The initiative is in line with the company' s objective to become carbon-neutral by 2050.
CMA CGM Group notes it cut its overall CO2 emissions by 4 pct in 2020 following a 6 pct reduction in 2019, and has also lowered its CO2 emissions per container-kilometer by 49 pct since 2008. With CMA CGM's dual-fuel gas-power technology, it can reduce entire value chain greenhouse gas emissions, including CO2, by at least 67 pct, according to the company release.
(Source: CMA CGM Group, PR, BreakBulk, 10 Apr., 2021) Group Contact: CMA CGM Group Rodolphe Saade, Chairman and CEO, +33 (0)4 88 91 90 00, www.cma-cgm.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Biomethane, Biogas,
Honeywell notes its carbon-footprint reduction will continue to be driven through the company's rigorous, end-to-end business operating system. Honeywell's reductions will be reported publicly and third-party verified pursuant to The Greenhouse Gas Protocol. The company's efforts will result in carbon-neutral operations and facilities as it relates to direct emissions (Scope 1) and indirect emissions from electricity and steam (Scope 2). In addition, Honeywell has committed to addressing Scope 3 indirect emissions by enhancing its existing tracking system and partnering with industry leaders to identify and implement best practices while encouraging customers to adopt Honeywell's climate solutions and products.
In 2019, Honeywell set a new "10-10-10" target to reduce global Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions intensity by an additional 10 pct from 2018 levels, deploy at least 10 renewable energy opportunities, and achieve certification to ISO's 50001 Energy Management Standard at 10 facilities by 2024. Honeywell also provides: process technology to produce biofuels, building energy savings performance contracts; energy conservation; investing in energy storage solutions such as flow batteries; and technologies to support the decarbonization of residential, commercial, and industrial energy by replacing natural gas with hydrogen.
The company notes it has implemented more than 5,700 sustainability projects since 2010, saving an annualized $100 million in costs.
(Source: Honeywell, Website PR, 8 April, 2021) Contact: Honeywell, www.honeywell.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Honeywell news, Carbon Emissions news, Carbon Neutral news,
The goal supports efforts outlined in the 2015 Paris Agreement and the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to reduce the world's net anthropogenic emissions to zero by 2050. This announcement builds upon Penn State's annual Climate and Sustainability Action Plan 3.0 report, released on Dec. 1, 2020, which summarized the University's latest progress in environmental sustainability made from 2019 to 2024 with a commitment to achieve a 100 pct carbon-neutral campus by 2042.
Penn State has reduced its overall carbon emissions by 37.2 pct since 2009 and "greened" its physical footprint with 27 buildings achieving US Green Building Council LEED certification, 34 buildings having green roofs, and 14 acres of open space having been added through the creation of Penn Park. In 2020, the University signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for the construction of two new solar energy facilities which will offset 75 pct of both the academic campus and the University of Pennsylvania Health System's electricity consumption through renewable energy. (Source: Penn State University, PR, The Pennsylvanian, Apr., 2021) Contact: Penn State University, 814-865-6528, www.bursar.psu.edu/endowments
More Low-Carbon Energy News New-Zero Carbon Emissions,
Under the agreement, Ameresco will install, maintain and own 4.5MW of solar PV and 15 MWh battery energy storage and sell the generated output to HCE under a long-term PPA.
The project's avoided annual greenhouse gas emissions are expected to be 6,853 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, which equates to the emissions benefit of removing 1,481 passenger vehicles from the road, or not burning 7,551,050 pounds of coal.
Holy Cross Energy aims to source 100 pct of its electricity from renewable resources by 2030. (Source: Colorado Mountain College, PR. 6 Apr., 2021) Contact: Colorado Mountain College, www.coloradomtn.edu; Ameresco, David J. Anderson, EVP , (508) 661-2264, www.ameresco.com;
Holy Cross Energy, Bryan Hannegan, CEO, (970) 945-5491, www.holycross.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Holy Cross Energy, Solar+Storage, Battery, Energy Storage, Amerseco,
To that end, Samsung Engineering will help Lotte Chemical improve energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, develop carbon capture and utilization (CCU) technologies, and promote Lotte's green hydrogen business and technology licensing.
As previously reported in February, Lotte Chemical declared "Green Promise 2030" an ESG management strategy for the implementation of its eco-friendly business and achieving growth without expanding carbon generation by 2030 and achieving net-zero carbon by 2050.
(Source: Lotte Chemical, PR, Business Korea, 6 Apr., 2021) Contact: Lotte Chemical, www.lottechem.com; Samsung Engineering, www.samsungengineering.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Lotte Chemical , Carbon Neutral, Samsung Engineering,
Tata Cleantech Capital has to date contributed to the development of 9.8 million kilowatts renewable energy and the reduction of 15.1 million tons of carbon dioxide. India has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions per GDP by 33 to 35 pct by 2030 from the 2005 level under the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.
(Source: Japan International Cooperation Agency, PR, Kyodo News, 3 Apr., 2021) Contact: Japan International Cooperation Agency, www.jica.go.jp; Tata Cleantech Cap., www.tatacapital.com/tccl.html
More Low-Carbon Energy News Japan International Cooperation Agency, Renewable Energy ,
The World Bank, the largest multilateral provider of climate finance for developing countries, provided $83 billion in climate finance over the past five years, peaking at $21.4 billion in 2020.
Under the new plan, 35 pct of WB financing will have climate co-benefits, on average, over the next five years and 50 pct of WB climate financing will support climate change adaptation and resilience -- up from the 26 pct achieved on average in FY16-20 and an even more in dollar terms. The new Climate Change Action Plan will:
The World Bank Group reiterated it “will work with all stakeholders to address climate change challenges head on and support our clients to unlock the benefits of green, resilient and inclusive development."
(Source: World Bank Group, PR, April , 2021)Contact: World Bank, International Finance Corporation, www.ifc.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News World Bank, Climate Change,
The first iteration involves Esso Renewable Racing Fuel, a blend of primarily advanced biofuels formulated by ExxonMobil in-house scientists and engineers. As early as 2022, the companies plan to test the second iteration of Esso Renewable Racing Fuel, which will contain eFuel components and is anticipated to achieve an up-to 85 pct reduction in greenhouse gas emissions when blended to current market fuel standards for passenger vehicles.
The eFuel will be sourced from the Haru Oni pilot plant based in Chile that generates hydrogen, which is then combined with captured CO2 drawn from the atmosphere to produce methanol. ExxonMobil is providing a license and support for the proprietary technology to convert the methanol to gasoline, which will result in a lower-carbon fuel.
In the pilot phase, around 35,000 gallons of eFuels will be produced in 2022. As the fuel's primary user, Porsche will use the eFuels in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup starting in the season of 2022. The first on-track testing of Esso Renewable Racing Fuel occurred March 30, 2021 in Zandvoort, Netherlands, and will continue throughout the 2021 and 2022 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup race series. (Source: ExxonMobil, PR, 31 Mar., 2021)
Contact: ExonMobil, Andy Madden, VP Strategy and Planning , ExxonMobil Fuels & Lubricants, www. corporate.exxonmobil.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News ExxonMobil, Alternative Fuel, Biofuel,
A4A and its member carriers are committed to working in partnership across the commercial aviation sector and beyond to help advance and deploy commercially viable technology, operations, infrastructure and SAF to meet these ambitious climate goals. At the same time, it is imperative that the U.S. federal, state and local governments implement supportive policies and programs that enable innovation, scale-up, cost-competitiveness and deployment in each of these areas, while avoiding the implementation of policies that would limit the aviation industry's ability to invest in emissions-reducing measures.
Many A4A members have set net-zero emissions goals and are already investing in SAF, but the aviation industry requires a similar urgent commitment from policymakers, fuel producers and others in the feedstock and fuel supply chain to achieve meaningful scalability.
U.S. airlines greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions currently accounts for less than two percent of the nation's GHG emissions inventory. U.S. airlines improved their fuel efficiency by more than 135 pct between 1978 and year-end 2019, saving over five billion metric tons of CO2 -- equivalent to taking more than 27 million cars off the road on average in each of those years. Additionally, A4A has helped launch the nascent SAF industry and committed to CORSIA to help facilitate achieving carbon-neutral growth in international aviation beginning in 2020, according to the organization's website. (Source: Airlines for America, PR, Website, 30 Mar., 2021) Contact: Airlines for America, Nicholas E. Calio, Pres., CEO, www.airlines.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Airlines for America , Aviation Emissions, SAF ,
Okinawa Electric Power also uses woody biomass at its 312MW Gushikawa coal-fired power plant and forecasts using a total 30,000 tpy of wood pellets for both plants and cutting its CO2 emissions by around 40,000 tpy.
The move to woody biomass pellet fuel is in line with the utility's plan cut greenhouse gas emissions to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. (Source: Okinawa Electric Power, Korea Herald,
Mar 29, 2021) Contact: Okinawa Electric Power, www.okiden.co.jp/en
More Low-Carbon Energy News Okinawa Electric Power, Woody Biomass, Wood Pellet, Carbon Emission,
According to the release, each truckload of SAF that Avfuel delivers to Monterey Jet Center will provide a 22 metric ton reduction in carbon emissions over the lifecycle compared to petroleum-based jet fuel. SAF is the most effective way to reduce a flight's carbon footprint and in the future could deliver up to 80 pct less greenhouse gas emissions versus traditional jet fuelif used in its neat form.
Avfuel is one of the first United States companies able to supply the fuel on a regular basis. Neste expects to produce 515 million gpy of SAF by 2023.
(Source: Avfuel, PR, 29 Mar., 2021) Contact: Avfuel, Craig Sincock, CEO, 734-663-6466, www.avfuel.com; Monterey Jet Center, 831-373-0100, www.montereyjetcenter.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Neste, Avfuel, SAF, Aviation Biofuel,
The new law requires that greenhouse gas emissions in 2030 be at least 50 pct lower than 1990 emissions, and that 2040 emissions be at least 75 pct lower and that 2050 emissions be at least 85 pct below 1990 emissions. The remaining 15 pct will be achieved through carbon sequestration and carbon banking.
The bill also requires the Department of Public Utilities to consider emissions reductions on an equal footing as its considerations of power generation reliability and affordability within 90 days, that the governor appoint three green building experts to the Board of Building Regulations and Standards, and that the administration establish the first-ever greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal for the home energy efficiency program MassSave. (Source: Various Media, Sentinal Herald, 27 Mar., 2021)Contact: Office of Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, (617) 725-4005, www.mass.gov/governor
More Low-Carbon Energy News Charlie Baker, Climate Change, MassSave,
The legislation also calls for the governor to: appoint three green building experts to the Board of Building Regulations and Standards; adopt energy efficiency standards for appliances; and establish the first-ever greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal for the home energy efficiency program MassSave. (Source: Various Media, Sentinal Herald, 27 Mar., 2021)Contact: Office of Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, (617) 725-4005, www.mass.gov/governor; MassSave, (866) 527-7283, www.masssave.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency news, MassSave news, Charlie Baker news,
The new RNG fueling station, which will be open to the public and other fleets, features fast-fill capabilities and an easy in, easy out design to accommodate heavy duty trucks servicing the port. It will be operational 24 /7 and meets the emission standards set by the Port of Long Beach and the Harbor Trucking Association (HTA).
Since transitioning to RNG, AJR Trucking has replaced more than one million gallons of diesel fuel with RNG, eliminating over 2,200 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions -- equivalent of removing 1,234 cars off the road or planting more than 149,747 trees, according to the release.
(Source: U.S. Gain, PR, 29 Mar., 2021) Contact: U.S. Gain, S. Lowney, (920) 381-2190
slowney@usgain.com, www.usgain.com; AJR Trucking, Jack Khudikyan, CEO, 310-707-1120, www.linkedin.com/company/ajr-trucking
More Low-Carbon Energy News U.S. Gain. RNG news, Renewable Natural Gas news,
In 2019 the Trudeau government imposed a $30 per ton tax on greenhouse gases from various sources. The provinces of Saskatchewan, Ontario and Alberta took exception to the tax and argued the Act was unconstitutional because Ottawa was stepping into provincial jurisdiction. All other provinces have a carbon-pricing system Ottawa deems to be the equivalent or better of the federal version and are thus exempted from the federal tax.
(Source: Various Media, 25 Mar., 2021)
More Low-Carbon Energy News Canada Carbon Tax, Carbon Tax,
Renewable biomethane from livestock manure is 35-40 pct cheaper than diesel and cuts vehicle greenhouse gas emissions by up to 85 pct, according to the CNG Fuels release. (Source: CNG Fuels, PR, insider.co.uk 25 Mar., 2021) Contact: CNG Fuels, Philip Fjeld, CEO, +44 0 7971 541 000,info@cngfuels.com, www.cngfuels.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News CNG Fuels, Biomethane ,
The Plan estimates that by 2050, the city's average daily temperature will rise five degrees, from 52 to 57 and the city of roughly 284,000 residents will see 340 pct more days with the heat index over 100 degrees and significant increases in rain and snow.
The plan calls for: transition to low-carbon energy; a decarbonized and efficient transportation system: economic development goals aligned with climate realities; improved protections for and with Lincoln residents; building a resilient local food system; maximizing natural climate solutions; reduced waste; engaging residents in co-creating a climate smart future; incentivizing construction of energy efficient homes and buildings; investing in renewable energy and others
Download the Lincoln City Climate Action Plan HERE. (Source: City of Lincoln, Mar. 2021) Contact: City of Lincoln, Lincoln City Council, 402-441-7515 , www.lincoln.ne.gov/City/City-Council
More Low-Carbon Energy News GHG, Greenhouse Gas Emissions,
MataSota-88 notes that although the scientific evidence supporting climate change is overwhelming, there is a significant segment of the population that are either "ignorant of the facts or are learning disabled, unfortunately, many of the latter are some of our policymakers and business leaders." MataSota-88 calls for the Manatee County Commission to initiate a process that will address the challenges that global warming poses for Florida.
ManaSota-88 believes it is of vital importance to focus attention on the need to develop policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and its associated impacts of sea-level rise on coastal resources, according to the group's website.
(Source: ManaSota 88, Website, Mar., 2021) Contact: ManaSota 88, (941) 966-6256 , manasota88@comcast.net , www.manasota88.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Change Mitigation,
"USGC's ethanol team and consultants offered an update this week to the Council's Ethanol Advisory Team the member-driven group of grain producers and agribusiness representatives that identify opportunities, set priorities and chart the course of the Council every year, giving them background on ethanol's role in the Paris Agreement -- of which the US is again a member -- explaining what it means to have the U.S. rejoin and presenting an outlook for ethanol as it relates to the Paris Agreement as whole.
"As many countries have listed their transportation sectors and named biofuels or ethanol specifically to contribute to overall emissions reductions outlined in the Paris Agreement, the case can be made for U.S. ethanol to help meet these countries' global initiatives.
"Even with policies in place some countries are not meeting the intended goals or mandates, leaving room for further GHG emissions reductions. India for example has recently announced its national plan to blend 20 pct ethanol nationwide by 2025. In the most recent market year, it blended just above a 5 pct rate from a nationwide average standpoint. Filling in that blend gap will be critical to fully realize these benefits. Identifying these gaps and demonstrating the benefit and how to fill them is an ongoing role the Council provides with its global partners.
"For instance, new research from Environmental Health and Engineering Inc. demonstrates that U.S. corn-based ethanol cuts GHG emissions by 46 pct providing benefits nationally, but also globally, as ethanol trade expands. In terms of emissions reductions, this means the U.S. saved more than 4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2020 from ethanol exports alone and could provide other countries a pathway to meeting their own Paris Agreement commitments.
“Elevating the contribution that ethanol has already made to abate emissions globally is critical, and these reductions are expected to continue as further investment in abatement technologies take place and policies expand around the globe."
(Source: U.S. Grains Council, PR, Website, Mar., 2021) Contact: US Grains Council, Brian D. Healy, Director Global Ethanol Market Dev, Bryan Jernigan, bjernigan@grains.org, www.grains.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News U.S. Grains Council, Paris Climate Agreement, Ethanol ,
"Minnesota is behind schedule in achieving the transportation greenhouse gas reduction and clean fuel adoption goals established through the bipartisan Next Generation Energy Act of 2007. We believe that a clean fuels policy, such as the proposed Future Fuels Act, can help get Minnesota back on track.
"We believe that the Future Fuels Act, designed based on recommendations in the Mid-continent Clean Fuels Policy Initiative's white paper A Clean Fuels Policy for the Midwest, can have many benefits for Minnesota, including:
Neste Renewable Diesel (NRD), which is produced from globally sourced wastes and residues such as waste animal fat, vegetable oil and used cooking oil, has chemical properties similar to those of fossil diesel and and reduces Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions up to 90 pct compared to fossil diesel.
(Source: NYK Line, PR, Hellenic, 20 Mar., 2021) Contact: NYK.Line www.nyk.line; Neste Corp., Thorsten Lange, Exec. VP, +358 10 458 4128, www.neste.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Neste, Renewable Diesel, NYK,
When fully operational in 2023, the plant will: produce 6,500 bpd of renewable fuels including renewable diesel, arctic-grade renewable diesel, and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF); reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) 80 to 85 pct when compared to fossil fuel diesel; create a demand for 35 million bushels of canola seed (worth roughly $500 million) to produce 325,000-350,000 tpy of canola oil feedstock; and use recycled hydrogen in the production process.
The company has completed initial pre-FEED engineering and feedstock studies, as well as a marketing, demand, and pricing study. The plant is expected to begin production in 2023, subject to regulatory and other approvals.
(Source: Covenant Energy, Website PR, Contact: Covenant Energy, Josh Gustafson, Pres., CEO, (306) 421-7442, joshgustafson@covenantenergy.ca; www.covenantenergy.ca
More Low-Carbon Energy News Canola Covenant Energy, Renewable Diesel,
The study looked at factors at play in the Amazon -- fires, deforestation, weather and the expansion of ranching -- and concluded that greenhouse gases including methane and nitrous oxide being emitted in the Amazon basin offset and most likely exceed the region's ability to soak up carbon dioxide.
Access the full report HERE. (Source: Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, 11 Mar., 2021) Contact: Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, +41(0)21 510 17 40,
Fax +41 (0)21 510 17 01, www.frontiersin.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Amazon Rainforest, GHGs, Carbon Emissions, Climate Change,
The new company will also advance proprietary processes to lower the cost of utilizing CCS technology; help other energy companies reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the production, transportation, and use of natural gas; and generate high-quality, verifiable carbon offsets to support companies in their efforts to achieve net-zero emissions.
NEXT Carbon Solutions' CCS project is expected to reduce permitted CO2 emissions at Rio Grande LNG by more than 90 pct without major design changes to the Rio Grande LNG project. As a result, Rio Grande LNG is expected to be the greenest LNG project in the world, according to the company release. (Source: NextDecade, Website, PR, 18 Mar., 2021) Contact: NextDecade, Matt Schatzman, CEO, (832) 209-8131 phughes@next-decade.com, www.next-decade.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Emissions news, CCS news, LNG news, Natural Gas news,
Bioenergy is the largest renewable energy source in the EU and will be critical to increased deployment of wind and solar -- The use of bioenergy has more than doubled since 2000 as a result of its end-use as heat, transportation, and electricity. In fact, biomass is the only renewable fuel on the market that is readily available today and can replace fossil fuels for heat generation.
In heavy industries such as steel, aluminum, and cement -- sustainably sourced wood-based biomass offers a carbon-neutral fuel replacement for coal and gas-fired furnaces (and combined heat and power plants). As a dependable and dispatchable renewable fuel, sustainably-sourced biomass represents a prime solution to complement the intermittency of wind and solar (among other renewables) that will reduce carbon emissions by more than 85 pct on a lifecycle basis.
Looking ahead to more future-oriented solutions, such as the development of the hydrogen economy, biomass is projected to play an important role. The most obvious is to use biomass directly to create hydrogen through gasification and thereby avoid carbon emissions that are associated with natural gas. Even further down the road, when surplus solar and wind could potentially be used to create hydrogen at scale, there will be an exciting opportunity to produce aviation and other fuels with carbon capture of biomass that could result in even fewer net greenhouse gas emissions. Likewise, as decarbonization efforts in the steel and cement industry rapidly increase.
ENVIVA is the world's largest producer of industrial wood pellets, a renewable and sustainable energy source used to generate electricity and heat. Through its subsidiaries, ENVIVA Holdings, LP owns and operates wood pellet processing plants and deep-water export terminals in the Southeastern U.S. and exports primarily to previously coal-fired power plants in the U.K., Europe and Japan. We make our pellets using sustainable practices that protect Southern forests and employ about 1,100 people and support many other businesses in the U.S. South. ENVIVA Holdings, LP conducts its activities primarily through two entities: ENVIVA Partners, LP, a publicly traded master limited partnership (NYSE: EVA), and ENVIVA Development Holdings, LLC, a wholly owned private company. (Source: ENVIVA Holdings, LP, Jan., 2021)
Contact: ENVIVA Holdings, LP. ENVIVA Biomass, Enviva Partners, LP, (301) 657-5560, www.envivabiomass.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News ENVIVA, Biomass, Wood Pellet,
The 100 hectare facility will incorporate more than 100,000 panels and cut greenhouse gas emissions by about 1.2 million tons of CO2 equivalent over the plant’s lifetime. Kazakhstan is aiming to procure 50 pct of its energy from renewable sources by 2050.
Eni launched its first renewables project in Kazakhstan in March 2020 through the commercial operation of the 48 MW Badamsha Wind Farm located in the Aktobe Region, with an annual power generation of about 195 GWh with an overall CO2 saving of 170,000 tons per year. The company is now executing the second phase of the project, with a 48 MW of additional capacity. (Source: Eni, PR, 10 Mar., 2021) Contact: Eni, +39.0252031875 , +80011223456, investor.relations@eni.com, www.eni.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Eni, Solar,
The new legislation orders the following climate change related initiatives:
Nutrien was hoping to have about 100,000 acres in Western Canada and the United States corn belt states of Illinois and Ohio subscribed to its "carbon farm" program in 2021.
Under the program, growers will have the option of adopting a variety of agronomic practices scientifically proven to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and can be used to produce offsets ranging from the adoption of minimal tilling low disturbance cropping practices to the use of specialized crop nutrient products such as slow-release fertilizers, nitrogen inhibitors, biological and micro-nutrients, and variable rate fertilizer prescriptions. The entire system will be supported by digital platforms and data collection programs that enable monitoring and quantification.
As the markets for voluntary carbon credits and GHG offsets become more established, it is expected that more farmers and land managers will recognize carbon offsets as a new revenue stream that can supplement net farm incomes, the release notes.
Nutrien estimates growers could eventually earn as much as $30 to $50 per acre under its program. Potential revenues will ultimately depend on carbon credit valuations in voluntary markets. (Source: Nutrien Ag Solutions, PR, Website, Mar., 2021)
Contact: Nutrien, Mark Thompson, Exec. VP, (306) 933-8500 www.nutrien.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Nutrien, Carbon Farming, Carbon Offset, Carbon Market,
When integrating the FT fuel production process with corn ethanol production, the WTW GHG emissions of FT fuels are 57--65 pct lower compared to petroleum counterparts.
The report modeled the FT fuel synthesis process using Aspen Plus, which showed that 45 pct of the carbon in CO2 can be fixed in the FT fuel, with a fuel production energy efficiency of 58 pct. (Source: ANL. PR, Mar., 2021)Contact: ANL, 630-252-2000, www.anl.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News Fischer-Tropsch, Argonne National Laboratory,
The offset rules will be part of the 2018 Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, which enabled a sweeping tax on emissions on everything from industrial pollution to home-heating fuel, and will support a domestic carbon trading market under Canada's carbon price for industry -- the Output-Based Pricing System (OBPS) -- under which regulated facilities that exceed their emission limits can provide compensation by purchasing federal offset credits -- an additional lower-cost option -- generated from activities not already incentivized by carbon pollution pricing.
Once established, the Federal Greenhouse Gas Offset System will stimulate demand for projects across Canada that reduce greenhouse gases and generate federal offset credits. The ability to generate and sell federal offset credits creates opportunities for farmers, foresters, Indigenous communities, municipalities, and other project developers to earn revenues from greenhouse-gas reductions and removals.
Protocols for high priority project types are currently under development in parallel to the regulation to give industries additional lower-cost compliance options. For example, under the Landfill Methane Management Protocol, which is currently under development, a municipality could install technology to collect methane that would otherwise be emitted into the atmosphere. The municipality could earn federal offset credits, which it could sell to industrial facilities regulated under the Output-Based Pricing System. Canada is aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050.
(Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada, Website PR, Mar., 2021) Contact: Environment and Climate Change Canada, www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change.html
More Low-Carbon Energy News Environment and Climate Change Canada , Carbon Credit, Carbon Tax, GHG, Carbon Offset,
The first project from Sustane would divert and recycle roughly 90 pct of municipal solid waste from landfill. Sustane would build and operate the plant, which would employ roughly 25 workers.
A second project, proposed by Canfor and Arbios, would use recovered waste and woody biomass to produce biofuel. The Arbios project would be located at the Intercon facility, creating 150 direct jobs and an additional 600 indirect jobs. Overall greenhouse gas emissions in Prince George would reportedly drop 10-pct as a result of the project.
An environmental review is currently underway. (Source: City of Prince George, PR, mypgnow, 8 Mar., 2021) Contact: Sustane Technologies, Peter Vinall, CEO, (902) 200-1642, info@sustane.co, www.sustane.co;
Arbios Biotech, www.arbiosbiotech.com; Canfor Pulp Products, (604) 661-5241, info@canfor.com, www.canfor.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Sustane Technologies, Canfor, Woody Biomass, Biofuel ,
To that end, Wells Fargo will: measure and disclose financed emissions for select carbon-intensive portfolios; set interim emission reduction targets; deploy more capital to finance climate innovation; and continue to work with its clients on their own emissions reductions efforts.
The bank will also launch an Institute for Sustainable Finance to manage the deployment of $500 billion of financing to sustainable businesses and projects by 2030, as well as support science-based research on low-carbon solutions and advocate for policies that enable client transitions.
(Source: Wells Fargo & Company, PR, 8 Mar., 2021) Contact: Wells Fargo, www.wellsfargo.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Wells Fargo, Carbon Emissions, Net-Zero Emissions,
The Act would authorize $500 million over 5 years for infrastructure grants for fuel retailers and direct the EPA Administrator to finalize a proposed rule to repeal E15 labeling requirements warning drivers about E15's potential impact on cars, which may confuse and deter drivers from using E15, a blend of gasoline with 15 percent ethanol. The bill would also direct the EPA Administrator to finalize provisions from the same proposed rule to allow certain existing Underground Storage Tanks (UST) to store higher blends of ethanol.
The Adopt GREET Act would require the EPA to update its greenhouse gas modeling for ethanol and biodiesel by requiring the EPA to adopt the Argonne National Lab's Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) Model for both fuels. EPA would then be required to update its modeling every five years or report to Congress to affirm its modeling is current or otherwise explain why no updates were made. (Source: EPA, Telegraph, 8 Mar., 2021)
More Low-Carbon Energy News Biofuel, Biodiesel, Biofuel, Renewable Fuels Infrastructure, Renewable Fuel, GREET, EPA Legislation,
Carbonomics will assist PowerTap in securing the certification of its hydrogen fueling co-located stations under the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) in California and other environmental trading markets. Specifically, Carbonomics will direct PowerTap's efforts in navigating the independent certification and verification of emission credit project activities.
Carbonomics has a proven track record in developing the pathway or method of effectively quantifying greenhouse gas emission reductions and credit registration and managing the process of monetizing the resulting carbon credits, according to the release.
(Source: Clean Power Cap., PR, 2 Mar., 2021) Contact: Clean Power Capital Corp., Joel Dumaresq, (604) 687-2038, info@cleanpower.capital,
(604) 687-2038
www.cleanpower.capital; Carbonomics, Seth Baruch, President, www.carbonomicsonline.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Low-Carbon Fuel, Clean Power Capital, PowerTap Hydrogen Fueling, Carbonnics ,
The new framework uses American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved standards process to update the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC).
Download the full Leading the Way to Energy Efficiency: A Path Forward on Energy and Sustainability to Confront a Changing Climate framework HERE (Source: International Code Council, PR, Mar., 2021) Contact: International Code Council, www.iccsafe.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News International Code Council, Energy Efficiency,
The town's planned $1.3-million biomass district heating system will replace natural gas with wood waste--woody biomass to heat four municipal buildings. The project will see a roughly 6,000 tonnes reduction in greenhouse gas emissions over the project's lifetime.
The federal funding comes from the Government of Canada's Low Carbon Economy Challenge, which invests in projects that reduce carbon pollution, save money, and create good jobs. (Source: Canada Minister of Environment and Climate Change, CNW, Mar., 2021) Contact: Town of Banff, 403.762.1200, www.banff.ca;
Canada Minister of Environment and Climate Change, www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change.html
More Low-Carbon Energy News Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Woody Biomass,
HB 1091, the Clean Fuel Standard, cuts air pollution by requiring cleaner transportation fuels to power vehicles and invests in communities most impacted by transportation pollution -- the State's largest source of air pollution linked to asthma, lung cancer, respiratory diseases and other health problems. (Source: Washington State DEQ, PR., 26 Feb., 2021)
More Low-Carbon Energy News Washington DEQ, Clean Fuel Standard,
Until now, the sewage treatment plant with a capacity of 33,000 PE (population equivalents) has applied aerobic wastewater treatment. The conversion to anaerobic sludge stabilisation will put the entire plant on track towards economic and ecological success. The new wastewater treatment solution is set to optimise operating processes, deliver significantly higher energy efficiency and reduce the sewage treatment plant‘s greenhouse gas emissions by 664 tpy. Within the framework of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the investment and development bank of Lower Saxony (NBank) rewards the carbon savings with a subsidy of €1 million.
Besides the ecological improvement, WELTEC's anaerobic wastewater treatment will deliver significant energy consumption reductions and an annual drop in energy costs from the present €195,000 to €65,000. (Source: WELTEC BIOPOWER GmbH, PR, 1 March., 2021)
Contact: WELTEC BIOPOWER GmbH,
+49 4441 99978-0, Fax: +49 4441 99978-8 , info@weltec-biopower.de, www.weltec-biopower.de
More Low-Carbon Energy News WELTEC BIOPOWER, Biogas, Anaerobic Digestion,
Low carbon fuel standards, such as the Federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), are major US programs for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation fuels. These standards rely on life cycle assessment (LCA) as a tool to estimate fuel GHG emissions.
The National Academies aims to develop a reliable and coherent approach for applying LCA to low-carbon fuel standards via a methodological assessment to identify the general characteristics and capabilities of GHG emissions estimation methods commonly needed across various types of low-carbon fuels programs applied at a national level. The committee will include the following considerations:
The National Academies is seeking approximately 14 members with expertise in the fields of: life cycle analysis (LCA); fuel production and use (including fossil fuels, biofuels, and electricity); economics; greenhouse gas (GHG) emission modeling; uncertainty analysis; terrestrial ecosystems; and environmental policy decision-making.
Details HERE (Source: National Academies. PR, 1 Mar., 2021) Contact: National Academiers, 202-334-2000, www.nationalacademies.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Low-Carbon Fuel, Biofuel, RFS, GHGs,
In 2019, CIBC committed $150 billion in support of environmental and sustainable finance activities by 2027 and has to date achieved 28 pct of this goal. The bank also issued the climate-related disclosure report Building a Sustainable Future aligned with the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures.
In 2020, CIBC issued a $500 million(US), five-year green bond to help finance new and existing green projects, assets, and businesses that mitigate the risks and effects of climate change. These include renewable energy, green buildings, clean transportation, natural resource conservation, biodiversity conservation, energy efficiency, and pollution prevention and control. Also in 2020, CIBC ranked among the top-tier of global banks for climate change action by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP).
CIBC, which recently became the first Canadian bank to join RMI's Center for Climate-Aligned Finance, has more than 10 million personal banking, business, public sector and institutional clients and $768.545 billion (Cdn) in total assets. (Source: CIBC, Website News, Feb., 2021)
Contact: CIBC, Nima Ranawana, 647-456-4556, nima.ranawana@cibc.com,
www.cibc.com; Partnership for Carbon Accounting,
www.carbonaccountingfinancials.com
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BlocPower utilizes its proprietary software for analysis, leasing, project management, and monitoring urban clean energy projects and building owners and tenants saving 20-40 pct per year on their energy bills. The company's machine learning tech platform works by determining which retrofits will produce the most energy savings in a building while remotely monitoring energy consumption. Common retrofits include solar panels and cold-climate electric heat pumps which BlocPower offers to multifamily building owners for no money down.
To date, BlocPower has "green" upgraded more than 1,000 buildings in New York City, including over 200 in Brownsville, and is now working in 23 other cities, according to the company.
BlocPower is backed by Kapor Capital, one of Uber's first investors, Andressen Horowitz, early investor in Facebook, Twitter, AirBnB and Lyft, the former Chairman of Google, and American Family Insurance Institute for Corporate and Social Impact. (Source: BlocPower, Websitem BKReader, 24 Feb., 2021) Contact: BlocPower, Donnel Baird, CEO, (718) 924-2873, support@blocpower.io,
www.blocpower.io
More Low-Carbon Energy News BlocPower, Energy Efficiency, Solar,
Specifically, UNESCO asks and answers: how is climate change impacting culture; why is culture important for addressing climate change, and: how is UNESCO addressing climate change in the field of culture?
Download the UNESCO fact sheet HERE. (Source: UNESCO, Feb., 2021) Contact: UNESCO, en.unesco.org
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The fiscal year 2021 (FY21) CFIP awards of $1.3M will fund an array of clean fuel projects across the state, including one of the largest electric school bus deployments in the country, electric vehile charging stations and emission-reduced propane autogas vehicles.
The MEA notes the transportation sector is responsible for the majority of Maryland's greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Maryland Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Act Plan. The law requires the State to reduce GHG emissions 25 pct from a 2006 baseline by 2020, in a way that ensures a positive impact on Maryland's economy, protects existing manufacturing jobs and creates new jobs in the State.
(Source: Maryland Energy Administration, PR, Feb., 2021)Contact: Maryland Energy Administration, Mary Beth Tung, Exec. Dir.,
Kaymie Owen, CMP
443-694-3651, kaymie.owen@maryland.gov, www.Energy.Maryland.gov
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CARB's existing incentive programs pay consumers in exchange for purchasing low- and zero-emission vehicles to reduce GHG emissions beyond what CARB's regulations already require.
According to the auditor's report, CARB has done little to measure the extent to which its incentive programs lead to emissions reductions by causing individuals and businesses to acquire clean vehicles that they otherwise would not have purchased.
The auditor's report notes CARB has overstated the GHG emissions reductions its incentive programs have achieved, although it is unclear by how much. Additionally, CARB has not consistently collected or analyzed data to determine whether some of its programs provide the socioeconomic benefits that CARB has identified for those programs, such as maximizing participants' economic opportunities.
Because these programs may cost significantly more than other incentive programs from the perspective of reducing GHG emissions, CARB must do more to measure and demonstrate specific benefits to disadvantaged communities and low-income communities and households that the programs intend to serve, the auditor's report adds.
(Source: Office of California State Auditor, Website, 23 Feb., 2021)
Contact: California State Auditor, Elaine M. Howle, CPA, (916) 445-0255, www.auditor.ca.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News CARB, California Air Resources Board, Transporation Emissions, CO2, Carbon Emissions,
Among the policy options being considered are an extension of the scope of the ETS to include road transport and a possible phase-out of the ESR. ePURE has provided the following suggestions on how they can be better integrated with other EU policies to become more effective at achieving Europe's climate goals.
A successful decarbonisation policy in transport must ensure a total coherence of actions between car manufacturers, fuel suppliers and retailers. But an ETS for road transport would seriously disrupt the existing growing synergy between these stakeholders, hamper efforts to reduce emissions from transport, increase fuel prices and create social discontent.
A more effective solution would better integrate existing EU policies. For example, the targets of the EU Renewable Energy Directive should be increased in line with higher Green Deal ambitions. Other policies, such as the Energy Taxation Directive and CO2 standards for cars and vans must be revised in order to integrate the CO2 content and the biogenic content of fuels, thus better reflecting the real environmental performance of biofuels. These actions, however, do not necessitate the extension of the ETS to road transport, and their revision should be carried out independently.
At first glance the ESR has so far been a success with the EU achieving and even surpassing its 9.3 pct emissions reduction objectives as a whole by 2020 as early as in 2018, due mainly to progress in sectors that were the easiest to decarbonise, such as buildings and waste. There has been little to no decarbonisation in the transportation and agriculture sectors, which account for over 50 pct of the ESR emissions, and meeting the already agreed 2030 target of 30 pct. Moreover, there have been many differing levels of progress among Member States.
ePURE suggests the EU should not abandon what works but rather should strengthen and improve the legislative tools that actually boost renewable energy and fuels and encourage carbon abatement. This includes keeping ESR targets, the sole legally binding targets for Member States to reduce emissions in sectors not currently in the ETS.
Keeping the existing legislation and increasing their ambition levels, including ESR, RED II and the Fuel Quality Directive is a safety net that the EU should not phase out without good reasons. (Source: ePURE, Website PR, 15 Feb., 2021) Contact: ePURE, Emmanuel Desplechin, Secretary-General, +32 2 657 6679, info@epure.org, www.epure.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News ePURE, Ethanol, GHG, Greenhouse Gas, Carbon Emissions,
Honda's ENERGY STAR certified plants include: Honda Marysville Auto Plant and East Liberty Auto Plants in Ohio; Honda Manufacturing of Indiana; Honda Manufacturing of Alabama; the Anna Engine Plant, located in Anna, Ohio; the Honda Transmission Manufacturing plant, in Russells Point, Ohio and Honda Precision Parts of Georgia. Additionally, the Honda of Canada Mfg. auto and engine plants also earned first-time recognition in 2020 by the Canadian Department of Natural Resources.
Through its Green Factory initiatives, Honda is working to address the environmental impacts of product manufacturing by reducing water use, energy use, waste and emissions. Honda has reduced the CO2 emissions intensity of automobile production in North America by 27.5 pct since 2010 and has cut waste to landfills from manufacturing by 93 pct since 2001. The company also is moving toward the use of renewable wind and solar power for the majority of the electricity it consumes in its manufacturing operations.
ENERGY STAR was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Today, the ENERGY STAR label can be found on more than 60 different kinds of products as well as new homes and commercial and industrial buildings that meet strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the EPA. Over the past twenty years, American families and businesses have saved a total of nearly $450 billion on utility bills and prevented more than 3.1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions with help from ENERGY STAR. (Source: Honda, DOE ENERGY STAR, Feb., 2021) Contact: DOE ENERGY STAR, www.energystar.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News Honda, ENERGY STAR, Energy Efficiency,
When fully operational, the 250 megawatt/1,000 megawatt-hour battery energy storage project could lower electricity system costs by up to $760 million over its lifetime and help Ontario reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 4.1 million tonnes -- equivalent of taking about 40,000 cars off the road every year over the project's life.
(Source: NRStor, Canadian Biomass, 23 Feb., 2021) Contact:
Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation, (519) 753-1950, www.sndevcorp.ca; NRStor Inc., Peter Gregg, President, (647) 281-7200, www.nrstor.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News NRStor, Energy Storage, Battery Eenrgy Storage,
Shell wants to ramp up its use of nature-based carbon offsets, which include forestation projects, to 120 million tpy by 2030, to as high as 300 million tpy . Shell, which currently has 4.5 million tonnes of CCS capacity either in use or in the pipeline, aims to sell CCS as a service to other emitters
Globally, the entire voluntary carbon offset market reached 104 million tonnes in 2019, according to Ecosystem Marketplace .
(Source: Shell, Yahoo, 19 Feb., 2021)
Contact: Shell, www.shell.com/newenergies
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The company also notes it will procure 75 pct of its worldwide electric power from renewable energy sources by 2025, and hit 90 pct renewable consumption by 2030. The company also plans to use carbon capture by 2030 to remove emissions in "an amount which equals or exceeds the level of IBM's residual emissions" or those emissions IBM still produces after exhausting all avenues to reduce is greenhouse emissions.
As we reported on 15 July, 2020, IBM, a Founding Member of the Climate Leadership Council, reduced its operational CO2 emissions by 39.7 pct since 2005, well ahead of its goal of a 40 pct reduction in CO2 emissions by 2025. The company also noted 47 pct of the electricity it consumed in 2019 came from renewable sources, keeping the company on track to get 55 pct of its electricity from renewables by 2025. (Source: IBM, PR, ZD Net, 17 Feb., 2021)Contact: IBM, www.ibm.com/us-en
More Low-Carbon Energy News IBM, CO2, Carbon Emissions, Net-Zero Emissions,