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,
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,
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,
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, ,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
"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,
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 ,
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,
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, 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,
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:
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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:
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
The study defines organic farming as avoiding the use of synthetic pesticides and genetically modified organisms, and uses animal compost and natural practices like crop rotation to improve soil health.
The study set out to measure the size of the carbon footprint a country would have if it switched to organic farming, and discovered that contemporary ideas don't often take into account the increased land requirement for it.
Download the Cranfield University study HERE. (Source: Cranfield University,The Print, 24 Oct., 2019) Contact: Cranfield University, +44 1234 750111, www.cranfield.ac.uk
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Emissions,
"For the first time in recent history since 2010, Saudi Arabia's carbon footprint has slowed down significantly," the study said, citing a host of successful energy efficiency policies that involve transport, industry, buildings, and energy price reforms for the fall in emissions.
The Kingdom's carbon emissions decreased by 1.1 pct in 2017 and 3.4 pct in 2018, while global carbon emissions increased by 1 and 2 pct, respectively. From 2015 to 2018, Saudi Arabia's carbon emissions decreased by 2.7 pct, the study claimed.
(Source: Asharq Al Awsat, 24 Oct., 2019)
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbom Emissions,
The tool is "designed to create awareness, provide tools to take action, and effect changes that will reduce carbon emissions," according to the release.
(Source: SP Group, PR, CAN, 24 Oct., 2019) Contact: SP Group, Wong Kim Yin, CEO, +65 6916 8888, srmsupport@spgroup.com.sg,www.spgroup.com.sg
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Emissions, Carbon Footprint,
The emissions reduction target is part of the county's Climate Action Plan aimed at reducing the county's carbon footprint. The full plan is expected to be completed sometime this winter.
(Source: Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, CBS19 News, 17 Oct., 2019) Contact: Albemarle County Board of Supervisors , 434-296-5843, www.annmallekforsupervisor.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Emissions, Carbon Footprint,
PCAF is a global partnership of financial institutions that work together to develop and implement a harmonized approach to assess and disclose the GHG emissions associated with their loans and investments.
PCAF enables transparency and accountability and will develop an open-source global carbon accounting standard for financial institutions, according to a Reuters report. (Source: PCAF, euronews, Reuters, 23 Sept., 2019)
Contact: Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials, Giel Linthorst, Executive Director, +31 6 1136 6935,
info@carbonaccountingfinancials.com,
www.carbonaccountingfinancials.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Emissions, Climate Change, Carbon Footprint,
To that end, the Republic of Seychelles national air carrier is flying new lightweight Airbus A320neo aircraft that reportedly delivers an average 20 pct fuel savings per flight and approximately 50 pct reduced noise footprint and nitrogen oxides (N0x) compared to the fleet of Airbus A320ceo.
(Source: Air Seychelles, Aviation Tribune, Sept., 2019) Contact: Air Seychelles
Remco Althuis, CEO, +248 439,1000, www.airseychelles.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Aviation Emissions, Carbon Footprint,
The full amount will be invested in advanced equipment and technologies to increase the use of low-carbon fuels and recycled materials in the company's processes and products.
Additional funds are to be earmarked in the future for the introduction of new carbon-efficient materials and services, according to the release. LafargeHolcim's project scope will cover more than 80 projects across 19 European countries over the next three years.
(Source: LafargeHolcim, PR, 19 Dept., 2019)Contact: LafargeHolcim, Rene Thibault, www.lafargeholcim.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Footprint, LafargeHolcim, Carbon Emissions, Cement, Climate Change,
According to a release, the program will help residents reduce their utility costs, decrease the carbon footprint of the city and Albemarle County, and reduce household water consumption.
Qualified residents will work with a LEAP Home Energy Coach, who will perform an energy audit of their home and select the most appropriate energy-efficiency measures. The no-cost program is open to both home owners and tenants.
(Source: Charlottesville Department of Utilities, CBS19, 5 Sept., 2019)
Contact: Charlottesville Department of Utilities, Irene Peterson , (434) 970-3812, peterson@charlottesville.org, www.charlottesville.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency, Energy Efficiency Upgrade,
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,
Porsche Impact is a web-based emissions calculator that allows Porsche owners to assess and compensate for CO2 emissions, based on mileage and average fuel consumption. Customers can then follow a quick link to make financial contributions to environmental projects designed to offset their individual carbon footprint.
Porsche Impact users can choose from four different internationally certified projects to support. The available programs are focused on forest protection in the U.S., hydropower in Vietnam, solar energy in Mexico, and habitat preservation in Zimbabwe.
The Porsche Impact offset programs are managed by South Pole, a Swiss-based provider of carbon offsetting projects and sustainability financing that has been active internationally for more than a decade. Impact has been available to customers in Germany, the UK, and Poland since late 2018. (Source: Porsche AG, PRN, 25 Aug., 2019)
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Offset, Carbon Emissions, Climate Change,
"Compensaid" combines a global airline flight tracking tool with a sustainability platform that makes it possible to directly offset individual CO2 emissions.
The platform offers two options for carbon offsetting -- the option to replace fossil fuel with SAF, which is calculated through a market-based surcharge on flights, or the alternative is to use Compensaid to support a reforestation project in Nicaragua, reducing CO2 emissions in the long-term.
(Source: Lufthansa, Biofuels Int'l., 20 Aug., 2019) Contact: Lufthansa Innovation Hub, Gleb Tritus, Dir., https://de.linkedin.com/in/glebtritus, welcome@lh-innovationhub.com; www.lh-innovationhub.com, www.lufthansagroup.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Aviation Biofuel, Sustainable Fuel, Jet Biofuel, Lufthansa, Carbon Offsetting, Carbon Offset,
The CarbonCure Technology enhances the competitiveness of the concrete industry through improved production efficiency and sustainability. The technology injects a precise dosage of captured waste carbon dioxide (CO2) into concrete during production. Once introduced, the CO2 chemically converts to a nano-mineral, creating manufacturing efficiencies while reducing the concrete's carbon footprint.
The CarbonCure Technology is presently installed in nearly 150 concrete plants in North America and Southeast Asia, with more than 2.3 million cubic meters of concrete supplying a wide range of construction projects from airports, roads to high-rise towers.
CarbonCure, the world leader in carbon capture and utilization (CCU) technology used in the production of concrete, is on a pathway to reduce 500 megatons of CO2 emissions annually.
CarbonCure technology is estimated to be a $400 billion market opportunity with the potential to reduce up to 1.4 gigatons of annual CO2 emissions by 2030, according to the Global CO2 Initiative. (Source: CarbonCure, PR, 8 Aug., 2019)
Contact: CarbonCure Technologies, Robert Niven, CEO, (902) 442-4020, info@carboncure.com, www.carboncure.com; Linde, www.linde.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News CCU, Carbon Capture & Utilization, CarbonCure Technology, Concrete, Linde, Cement,
The possible switch to solar at this and other sites is in keeping with the company's plans to improve energy efficiency and reduce its carbon footprint. To that end, Shell has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Energy Market Authority of Singapore to jointly work on energy storage systems.
Globally, Shell is installing solar photovoltaic panels on the roofs of seven lubricant plants in China, India, Italy, Singapore and Switzerland. (Source: Royal Dutch Shell, Reuters, Aug., 2019)
More Low-Carbon Energy News Royal Dutch Shell, Solar,
The new CDP report is based on detailed analysis across a range of carbon and transitional indicators that could have a significant impact on company performance.
ArcelorMittal recently announced its ambition to cut CO2 emissions globally and be carbon-neutral in Europe by 2050. The company is currently aiming for an 8 pct carbon footprint reduction by 2020. (Source: ArcelorMittal, Noria News, Reliable Plant, July, 2019) Contact: ArcelorMittal, Alan Knight, Corporate Responsibility GM, +32 9 347 31 11,
www.corporate.arcelormittal.com; CDP, Lance Pierce, Pres. North America, (212) 378 2086, info.northamerica@cdp.net, www.cdp.net
More Low-Carbon Energy News ArcelorMittal, Carbon Footprint, CDP, Climate Change, Carbon Emissions,
Alliance has developed a new and improved technology system that converts any cellulosic material -- grasses, wood, paper, farm waste, yard waste, forestry products, nut shells, and the cellulosic portion of municipal solid waste -- into biofuels quicker, more consistently, and more energy efficient than the first generation process. Alliance’s CTS (cellulose-to-sugar) 2.0 process converts sugar into ethanol via a standard process that recycles water and catalysts used in the process, uses no toxic chemicals and has a near zero carbon footprint.
When fully commercialized, Alliance's technology it will be the lowest cost producer in the ethanol and biofuel space, according to the Alliance release. (Source: Alliance Bioenergy Plus, Inc., PR, 30 July, 2019) Contact: Alliance Bioenergy, Ben Slager, CEO, (888) 607-3555, ben.slager@alliancebioe.com, www.alliancebioe.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Alliance BioEnergy , Biofuel, Cellulosic,
The building will be an eco-friendly structure with the highest "green" certifications and low-carbon footprint. The building is aiming for Canada Green Building Council )CaGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) platinum certification as well as WELL Building certification.
(Source: Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Downsview Advocate, 11 July, 2019) Contact: Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, 416-661-6600, info@trca.on.ca, www.trca.ca; Canada Green Building Council, Thomas Mueller, President and CEO, Mark Hutchinson, Director of Green Building Programs, (866) 941-1184, info@cagbc.org, www.cagbc.org; International WELL Building Institute, 646.883.5001, 646.607.1058, info@wellcertified.com, www.wellcertified.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Canada Green Building Council, LEED, Well Building,
According to RIBA, the built environment is responsible for around 40 pct of the UK's total carbon footprint, and shifting to lower or zero carbon buildings is seen as critical for reducing the country's net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by mid-century.
The Ethics and Sustainable Development Action Plan will aim to drive rapid improvements in industry standards and practice, government and intergovernmental policy and regulation, and in RIBA's own carbon footprint, the industry body said.
Proposed green metrics include developing the whole-life net zero carbon standard for a building, as well as standard reporting metrics for energy and performance evaluation "where guidance is available.”
(Source: RIBA, Business Green, 1 July, 2019)Contact: RIBA, Bew Derbyshire, Pres., +44 118 987 4900, www.architecture.com
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The report ranks 18 of the largest publicly listed shipping companies, representing $62 billion of market capitalization, on business readiness for a low-carbon transition. CDP's analysis finds maritime innovation trends currently focus on technologies and fuels that only deliver marginal improvements; the shipping sector has poor rates of disclosure with only 5 companies completing CDP's 2018 Climate Change questionnaire; and board level oversight of climate issues is very low with only 3 companies having board level climate committees.
According to the report, shipping accounts for up to 3 pct of global emissions and 10 pct of transport emissions while transporting around 80 pct of the world's trade in physical goods.
(Source: IMO, CDP, 25 June, 2019) Contact: CDP, Carole Ferguson, Head of Investor Research, www.cdp.net;
IMO, Stefan Micallef, Director of Marine Environment Division, +44 (0) 20 7735 7611, www.imo.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News International Maritime Organization, IMO, Maritime Emissions, CDP,
"In Europe, wood pellets and wood chips are recognized as low carbon fuels because a full life-cycle analysis shows that under well-crafted (and necessary) sustainability criteria, the combustion of those fuels is carbon neutral. The supply chain carbon footprint accounting, given that fossil fuel are used in transportation and in the electricity used to upgrade the biomass into pellets, typically yields an 85 percent or more reduction in net CO2 added to the atmosphere. Because of the carbon benefits, biomass derived fuel makes up about 60 percent of the total renewable energy in the EU28." -- William Strauss, Pres, FutureMetrics, June 24, 2019
Bethel, Maine-based FutureMetrics released the above statement criticizing the Trump Administration EPA's Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) Program for its treatment of biomass and calling the program's discussion of how to measure CO2 emissions "misguided."
The ACE program, which replaces Obama's Clean Power Plan, specifies that biomass co-firing is not compliant with the ACE program. Contact: FutureMetrics LLC, William Strauss, 207-824-6702, 207-357-8708 Cell,
WilliamStrauss@FutureMetrics.com, www.futuremetrics.info
More Low-Carbon Energy News EPA, Woody Biomass, Wood Pellet, CO2 Emissions,