BASF
Date: 2020-07-29
German global chemicals giant BASF will provide its customers with total values of CO2 emissions -- carbon footprints -- for all of its products. The Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) comprises all product-related greenhouse gas emissions that occur until the BASF product leaves the factory gate for the customer: from the purchased raw material to the use of energy in production processes.

BASF will start with selected product and customer segments in the coming months and plans to make PCF data available for the entire portfolio by the end of 2021.

BASF SE is the largest chemical producer in the world. The BASF Group comprises subsidiaries and joint ventures in more than 80 countries and operates six integrated production sites and 390 other production sites in Europe, Asia, Australia, the Americas and Africa. (Source: BASF, PR, 28 July, 2020) Contact: BASF, Andreas Bode, Program Leader for Carbon Management R&D, +49 (0)621 60-0, www.basf.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News BASF,  Carbon Emissions,  Carbon Footprint,  

UCLA,CO2Concrete
Date: 2020-07-27
UCLA is reporting receipt of US DOE grant funding for the development of concrete from carbon dioxide emissions. The project is one of 11 sharing funding of $17 million from the US DOE's carbon utilization programme. A further $905,000 has been raised from industry partners and the UCLA discretionary funds.

CO2Concrete has a carbon footprint 50-70 pct lower than traditional concrete, and captures carbon dioxide from raw flue gas emitted by cement plants and other sources. One particular attraction of the process is that it does not need a conventional carbon capture system. Cement production reportedly accounts for 8 pct of man-made carbon dioxide emissions.

A test centre to demonstrate the process is located at Dry Fork Station, a coal-based power plant near Gillette, Wyoming. (Source: UCLA, Global Construction Review, 27 July, 2020) Contact: UCLA, Civil Engineering Prof. Gaurav Sant, www. samueli.ucla.edu/gaurav-sant

More Low-Carbon Energy News UCLA,  CO2,  Cement,  Concrete,  CO2Concrete,  

Apple
Date: 2020-07-24
In its 2020 Environmental Progress Report, multinational technology giant Apple announced a 10-year roadmap to reduce emissions by 75 pct by 2030 while developing innovative carbon removal solutions for the remaining 25 pct of its comprehensive footprint. The company is already carbon neutral for corporate emissions worldwide. By achieving the 2030 goal, the company would have brought its entire carbon footprint to net zero 20 years sooner than IPCC targets.

Some of the measures Apple will implement to meet its carbon-neutral goal include:

Investing in renewable energy -- Apple will remain at 100 pct renewable energy for its operations -- focusing on creating new projects and moving its entire supply chain to clean power. Apple has commitments from over 70 suppliers to use 100 pct renewable energy for Apple production -- equivalent to nearly 8GW in commitments to power the manufacturing of its products. Once completed, these commitments will avoid over 14.3 million metric tpy of carbon emissions . New and completed projects in Arizona, Oregon, and Illinois bring Apple's renewable capacity for its corporate operations to over 1GW -- equivalent to powering over 150,000 homes a year. Over 80 pct of the renewable energy that Apple sources for its facilities are now from Apple-created projects, benefiting communities and other businesses.

Expand investments in energy efficiency -- Apple will identify new ways to lower energy use at its corporate facilities and help its supply chain make the same transition. Through a new partnership with Apple, the US-China Green Fund will invest $100 million in accelerated energy efficiency projects for Apple's suppliers. In 2019, Apple invested in energy efficiency upgrades to over 6.4 million square feet of new and existing buildings, lowering electricity needs by nearly one-fifth and saving the company $27 million.

Carbon removal -- Apple is investing in forests and other nature-based solutions around the world to remove carbon from the atmosphere. The company has announced a first-of-its-kind carbon solutions fund to invest in the restoration and protection of forests and natural ecosystems globally.

In partnership with Conservation International, the company will invest in new projects, building on learnings from existing work like restoring degraded savannas in Kenya and a vital mangrove ecosystem in Colombia. Through its work with The Conservation Fund, the World Wildlife Fund, and Conservation International, the company has protected and improved the management of over 1 million acres of forests and natural climate solutions in China, the US, Colombia, and Kenya.

Download Apple's 2020 Environmental Progress Report HERE. (Source: Apple, July, 2020)Contact: Apple, www.apple.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Apple,  Carbon Neutral,  Carbon Emissions,  Carbon Footprint,  

Apple
Date: 2020-07-24
In its 2020 Environmental Progress Report, multinational technology giant Apple announced a 10-year roadmap to reduce emissions by 75 pct by 2030 while developing innovative carbon removal solutions for the remaining 25 pct of its comprehensive footprint. The company is already carbon neutral for corporate emissions worldwide. By achieving the 2030 goal, the company would have brought its entire carbon footprint to net zero 20 years sooner than IPCC targets.

To that end, Apple will remain at 100 pct renewable energy for its operations -- focusing on creating new projects and moving its entire supply chain to clean power. Apple has commitments from over 70 suppliers to use 100 pct renewable energy for Apple production -- equivalent to nearly 8GW in commitments to power the manufacturing of its products. Once completed, these commitments will avoid over 14.3 million metric tpy of carbon emissions .

New and completed projects in Arizona, Oregon, and Illinois bring Apple's renewable capacity for its corporate operations to over 1GW -- equivalent to powering over 150,000 homes a year. Over 80 pct of the renewable energy that Apple sources for its facilities are now from Apple-created projects, benefiting communities and other businesses.

Download Apple's 2020 Environmental Progress Report HERE. (Source: Apple, July, 2020) Contact: Apple, www.apple.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Apple,  Renewable Energy,  

Apple
Date: 2020-07-24
In its 2020 Environmental Progress Report, multinational technology giant Apple announced a 10-year roadmap to reduce emissions by 75 pct by 2030 while developing innovative carbon removal solutions for the remaining 25 pct of its comprehensive footprint.

The company is already carbon neutral for corporate emissions worldwide. By achieving the 2030 goal, the company would have brought its entire carbon footprint to net zero 20 years sooner than IPCC targets.

To that end, Apple will expand investments in energy efficiency and identify new ways to lower energy use at its corporate facilities and help its supply chain make the same transition. Through a new partnership with Apple, the US-China Green Fund will invest $100 million in accelerated energy efficiency projects for Apple's suppliers.

In 2019, the company invested in energy efficiency upgrades to over 6.4 million square feet of new and existing buildings, lowering electricity needs by nearly one-fifth and saving the company $27 million.

Download Apple's 2020 Environmental Progress Report HERE. (Source: Apple, July, 2020) Contact: Apple, www.apple.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Apple,  Energy Efficiency,  

LanzaTech, NextChem
Date: 2020-07-24
Rome-headquartered Italian renewable energy technology specialist NextChem and US carbon recycling company LanzaTech have signed an agreement under which NextChem will license LanzaTech "waste-to-ethanol" process line.

With LanzaTech's biological "syngas fermentation" technology, ethanol is produced by bacteria, transforming the Circular Gas at low temperature and low pressure, improving the overall sustainability profile of the process. NextChem will exclusively license this technology in Italy and, on a project basis, in some foreign markets, according to the release.

Circular ethanol derived from this process can be blended with gasoline displacing fossil inputs with recycled carbon, lowering the fuel's carbon footprint. When produced from biological wastes and residues, 40 pct of the circular ethanol can be considered as "advanced" under the EU Renewable Energy Directive. (Source: LanzaTech, NextChem, Hydrocarbon Eng., July, 2020) Contact: NextChem, Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO, +39 06 9356771, info@nextchem.it, www.nextchem.it; LanzaTech, Dr. Jennifer Holmgren, CEO, (630) 439-3050, jennifer@lanzatech.com, www.lanzatech.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News LanzaTech,  NextChem,  Ethanol ,  

Norway CCS
Date: 2020-07-20
Gassnova, the Norwegian state enterprise for carbon capture and storage (CCS) reports receipt of €2.1 billion in funding for its CCS Norway project from the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Surveillance Authority (ESA).

The CCS Norway project is a central part of Norway's efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and meet the European goal of climate-neutrality by 2050. The project would allow for the establishment of carbon capture facilities at Norcem, a cement factory in Brevik, and Fortum Oslo Varme, a waste-to-energy plant.

The captured CO2 is then to be transported and stored deep below the seabed in the North Sea. This part of the process is to be carried out by a joint venture between Shell, Total and Equinor, known as Northern Lights.

The €2.57 billion Full-Scale CCS Project promises to become the first of its kind to go live in Europe. The Norwegian government would cover around 80 pct of the project's estimated cost, according to a release. (Source: CCS Norway, GreenCar Congress, 19 July, 2020) Contact: CCS Norway, www.ccsnorway.com; Equinor, www.equinor.com; TOTAL, Investor Relations: +44 (0) 207 719 7962 l, ir@total.com, www.total.com; Norcem, www.norcen.no

More Low-Carbon Energy News CCS,  Norway CCS,  Norcem,  Total,  Equinor,  

Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies
Date: 2020-07-17
French low-carbon cement pioneer Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies reports it is extending its partnership contract with Les Mureaux, France-headquartered construction giant GCC to develop effective low-carbon concrete buildings.

The two companies have developed concrete formulations based on Hoffmann's H-UKR technology, a binder that has a substantially lower carbon footprint than traditional cement. (Source: Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies, World Cement, 15 July, 2020) Contact: Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies, David Hoffman, +33 2 51 460 600, contact@ciments-hoffmann.fr, www.ciments-hoffmann.com; GCC, Jacques Marcel, CEO, GCC, www.gccgroupe.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Footprint,  Low Carbon Cement,  Cement,  

Ameresco
Date: 2020-07-17
In the Bay State, Framingham-headquartered energy efficiency and renewable specialist Ameresco, Inc. reports it has partnered with the Bethel School District in Eugene, Oregon, on a comprehensive energy efficiency project at several of district's locations.

The improvements Ameresco will implement under this energy savings performance contract (ESPC) come at no upfront cost to the district, and will be paid for over a 16-year contract term with the guaranteed cost savings they generate.

Financed with a 2.37 pct loan, the $3.6 million project includes interior and exterior energy efficient LRD lighting upgrades, HVAC control improvements, low-flow plumbing, and other upgrades aimed at reducing the District's utility and operational costs as well as reducing its carbon footprint when completed in 2021. (Source: Ameresco, Framingham Source, 17 July, 2020)Contact: Ameresco, David J. Anderson, Exec. VP, (508) 661-2288, www.ameresco.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Ameresco,  Energy Efficiency,  

iOffset
Date: 2020-07-08
In the UK, Lancaster-based carbon streaming service iOffset is reporting its launch with its inaugural commercial partnership with national car retailers, Motor Depot and CarSupermarket.com. iOffset's service will see the dealerships offset the projected future emissions of every used car sold for the first year of ownership.

The company's "Offset as a Service" (OaaS) cost-effectively offset any product, service or transaction in full or in part, enabling investment into accredited projects that prevent the production of an amount of CO2 equal to a product's carbon footprint, through afforestation schemes, renewable energy and emerging technologies in carbon capture and storage. (Source: iOffset, PR, 7 July, 2020) Contact: iOffset, Mark Hammond, Founder , www.ioffset.co.uk

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Offset,  

Midwest AgEnergy
Date: 2020-07-01
Midwest AgEnergy Group (MAG), the parent company to ethanol biorefinery, Blue Flint, near Underwood, ND and Dakota Spirit, a 75 million gpy biorefinery near Spiritwood, ND, is reporting receipt of $3.4 million in grant funding from the North Dakota Industrial Commission. The funding will be used advance the development of a potential carbon storage (CCS) system at the Blue Flint facility located next to Coal Creek Station near Underwood, ND.

The research will involve drilling a stratigraphic test well to examine the geology near the Blue Flint facility to determine the potential and viability of permanently storing CO2 in a deep saline formation. If the sequestration project is successfully completed, the Blue Flint facility anticipates sequestering approximately 200,000 tpy of CO2. The result of the sequestration will be a lower carbon footprint for the facility and the ability to participate in the IRS 45Q tax credit program, incenting such activities. (Source: Midwest AgEnergy, Daily News, 29 June, 2020) Contact: Midwest AgEnergy, Jeff Zueger, CEO, (701) 442-7500/(701) 251-3900, www.midwestagenergygroup.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Midwest AgEnergy,  Ethanol,  Blue Flint Ethanol,  CCS,  

California Carbon Offset
Date: 2020-06-19
In the Golden State, the LA Times is reporting the 4th District Court of Appeal in San Diego last week ruled against San Diego County's Climate Action Plan and its 100 pct carbon offset provision which the county was hoping would entice developers to housing projects on undeveloped land throughout unincorporated territory.

State Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra's office argued against the county's offset scheme on the grounds that it could undermine the state's goals of slashing carbon emissions by 40 pct by 2030 and 80 pct by 2050.

The court noted that while the state has strict rules for monitoring and ensuring that offsets represent real reductions in greenhouse gas, the county had no such quality controls. Additionally, while the state's program has been largely limited to offset projects in the United States, San Diego county's program would have allowed the use of offsets generated anywhere around the world.

The court also pointed out that the state's program under cap-and-trade has only allowed businesses to cancel out up to 8 pct of their emissions using offsets, while the county program would have allowed projects to offset upwards of 100 pct of their carbon footprint.

While California allows businesses to use offsets under the cap-and-trade program, the state still counts those canceled-out emissions as part of its overall carbon footprint. Offsets were included simply as a cost-containment mechanism under the larger emissions-trading program, the LA Times noted. (Source: LA Times, 17 June, 2020) Contact: California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, (916) 210-6000, oag.ca.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Offset,  Xavier Becerra,  California Carbon Offset,  California Cap-and-Trade,  

New York Power Authority
Date: 2020-06-19
In the Big Apple, the The New York Power Authority (NYPA) reports it will replace at least 500,000 city streetlights with energy-efficient and connected LED lighting.

To that end, NYPA is teaming with Signify for connected LED luminaires and Interact City internet of things (IoT) lighting systems that will reduce energy consumption, energy and maintenance costs, and help cut the city's carbon footprint.

To date more than 50,000 LED streetlights have been installed or are about to be installed under the program.

NYPA is offering municipalities low-rate loans for lighting conversions, including the option to buy the physical street lighting assets from local utilities. (Source: NYPA, PR, electronics360, 19 June, 2020) Contact: NYPA, Gil Quiniones, Pres., CEO, www.nypa.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News LED Streetlight,  Smart Streetlight,  NYPA,  

Dow
Date: 2020-06-17
Midland Michigan-headquartered Dow has announced aggressive new commitments and targets to address both climate change and plastic waste:

By 2030, Dow will reduce its net annual carbon emissions by 5 million metric tons, or 15 pct from its 2020 baseline. Additionally, Dow intends to be carbon neutral by 2050, in alignment with the Paris Agreement, and is committed to implementing and advancing technologies to manufacture products using fewer resources and that help customers reduce their carbon footprints.

By 2030, Dow will help stop plastic waste by enabling 1 million metric tons of plastic to be collected, reused or recycled through its direct actions and partnerships. The company is investing and collaborating in key technologies and infrastructure to significantly increase global recycling.

To date, Dow has reduced its GHG emissions by 15 pct; Incorporated a carbon price into its business planning; and invested in renewable power capacity -- Dow is the number one user of clean energy in the chemicals industry and ranks among the top 25 global corporations in terms of renewable power use, according to the company's Sustainability Report.

Dow will also collaborate with leading academics, NGOs, auditing experts, technology partners and others in industry to incentivize the development and commercialization of low-carbon products and technologies that ultimately lower global GHG emissions and to ensure that companies are able to account for those GHG reductions., according to its Sustainability Report.

Download the Dow 2025 Sustainability Goals report HERE. (Source: Dow Chemical, PR, 17 June, 2020) Contact: Dow Chemical, Mary Draves, VP Sustainability, Kyle Bandlow, 989-638-2417 , kbandlow@dow.com, www.corporate.dow.com/en-us.html

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Neutral,  Carbon Emissions,  Dow Chemical,  

Honeywell,SAP
Date: 2020-06-17
To help pass the benefits of Cloud Computing, AI and Automation to real estate customers in the US and Canada, global tech firms Honeywell and SAP have partnered together. Honeywell, the Fortune 100 tech Company, will use SAP’s Cloud for Real Estate solution to improve overall building performance and deliver operational intelligence.

The SAP-Honeywell Cloud-based automated real estate Business Intelligence tool, building owners can deliver on their promised KPIs, including building safety, zero/ low-carbon footprint and energy savings (HVAC efficiency). For example, AI-powered Honeywell Forge can save up to 25 pct of energy costs within the first year of deployment. (Source: AITHORITY Blog, Honeywell USA/ SAP, PR, June, 2020) Contact: SAP, Christian Klein, CEO , 800-872-1727, www.sap.com; Honeywell Fotge, (480) 353-3020, www.honeywell.com/en-us/honeywell-forge/buildings

More Low-Carbon Energy News SAP,  Honeywell,  Building Energy Efficiency,  Artifical Intelligence,  

Cork Ireland, ISO 50001
Date: 2020-06-05
In Ireland, the Cork City Council has achieved international certification for its commitment to energy efficiency within the organisation and therefore to reducing its carbon footprint. The international ISO 50001 standard outlines international best practice in energy management within an organisation.

Cork City Council's certification was achieved after an extensive audit of the organisation's energy management system. The achievement assists Cork City Council in meeting national energy efficiency targets of a 33 pct improvement in energy efficiency by the end of this year and a 50 pct efficiency improvement by 2030.

Cork City Council achieved a 31.5 pct improvement in energy efficiency up to the end of 2018 compared to the baseline year of 2009. This puts Cork City Council 5 pct ahead of the target glide-path to meet its 2020 target. It will also contribute to the implementation of the Cork City Council's Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and the Sustainable Energy Climate Action Plan. (Source: Cork City Council, Cork Safety Alerts News, 4 Jun, 2020) Contact: Cork City Council, +353 21 496 6222, www.corkcity.ie; ISO 50001, www.iso.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News ISO 50001 news,  Energy Management news,  Energy Efficiency news,  

Endesa SA
Date: 2020-06-05
In Madrid, the Spanish utility Endesa reports it is the only company in the Spanish energy sector to be awarded the Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition's Climate Change Office's "Calculate+Reduce+Compensate" triple seal for registering its Carbon Footprint for or two consecutive years.

Endesa was recognized for its commitment and effort in calculating its carbon footprint and compensating for it through the 'Endesa Forest' initiative for the restoration of forests in degraded or burned areas.

The Ministry's Carbon Footprint Register is compiled by the Ministry for Ecological Transition, through the Spanish Climate Change Office (OECC). Companies can register voluntarily, and the register consists of three sections: carbon footprint and commitments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions; CO2 absorption projects; and carbon footprint compensation. The objective of this register is to contribute to the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, to increase absorption by carbon sinks in the Spanish national territory and thus to facilitate compliance with international commitments assumed by Spain relating to climate change.

Endesa has cut its CO2 emissions 66 pct since 2005 and aims for a 70 pct cut by 2030 compared to 2017 emissions levels. (Source: Endesa SA , 3 June, 2020) Contact: Endesa SA, www.endesasa.com; Spanish Climate Change Office, www.ctc-n.org/about-ctcn/national-designated-entities/spanish-climate-change-office-ministerio-de-agricultura

More Low-Carbon Energy News Endesa,  Carbon Emissions,  Carbon Footprint,  

BBVA
Date: 2020-05-27
In Madrid, banking firm BBVA is reporting a new feature to its financial aggregator One View. Using data analytics, companies can calculate their daily greenhouse gas emission and overall carbon footprint as well as reduce their energy consumption and related costs.

BBVA has committed to being neutral in CO2 emissions in 2020. It also set the goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 68 percent from 2015 levels and for 70 percent of the energy consumed to come from renewable sources by 2025. These goals are part of BBVA’s Pledge 2025, which was launched by the bank to help attain the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement on climate change.

As part of this Pledge 2025, BBVA will also mobilize €100 billion in sustainable financing between 2018 and 2025. According to the figures available at the end of 2019, BBVA has already reached nearly one third of this amount. (Source: BBVA, PR, 21 May, 2020) Contact: BBVA, +944 875 555, www.bbva.es

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Fooetprint,  Carbon Emissions,  

BBVA
Date: 2020-05-27
In Madrid, banking firm BBVA is reporting a new feature to its financial aggregator One View. Using data analytics, companies can calculate their daily greenhouse gas emission and overall carbon footprint as well as reduce their energy consumption and related costs.

BBVA has committed to being neutral in CO2 emissions in 2020. It also set the goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 68 pct from 2015 levels and for 70 pct of the energy consumed to come from renewable sources by 2025. These goals are part of BBVA's Pledge 2025, which was launched by the bank to help attain the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on climate change.

As part of this Pledge 2025, BBVA will also mobilize€100 billion in sustainable financing between 2018 and 2025. According to the figures available at the end of 2019, BBVA has already reached nearly one third of this amount. (Source: BBVA, PR, 21 May, 2020) Contact: BBVA, +944 875 555, www.bbva.es

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Footprint,  Carbon Emissions,  

Andritz
Date: 2020-05-22
International technology group Andritz has received an order from Klabin for a complete biomass gasification plant and a new biomass handling line for its Ortigueira mill in Brazil. The order includes a 51 MW gasification plant, a belt dryer, a multi-fuel lime kiln burner and biomass handling equipment with auxiliaries.

By replacing 100 pct of the heavy fuel oil currently burned in one of the mill's lime kilns, the Andritz gasification plant will significantly reduce the mill's carbon footprint. The current lime kiln production will remain at 650 tons of reburnt lime per day. Andritz was one of the main suppliers of major process technologies and equipment areas to the Puma II project, and also supplied major technologies and equipment to Klabin's Puma I project, which was started in 2016. (Source: Andritz, PR, 18 May, 2020) Contact: Andritz, Oliver Pokorny, Investor Relations, +43 (316) 6902 1332, oliver.pokorny@andritz.com, www.andritz.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Andritz,  Biomass,  

BrainBox
Date: 2020-04-29
Montreal-based autonomous building technology specialist BrainBox AI reports raising $12 million to further deploy its ground-breaking AI technology for buildings across North America and abroad.

BrainBox AI technology combines deep learning, cloud-based computing and autonomous decision making to support a 24/7 self-operating building. BrainBox AI's solution enables a building's HVAC system to operate autonomously, in real-time, to generate up to a 25 pct reduction in total energy costs and a 20-40 pct reduction in carbon footprint.

In the 11 months since its launch to market in May 2019, BrainBox AI has installed its self-learning technology in over 15 million square feet of commercial properties, across 15 cities on 3 continents. The company has gained significant traction in its home market of Canada, and the recent raise will enable rapid expansion in both existing and new markets.

BrainBox AI works in collaboration with research partners including the US DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the Institute for Data Valorization (IVADO), Montral's McGill University and others. (Source: BrainBox AI, PR , 28 April, 2020) Contact: BrainBox AI, Sean Neely, CEO and Co-Founder , 888 585 2630, www.brainboxai.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency,  Energy Monitoring,  

Bridgestone
Date: 2020-04-15
Tokyo-headquartered global tire and rubber giant Bridgestone is reporting that as part of its effort to reduce its carbon footprint, three of its manufacturing plants -- one in Hungary and two in Poland -- are now being run using 100 pct renewable energy sources.

This brings the total number of such factories to six with the other three such plants being the Goodyear factories in Spain's Bilbao, Puente San Miguel, and Burgos, which had started using electricity from renewable sources in 2018. (Source: Bridgestone, Tire & Parts News, 14 April, 2020) Contact: Bridgestone Tire, www.bridgestone.com/corporate/profile/index.html

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Footprint,  Carbon Emissions,  

Barclays Bank
Date: 2020-04-01
In the UK, the world's 20th largest bank by assets -- £1.140 trillion ($1,415,190,300,000 US) -- Barclays Bank reports it plans to meet its 2015 Paris Climate Accord agreement and achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

To that end, the bank expects to reduce its lending to fossil fuel energy producers by 30 pct, and cut lending to utilities by 15 pct over the next five years. The bank also plans to focus its lending services on companies that are committed to the Paris agreement, increase green financing by £100 billion by 2030, and invest £175 million in environmental innovation initiatives over the next five years. (Source: Barclays Bank, Financial News, 30 Mar., 2020) Contact: Barclays Bank, www.british-business-bank.co.uk

More Low-Carbon Energy News Barclays Bank,  Net-Zero Carbon Emissions,  Carbon Emissions,  Carbon Footprint,  

American Forest Foundation
Date: 2020-03-30
The American Forest Foundation (AFF), in partnership with The Nature Conservancy (TNC), is touting its introduced the Family Forest Carbon Program (FFCP). The program addresses barriers that deter family forest owners from participating in carbon markets while providing companies an opportunity to reduce their carbon footprint.

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,  ,  

Airport Carbon Accreditation
Date: 2020-03-20
In the UK, Southampton Airport reports its efforts to minimize its carbon footprint has been recognized at Level 2 Reduction of ACI's Airport Carbon Accreditation. The Airport cut its CO2 emissions per passenger by over 50 pct -- equivalent of 1,250 metric tpy -- from 2015 to 2018.

Southampton Airport is committed to be Net-Zero from operations by 2050 or sooner and has projects in the pipeline to meet its goal.(Source: Southampton Airport, Airport Carbon Accreditation, 17 Mar., 2020) Contact: ACI EUROPE, Airport Carbon Accreditation, www.aci.aer

More Low-Carbon Energy News Airport Carbon Accreditation,  

Eni S.p.A.
Date: 2020-03-04
is reporting plans to planning to have 55GW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2050. Under its Long-Term Strategic Plan to 2050, Italian oil and gas firm Eni S.p.A. is aiming to slash net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of its energy products by 80 pct by 2050 by using renewable energies, biomethane, hydrogen, carbon capture and storage (CCS), methanol and products from the recycling of waste materials.

According to a release, the Rome-headquartered company has "quantified our carbon footprint reduction targets giving ourselves a comprehensive method of calculating emissions, which includes both direct and indirect emissions deriving from the end-use of our products, whether from our own production or purchased from third parties." (Source: Eni S.p.A., Bioenergy Insight, Mar., 2020) Contact: Eni S.p.A., Claudio Descalzi, CEO, +39 06 598 21, +39 06 598 22141 - fax, www.eni.com/en-IT/home.html

More Low-Carbon Energy News Eni,  Biodiesel,  Green Diesel,  Biomethane,  

Honeywell
Date: 2020-03-04
Honeywell is touting it's cloud-based, closed-loop Honeywell Forge Energy Optimization solution that continuously studies a building's energy consumption patterns and automatically adjusts to optimal energy saving settings without compromising occupant comfort levels.

This autonomous building solution is focused on cutting energy consumption and costs and decreasing building's carbon footprint without significant upfront capital expenses or changes to a building's current operational processes.

Honeywell Forge Energy Optimization autonomously and continually optimizes a building's internal set points across hundreds of assets every 15 minutes to evaluate whether a building's HVAC system is running at peak efficiency. Honeywell Forge Energy Optimization offers plug-and-play capabilities. (Source: Honeywell, Facilities Exec., Mar., 2020) Contact: Honeywell, www.honeywell.com/en-us

More Low-Carbon Energy News Honeywwell,  Energy Efficiency,  Energy Management,  

City of Manchester
Date: 2020-03-02
In the UK, the city of Manchester (pop. 2.8 million), in keeping with its pledge to reach net-zero carbon by 2038, has issued a call to "collective action" on the climate crisis with proposals to halve its greenhouse gas emissions by 2025, primarily through increased energy efficiency.

To that end, the city council wants to retrofit and upgrade the energy efficiency of as many of the 350 city-owned buildings, install solar and wind energy generation capacity on city owned sites and housing complexes, complete the ongoing replacements of the city's street lighting with energy efficient LED lighting, promote energy conservation, incentivize cleaner and more efficient transportation and other energy efficiency initiatives.

Under the plan, the city council will work with and continue to fund the Manchester Climate Change Agency to establish community-wide climate change related engagement activities and to encourage businesses to improve their energy efficiency reduce their carbon footprint. (Source: City of Manchester, Manchester Evening News, Mar.,2020) Contact: Manchester Climate Change Agency, www.manchesterclimate.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency,  

City of Manchester
Date: 2020-03-02
In the UK, the city of Manchester (pop. 2.8 million), in keeping with its pledge to reach net-zero carbon by 2038, has issued a call to "collective action" on the climate crisis with proposals to halve its greenhouse gas emissions by 2025.

To that end, the city council wants to retrofit as many of the 350 city-owned buildings with more efficient technology, install solar and wind energy generation capacity on city owned housing sites and complexes, and complete the ongoing replacements of the city's street lighting with low energy LED lighting. The city will also invest roughly £10 million to replace diesel power fleet vehicles with alternative fuel and electric vehicles. City staff will also be incentivized to use cleaner transportation and to conserve energy.

The council also intends to plant 2,000 trees, hedge trees and four community orchards per year beginning this year. The city's existing tree coverage stores 124,330 tonnes of carbon, absorbs 4,980 tonnes and removes 84 tonnes of pollution, according to the city release.

Under the plan, the city council will work with and continue to fund the Manchester Climate Change Agency to establish community-wide climate change related engagement activities and to encourage businesses to reduce their carbon footprint and sign up to the zero-carbon ambition. (Source: City of Manchester, Manchester Evening News, Mar.,2020) Contact: Manchester Climate Change Agency, www.manchesterclimate.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Change,  Energy Efficiency,  

Growth Energy
Date: 2020-02-24
"We applaud USDA for setting these clear goals for E15 (by 2030) and E30 (by 2050) and Growth Energy's members are ready to deliver ahead of their timetable. Biofuels are a critical piece of meeting the demands of our future transportation needs while lowering our carbon footprint.

"Today's recognition by USDA and Secretary Perdue's unwavering support will help drive biofuel innovation in the coming years and decades. We look forward to continuing our longstanding working relationship with USDA to ensure that Americans across the country have expanded access to cleaner fuels like E15 and E30 at the pump."

Growth Energy is the leading biofuel trade association in the country. We represent producers and supporters of ethanol who are working to bring consumers better choices at the fuel pump, grow America's economy, and improve the environment for future generations. Our growing membership base now represents nearly half of all American ethanol plants along with many of the largest and most prominent fuel retailers in the country and the industry's top associate members whose businesses support the ethanol industry, according to the Growth Energy website.(Source: Growth Energy, 21 Feb., 2020) Contact: Growth Energy, Emily Skor, CEO, Elizabeth Funderburk, (202) 545-4000, EFunderburk@GrowthEnergy.org, www.growthenergy.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News USDA,  Growth Energy,  Biofuel,  Biofuel Blens,  RFS,  

C40 Cities,City of Miami
Date: 2020-02-24
The Miami Herald is reporting the City of Miami plans to achieve carbon-neutral status by 2050, making it the first city in Florida and 96th in the world to join C40 Cities, an international climate organization that helps cities lower their carbon footprint.

Miami's 2008 plan to address emissions and the growing threat of climate change and rising sea-levels called for a 25 pct cut in emissions below 2006 levels by the year 2020. The plan also called for annual reports on the city's progress on montoring emissions, energy efficiency and similar efforts to lower the city's carbon footprint, the 2008 program was scraped for apparent "political" reasons. (Source: City of Miami, Miami Herald, 22 Feb., 2020) Contact: C40 Cities, www.c40.org; City of Miami Office of Resilience and Sustainability, Alissa Farina, Programs Manager, www.miamigov.com/Government/Departments.../Resilience-and-Sustainability, www.miamidade.gov/planning/resilience.asp

More Low-Carbon Energy News C40 Cities,  Carbon Emissions,  Climate Change ,  

TOTAL
Date: 2020-02-21
Reuters is reporting French energy giant TOTAL intends to stop selling fuel oil -- one of the most carbon-intensive refinery products -- for power generation in order to reduce its carbon footprint. The move is aimed at helping the company reduce its carbon emissions and overall carbon footprint as well refocus its image as a "global energy company" with renewable energy interests rather than oil and gas major.

Reducing its carbon footprint fits in TOTAL's ambition to reduce the carbon intensity of the energy products it makes available to customers by 15 pct between 2015 -- the date of the Paris Agreement -- and 2030, according to Reuters. (Source: TOTAL, Reuters, OilPrice, 15 Feb., 2020) Contact: TOTAL, Media, +33 (0) 1 47 44 46 99 , presse@total.com, www.total.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News TOTAL,  Carbon Footprint,  Carbon Emissions,  Climate Change,  

UMass Lowell
Date: 2020-02-21
In the Bay State, the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Lowell and the city of Lowell have announced the Green Community Partnership -- an alliance committed to driving down the city's carbon footprint. The effort, which is being funded by Lowell philanthropist Nancy Donahue and numerous community partners, already has $50,000 available for joint university-community clean energy projects.

A member of the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment, UMass Lowell has committed itself to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The city of Lowell has made substantial investments in the energy efficiency of its buildings resulting in a 31 pct reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.The city has also committed to using 100 pct renewable energy to the use of 100 pct clean and renewable energy.

For more information about the Green Community Partnership HERE. (Source: UMass Lowell, PR, Contact: UMass Lowell, www.uml.edu, uml.edu/greencommunity

More Low-Carbon Energy News Renewable Energy,  Energy Efficiency,  Carbon Emissions,  

Oberon Fuels,SHV Energy
Date: 2020-02-12
San Diego-based ultra-low-carbon, renewable dimethyl ether (rDME) transportation fuel producer Oberon Fuels reports it is partnering with the Netherlands-headquartered global propane fuel distributor SHV Energy to accelerate the use of renewable DME to reduce the carbon footprint of transportation fuel. The two firms will collaborate on: further developing DME fueling infrastructure and vehicle development; using SHV Energy's technical resources to test the use of rDME blended with propane, and; using SHV's global distribution network to facilitate greater use of rDME in numerous energy applications worldwide.

Oberon Fuels, which raised over $30 million in private funding since 2010, received $2.9 million in California grant funding to upgrade its existing DME pilot facility to demonstration scale and facilitate -- the first production of rDME in the U.S., with a target production capacity of approximately 1.6 million gpy of DME.

DME is approved as a renewable fuel under the U.S. EPA Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS), and is eligible for RIN credits when made from biogas by the Oberon process. California Air Resources Board (CARB) has estimated that dairy manure converted to DME by the Oberon process has a CI of -278 gCO2e/MJ compared to ultra-low-sulfur diesel which has a CI of 100 gCO2e/MJ, according to the company. (Source: Oberon Fuels, PR, Feb., 2020) Contact: Oberon Fuels, Ruben Martin, CEO, 619.255.9361, 619.756.6470 - fax, info@oberonfuels.com www.obersonfuels.com; SHV Energy, Bram Graber, CEO, +31 (0) 23 5555 700, +31 (0) 23 5555 701 - fax., www.shvenergy.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Oberon Fuels,  SHV Energy,  

Ernst & Young
Date: 2020-01-31
Reporting from London, Ernst & Young Global Limited (EY) has announced plans to be carbon neutral by the year end.

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:

Designed its environmental strategy in alignment with the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) environmental principles, including measurement and reporting of the EY carbon footprint over the past 10 years.

Issued a global environmental statement in financial year (FY) 18, setting the expectation that the global EY network bears a collective responsibility to minimize its environmental impact.

Between FY17--FY19, EY decreased office energy emissions by over 11 pct while continuing to grow its business, resulting in a 25 pct reduction in energy emissions per full-time employee (FTE)

Over the past 15 years, its market-leading EY Climate Change and Sustainability Practice has supported EY clients' decarbonization and sustainability journeys by helping them implement a range of solutions crossing sustainability, supply chains and reporting.

Played a leading role in the World Economic Forum's International Business Council and developed a core set of common metrics and disclosures on non-financial factors to their investors and other stakeholders.

Introduced a global supplier code of conduct and procurement environmental criteria to improve the sustainability of products and services.

Collaborated with hotel suppliers to reduce waste, emissions and water use from EY people. EY people have dedicated time and skills to accelerate environmental sustainability through the EY Ripples program and helped scale nearly 100 impact enterprises focused on critical socio-environmental issues. (Source: EYGM, PR, 30 Jan., 2020) Contact: EY, Carmine Di Sibio, CEO, Steve Varley, EY Global Vice Chair – Sustainability , Alasdair Gee, Media, +44 (0) 20 7980 0612, Alasdair.Gee@uk.ey.com, www.ey.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Ernst & Young,  Carbon Neutral,  Carbon Emissionms,  

Mexican Association of Wind Energy
Date: 2020-01-31
The Mexican Association of Wind Energy (MEWE) is reporting that country's wind energy installed and operating capacity has tripled to 6,200 MW over the last 5 years.

According to the MEWE release, "the evolution of technology and the abundance of resources in Mexico, has led to the world record here (low prices), which is around $ 17 per MWh. The areas of the southeast, north, northeast with great potential for wind resources have helped companies in the world have come to invest in the development of these sustainable projects that help reduce the carbon footprint of both the electricity sector and private companies." (Source: Mexican Association of Wind Energy, reve, 29 Jan., 2020)

More Low-Carbon Energy News Mexican Association of Wind Energy,  

Air Liquide,Solidia
Date: 2020-01-29
Air Liquide reports the renewal of its 2016 partnership with Piscataway, New Jersey-based cement and concrete technology specialist Solidia Technologies. Under their 2016 agreement, a team of Air Liquide and Solidia Technologies experts "industrialized" Solidia Concrete, which uses carbon dioxide (CO2) to cure concrete.

The combination of the consumption of CO2 during curing, and lowered carbon emissions achieved in the production of low-energy Solidia Cement that is used to bind the concrete, results in an up to 70 pct reduced carbon footprint compared to traditional concrete, according to the release.

Air Liquide is Solidia's preferred supplier of CO2 and the equipment used for its injection in the cement-concrete production process.(Source: Air Liquide, Chemical Engineering 28 Jan., 2020) Contact: Air Liquide, Corporate Communications, +33 (0)1 40 62 58 49, media@airliquide.com, www.airliquide.com; Solidia, 908-315-5901, www.solidiatech.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Air Liquide,  CO2,  Cement,  Concrete,  

Church of England
Date: 2020-01-29
In the UK, the Church of England reports it is aiming to reduce the church's carbon footprint from all of its 40,000 buildings to carbon zero by 2045.

To that end, York Minster -- the Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York -- has already seen all halogen bulbs replaced with low-energy LED lighting with motion control systems, the installation of new energy efficient heating systems and other low-carbon, energy efficient and climate friendly upgrades. York Minster also buys 90 pct of goods locally to reduce CO2 emissions from transportation and looks at energy usage when ordering new components. (Source: York Minster, PR, 28 Jan., 2020)Contact: York Minster, www.yorkminster.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Net-Zero Carbon,  Carbon Neutral,  Energy Efficiency,  

Sainsbury
Date: 2020-01-29
In the UK, retail grocery giant Sainsbury's reports it has committed to investing £1 billion ($1,301,400,000 - US) over the next twenty years as part of an effort to become net-zero carbon by 2040.

To reach its goal Sainsbury's will focus on cutting carbon emissions, food waste, plastic packaging, water usage and increasing recycling, biodiversity and healthy and sustainable eating. The retailer's current carbon footprint of 1 million tpy is a 35 pct absolute reduction over the last 15 years despite its space increasing by 46 pct over the same time frame. (Source: Sainsbury's, Share Cast, 28 Jan., 2020)

More Low-Carbon Energy News Sainsbury,  Carbon Emissions,  

Stockholm Exergi,Fortum
Date: 2020-01-29
In Sweden, Stockholm Exergi, a joint venture between Helsinki, Finnish utility Fortum Oyi and the city of Stockholm, reports it is looking to make Swedish capital's district heating the world's first to become carbon negative.

To that end, the company this spring will close its last coal-fired boiler and has replaced most of its coal-based production with biofuels. The company is also investigating the implementation of carbon capture systems to achieve a positive carbon footprint by 2040.

Fortum Oyi is also testing carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology in Oslo at its joint venture Fortum Oslo Varme. Both the Stockholm and Oslo projects are partnering with the Northern Lights initiative, which is studying carbon storage in the bedrock of the North Sea. (Source: Stockholm Exergi, Recharge, 28 Jan., 2020) Contact: Stockholm Exergi, www.stockholmexergi.se; Fortum Oyi, www3.fortum.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News CCS,  Fortum,  Carbon Negative,  Carbon Emissions,  Stockholm,  

Microsoft
Date: 2020-01-20
Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft is reporting plans to cut its carbon emissions by half by 2030,

To that end, the high tech giant will: start expanding its internal carbon fee to cover scope three emissions, indirect emissions of activities like goods production and waste; invest in new and improved carbon removal and reduction technologies ; launch a $1 billion climate innovation fund; advocate for greater transparency when it comes to pollution and carbon footprints; help suppliers and customers worldwide reduce their carbon foot print; and ultimately remove all of the carbon it emitted since its founding in 1975. (Source: Microsoft, PR, ITPro, Various Others, 17 Jan., 2020)Contact: Microsoft Corporate Offices, www.headquartersinfo.com/microsoft-headquarters-information

More Low-Carbon Energy News Mocrosoft,  Carbon Footprint,  Carbon Emissions,  Climate Change,  

Green Mountain Power
Date: 2020-01-15
Green Mountain Power (GMP) reports it is building on the success of its customer programs to cut carbon emissions and energy costs by renewing its 2019 rebates program for 2020. GMP's rebates were intended to reduce energy costs and customer carbon footprints, and customers responded by making thousands of purchases -- offsetting 156 million lifetime pounds of carbon, equal to taking 15,000 fossil-fueled vehicles off the road for a year.

The rebates helped GMP, working with customers, exceed aggressive 2019 carbon reduction goals by 40 pct. The utility's power supply is 90 pct carbon free and 60 pct renewable, with a commitment to be 100 pct carbon free in five years and 100 pct renewable by 2030. (Source: Green Mountain Power, Vermont Bus. Mag, 8 Jan., 2020) Contact: Green Mountain Power , Mary Powell, CEO, Jeff Monder, (802) 770-3392, jeff.monder@greenmountainpower.com, www.greenmountainpower.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Green Mountain Power,  Carbon Emissions,  

World Energy
Date: 2020-01-08
Shell Aviation reports it has teamed up with World Energy to develop a scalable supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), approximately one million gallons of which will be reportedly provided to the German air carrier Lufthansa, at San Francisco Airport in the US.

As previously reported, San Francisco Airport announced plans to expand the use of SAF in its operations in 2019.

According to its website, World Energy is one of the largest and longest-serving low-carbon fuel suppliers in North America. We manage the complete low-carbon fuel supply chain for large-scale businesses, governments, and institutions to make it simple for our partners to transition to cleaner energy and immediately start reducing their carbon footprint.(Source: World Energy, Shell Aviation, Biofuel, Jan., 2019) Contact: World Energy, Gene Gobolys, Pres., 617-889-7300, Fax - 617-887-2411, info@worldenergy.net, www.worldenergy.net

More Low-Carbon Energy News World Energy ,  Aviation Biofuel,  SAF,  

Packard Foundation
Date: 2019-12-09
According to the newly released Global Change Biology study from the Los Altos, California-based David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the burgeoning bioenergy sector must peak and decline in the next 30 years to alleviate extreme pressure on land. The study researchers assert that projections envisioning the use of biomass from crops, trees or grasses for fuel through 2100 overlook the technology's high carbon footprint and excessive land use.

An Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report released last year found that many scenarios capable of reducing the threat of climate change relied heavily on bioenergy, predicting that energy from biomass could make up 26 pct of primary energy in 2050 -- up from 10 pct in 2020 -- and predicting that solar and wind combined would likely only account for 22 pct. Those scenarios often relied on significant use of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), which involves growing trees across a large area of land to produce wood pellets burned for energy, then capturing and sequestering the carbon emissions. In its analysis, though, the IPCC found significant challenges associated with a high reliance on bioenergy, noting in particular that the vast areas of land required to produce biomass for energy would compete with food production and other human needs.

The Global Change Biology assessment examine a flurry of recent reports that suggest even more problems with large-scale bioenergy projects reliant on large tracts of land, and also show that more cost-effective alternatives will be available in the coming decades. Pulling from these recent studies, the authors establish three reasons why large-scale bioenergy must and can peak and decline in the next 30 years:

Large-scale bioenergy emits carbon. Carbon emissions from bioenergy can be greater in the near-term than emissions from the fossil fuels it is replacing, undermining the assumption that bioenergy is always a relatively low-emission and low-cost form of energy. Burning wood pellets, for example, creates a "double climate problem." Manufacturing and shipping wood pellets entails substantial emissions of fossil CO2, and it can take decades or centuries for harvested areas to return to pre-harvest carbon stocks.

Large-scale bioenergy puts a squeeze on land. Land is already a scarce resource, and it will become even scarcer with time due to an increase in the human population and a rise in the appreciation of the conservation value of natural and mostly-natural ecosystems--even if agricultural yields continue to increase. Because land is so limited, we should use it as efficiently as possible for energy production. In contrast to land-intensive bioenergy, the amount of electricity that can be produced from a hectare of land using photovoltaics is at least 50-100 times that from biomass.

Large-scale bioenergy is inferior to other solutions. And, by mid-century, land-intensive bioenergy will face fierce competition from superior technologies such as wind and solar energy, the development of efficient storage and other flexibility solutions, and the advent of more effective carbon removal technologies such as direct air capture with carbon storage.

The assessment comes at a time when the bioenergy industry is ramping up worldwide, with the EU in the lead. Bioenergy currently accounts for 10 pct of the world's energy, and 50 pct of our renewable energy. In the EU, bioenergy accounts for two-thirds of all renewable energy (nearly half from wood). Two-thirds of the EU's "20 pct Renewable Energy by 2020" target depends on bioenergy. And the bloc is also about to greenlight the conversion of five large coal plants to bioenergy plants that burn imported wood pellets from overseas forests.

Land-intensive electrical power projects in particular are picking up steam as governments and industry leaders seek to transform disused coal factories into new profit centers. Between 2006 and 2015, the production of wood pellets for biomass energy use quadrupled to 26 million tons. Worldwide, demand for globally traded wood pellets destined for use in phased-out coal plants or new dedicated bioenergy plants is expected to rise 250 pct by 2027.

The study lays out a bioenergy trajectory that policymakers can use to encourage sustainable bioenergy while also opening the door for new technologies to replace land-intensive bioenergy in the very near future. These recommendations include improved accounting of the actual carbon emissions associated with the use of biomass, favoring biomass from waste, residues or land management practices that enhance carbon storage, and providing incentives for energy storage, direct air capture technologies, and low-carbon alternatives to fossil fuels. Above all, the authors argue that bioenergy projects should be avoided if they involve natural forests, such as converting natural forests to bioenergy plantations, or use land best suited for food crops. And the authors caution that claims that bioenergy projects are a zero-carbon form of energy should be met with skepticism.

The Packard Foundation through 2020, will have awarded nearly $1 billion in grants to reduce carbon emissions, one of the its greatest program commitments in its 55-year history. (Source: David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Dec., 2019) Contact: David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Walt Reid, Director Conservation and Science Program, Report Author, 650-948-7658, www.packard.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Bioenergy,  CO2,  CCS,  Biofuels,  Carbon Emissions,  

Norwegian Airline
Date: 2019-12-09
Norwegian, the low-cost airline reports it will join the UNFCCC's Climate Neutral Now Pledge to measure and report its greenhouse gas emissions, reduce its greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible and offset remaining emissions with UN Certified Emission Reductions (CERs).

To that end, Norwegian has partnered with the Oslo-based climate company CHOOOSE to make it easy for customers to offset their carbon footprint as part of the ticketing process.

When first selecting a flight, Norwegian informs customers how its flights' emissions compares to industry average. The CO2 emissions calculation is based on the official methodology of the United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Council of Clean Transportation (ICCT) and Norwegian's own flight emissions data. Next, customers are offered a simple option to offset their calculated carbon footprint directly in the checkout process. For customers that opt in, offsetting is then performed through carefully selected CO2-reducing clean energy projects in regions Norwegian flies to. The projects are certified by the UN and the Gold Standard. The Gold Standard also includes contributions to other UN Sustainable Development Goals. (Source: Norwegian, PR, 5 Dec., 2019) Contact: Norwegian, Geir Karlsen, Acting CEO, www.norwegian.com; CHOOSE, Andreas Slettvoll, CEO, hey@chooose.today, wwwchooose.today; International Council of Clean Transportation, www.theicct.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Offsetting,  Airline Emissiuons,  Aviation Emissions,  

City of Ypsilanti
Date: 2019-11-22
In Washtenaw County, Michigan, the city of Ypsilanti (pop. 22,000 +-) City Council reports it has resolved to develop a draft plan to achieve carbon neutrality in the community by 2035. The initiative is in line with the city's commitment to locally combat climate change and join the city of Ann Arbor in its sustainability efforts.

The city of Ann Arbor has declared a climate emergency and set a goal to make the community carbon-neutral by 2030. Ypsilanti plans to work with Ann Arbor officials to develop a regional plan. Washtenaw County allocated $30,000 to hire a consultant to do a greenhouse gas inventory for the county to begin the action plan that could include moving away from fossil fuels, using clean energy, and balancing remaining carbon emissions with offsetting efforts like planting trees to achieve a zero-carbon footprint. (Source: City of Ypsilanti, MLive, 21 Nov., 2019) Contact: City of Ypsilanti, 734-482-1025, www.cityofypsilanti.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon-Neutral,  Carbon Emissions,  Climate Change,  

Cornell University
Date: 2019-11-22
In the Empire State, Cornell University is reporting completion of a comprehensive indoor and outdoor lighting upgrade to LEDs at its Ithaca campus. The upgrades, which began in 2014, have saved the campus more than 18,000 tons of carbon and $2.9 million to date for an expected $16 million savings over the lifetime of their use. The new lighting also reduces the campus carbon footprint by nearly 3 pct per year and will remove more than 45,500 metric tons of CO2 equivalent from the campus carbon footprint in the next five years. (Source: Cornell Univ., American School & University, 21 Nov., 2019) Contact: Cornell University, www.cornell.edu

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency,  LED Light,  Energy Efficiency,  

Coal,Climate Change,Nova Scotia Ministry of Environment
Date: 2019-11-04
Reporting from Halifax, the province of Nova Scotia nvironment Ministry reports the introduction of legislation aimed at cutting the province's greenhouse gas emissions by 53 pct below 2005 levels by 2030 as well as moving the province to a net-zero carbon footprint by 2050.

The new legislation updates the 12-year-old Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act which lays out new goals to fight climate change and grow the green economy. The legislation also requires the government to develop a province-wide plan with specific targets to reduce emissions by the end of next year. The legislation also calls for a government fund to support community projects aimed at climate change mitigation. (Source: Nova Scotia Ministry of Environment, Halifax Herald, Nov., 2019) Contact: Nova Scotia Ministry of Environment, Hon. Gordon Wilson, (902) 424-3600, www.novascotia.ca › nse

More Low-Carbon Energy News Coal,  Carbon Emissions,  Climate Change,  

Vehicle Emissions
Date: 2019-11-01
Electrive.com is reporting the Belgian city of Brussels will ban all diesel-fueled vehicles by 2030 and all gasoline powered vehicles by 2035.

The plan is in keeping with the city's goal of significantly reducing its carbon footprint and meeting the EU's goal of being totally decarbonized by 2050. The plan is expected result in an almost immediate 40-pct drop in the city's total transportation emissions. (Source: City of Brussels, NewsWheel, 30 Oct., 2019)

More Low-Carbon Energy News Fossil Fuel,  Carbon Emissions,  Vehicle Emissions,  Climate Change,  Carbon Footprint,  

Carbon Footprint
Date: 2019-10-30
According to a new YouGov poll commissioned by low-carbon aluminium maker En+ Group, 68 pct of UK consumers want businesses to share data regarding the carbon footprint created in the making of their products so they can make more ethical purchasing decisions. Sixty-three pct of those polled said they would be likely or very likely to choose a car -- or other product -- with a lower carbon footprint over alternatives with up to 28 pct willing to pay a premium. The poll also found UK consumers care more about a product's carbon footprint than consumers in the US and Germany.

Seventy per cent of UK residents said the government should deny requests for buildings constructed with higher carbon footprints while 41 pct of US residents thought the same. (Source: YouGov, City A.M., 29 Oct., 2019) Contact: YouGov, www.yougov.co.uk

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Footprint,