project,
South Africa has committed to introduce a carbon credit tax on large emitters and is expected to make products from carbon-neutral companies "the cheaper option," by January, 2019.
(Source: Darling Brewery, Portland Press Herald, AP, 21 July, 2018) Contact: Darling Brewery, +27 21 286 1099, www.darlingbrew.co.za
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon-Neutral,
The EDF facilitated the development and sale of the credits with the help of a Conservation Innovation Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Natural Capital Partners purchased the credits on behalf of its client Microsoft, which began a carbon neutrality program in 2012.
Grassland carbon credits reward landowners for retaining soil carbon and avoiding the emissions associated with converting grasslands into croplands. Grassland projects also provide ecosystem benefits such as habitat for threatened species.
The Climate Action Reserve's Grassland Project Protocol uses biogeochemical modeling and emissions factors to quantify carbon that would be released from the soil if the land were tilled. Offsets are then generated for preserved belowground soil carbon, avoided use of nitrogen-based fertilizers and avoided use of carbon-emitting machinery for crop cultivation. (Source: EDF, 17 July, 2018)
Contact: Environmental Defense Fund, www.edf.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Environmental Defense Fund, USDA, Carbon Credit,
ACR has had fifteen issuances over a million forestry tons for both compliance and voluntary markets. This includes IFM, Avoided Conversion and Afforestation/Reforestation project types. Of the fifteen issuances, GreenTrees has two of them. Only three of the fifteen issuances are from afforestation/reforestation projects, with the remaining one from an international project.
The GreenTrees River System approach is setting the standard for how reforestation can achieve scale and impact and does it with small and medium-sized landowners. Reforestation provides a continuous loop of scaled impact while bending the climate curve.
GreenTrees® is the largest reforestation program in North America with more than 120,000 acres of trees planted with its 500 landowner partners, producing over 1,000,000 tons annually on The American Carbon Registry. (Source: GreenTrees, CSRWire, 6 July, 2018) Contact: GreenTrees, Chandler Van Voorhis, (540)253-2504, chandler@green-trees.com, www.green-trees.com; American Carbon Registry, https://americancarbonregistry.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Refdorestation, Climate Change, American Carbon Registry , Carbon Emissions, Carbon Credits,
Z Energy partnered with long-standing carbon consultants Permanent Forests NZ Ltd (PFNZ) for this offsetting initiative. PFNZ specialise in aggregating, marketing and selling New Zealand forest carbon credits on behalf of owners of forests registered under the Permanent Forest Sink Initiative.
The Z Energy investment is reported to be New Zealand's largest voluntary purchase of units from permanent forest sinks to date.
Z Energy's operational carbon emissions, including those from corporate travel, retail electricity, coastal emissions, and hauliers come to about 58,000 tonnes tpy of CO2-e (carbon dioxide equivalent) at an average cost of about $25 per tonne -- about $1.5 million per year.
In addition to the offset programme, Z Energy remains focused on reducing the carbon intensity of its biodiesel and other business.(Source: Z Energy, Voxy, 9 July, 2018) Contact: Z Energy, Gerri Ward, Sustainability Manager, David Binnie, GM, general@z.co.nz, https://z.co.nz
More Low-Carbon Energy News Z Energy, Carbon Sink, Carbon Credits, Climate Change,
Founded in 2017, C4Coin will reward eco-conscious activities that generate verifiable carbon offsets. Users creating these offsets will receive carbon credit tokens called CO2KNs. These tokens can be retired through an innovative consensus protocol to earn a traditional crypto-asset called C4Coin.
The company plans to launch its blockchain in Q4 2018.
The name C4Coin stems from the biological process of carbon fixation. Plants take CO2 and inorganic Carbon 4 and break them down into organic, useable carbon and oxygen.
(Source: C4Coin, PR, 24 May, 2018) Contact: C4Coin, Harrison Perl, CEO, www.c4coin.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Offset, Carbon Credits, Carbon Trading,
On land, forests capture carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. Forests release their carbon every few hundred years, due to fire, tree mortality or human harvesting. By comparison, coastal marshes maintain their carbon for thousands of years. Coastal ecosystems do the same -- but they're much better at it, according to McGill University "Blue Carbon" authority Assoc. Prof. Gail Chmurain. Coastal ecosystems can hold three to five times more carbon than the equivalent area of forest, according to a federal government report.
The financial value of blue carbon comes from its potential for carbon emission credits which the Canadian federal government is introducing.
According to government documents, "carbon stored in tidal salt marshes in the Bay of Fundy could have an estimated value of $202 million." That would equal $1 billion in 2022.
In terms of Canada's national carbon emissions strategy, blue carbon could be used as an offset to meet international targets and
coastal communities could protect or rehabilitate wetlands to generate carbon credits.
(Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada, CBC, 22 May, 2018) Contact: Environment and Climate Change Canada, (800) 668-6767, www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change.htm;
McGill University, Assoc. Prof. Gail Chmurain, (514) 926-6854, gail.chmura@mcgill.ca, www.mcgill.ca
More Low-Carbon Energy News Blue Carbon, Carbon Emissions, Carbon Storage,
Veridium, a collaborative initiative of EcoSmart Labs, Brian Kelly Capital Management, IDEAcarbon, Everland and CBL Markets, will leverage IBM's blockchain technology and expertise to transform carbon credits into a new type of digital asset that can be redeemed and traded. IBM will provide the token architecture and token interface with its various industry specific Hyperledger Fabric blockchain platforms.
According to Veridium, integrating the entire process of carbon accounting and offsetting into a digital token on a public, permissioned blockchain network can help make measuring environmental impact, transferring ownership rights, and redeeming the underlying carbon offset more efficient.
The token, called VERDE, will represent carbon accounting and offsetting backed by environmental assets, including Triple Gold REDD+ credits from InfiniteEARTH, which authored the first REDD+ forest carbon accounting methodology, a protocol now embodied in the UN Paris Agreement.
(Source: Veridium, Block Tribune, 17 May, 2018) Contact: Veridium, Todd Lemons, CEO, www.veridium.io; IBM,
Bridget van Kralingen, Senior VP, Industry Platforms and Blockchain, www.ibm.com/us-en
More Low-Carbon Energy News Veridium, Carbon Credit,
With XL Catlin's support, TNC will develop a system of credits assigning a market value to the resilience services provided by these historically under valueded cosystems. The hope behind this initiative is that, for the first time, insurance firms and other businesses will be able to offset their carbon footprint while simultaneously better underdstanding the contribution they are making to reducing coastal hazards in the world's most vulnerable coastal areas.
Coastal wetlands -- salt marshes, seagrass meadows and mangroves -- sequester billions of tonnes of "blue carbon" from the atmosphere at concentrations up to five times greater than terrestrial forests. As an increasing number of companies are purchasing carbon credits to offset their footprints, this credit will enable a valuation of the carbon sequestration and coastal resilience benefits that wetlands provide both businesses and communities.
Unlike other climate mitigation solutions coastal wetlands not only sequester carbon, they also protect coastlines by absorbing incoming wave energy and providing storm protection. Additionally, a recent study found that wetlands prevented $625 million in direct flood damages from Hurricane Sandy in the United States. As such, coastal wetlands provide both carbon sequestration and resilience services- a powerful combination in a world of changing climate.
TNC will explore different options to value the resilience services provided by coastal wetlands and to develop a credit product to support ongoing wetland conservation. One of these options could include a numeric ranking system assigning a dollar value to wetlands based on factors such as their potential for storm impact reduction, location relative to vulnerable communities, local economic activities and assets, and potential benefits from habitat restoration. The figures generated by the rankings, combined with the carbon storage capacity of a given wetland, would generate Blue Carbon Resilience Credits. These credits would then offer organizations the capacity to manage their carbon footprints whilst acting as the funding mechanism for wetland conservation, increasing coastal resilience for communities.
(Source: The Nature Conservancy, 10 May, 2018) Contact: The Nature Conservancy, Maria Damanki, Global Managing Director for the Ocean, www.nature.org: XL Catlin, Paul Jardine, CEO, www.xlcatlin.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Blue Carbon,
"These carbon credits represent a significant step towards giving municipalities a green solution to their wastewater needs that is truly self-sustainable,"
Sharp Management said.(Source: Office of Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Dwight Ball, The Telegram, 19 Mar, 2018) Contact: Office of Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Dwight Ball, (709) 729-3570, prenier@gov.nl.ca, www.gov.nl.ca/premier
More Low-Carbon Energy News Newfoundland, Carbon Tax, Carbon Credit,