To meet its goal, the government promised the public sector will achieve carbon neutrality by 2025. Government agencies would be required to measure and report emissions and offset any they can't cut by 2025.
The Prime Minister's first term Zero Carbon Bill banned new offshore oil and gas exploration, but exempted agriculture from emissions regulations. Nearly half of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions, mainly methane, come from agriculture.
As we reported in July, the New Zealand Ministry for the Environment (MfE) is projecting the country's net greenhouse gas emissions will peak at 72.04 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent (Mt CO2e) in 2025 -- more than double 1990 levels.
Although these figures do not take into account the impact of the recently-strengthened Emissions Trading Scheme, the impact of that policy is expected to be limited over the next decade -- in 2030, net emissions will be 64.01 Mt CO2e with the stronger ETS as opposed to the 66.07 Mt CO2e projected in the MfE figures. They will also be well above where they need to be for New Zealand to meet its commitment under the Paris Climate Agreement. (Source: New Zealand Ministry for the Environment, newsroompro, Reuters, Dec., 2020) Contact: New Zealand Ministry for the Environment, www.mfe.govt.nz
More Low-Carbon Energy News New Zealand, Carbon Emissions, Climate Change, Carbon Neutral, Methane,
The researchers found that average default forest regrowth rates used by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) may have been underestimated by 32 pct.
Led by the Nature Conservancy, the study redefined international estimates and highlighted the role of natural forest regrowth in carbon accumulation, according to Report co-author and CSIRO Principal Research Scientist Dr. Stephen Roxburgh. "The global study complemented recent Australian work on carbon accumulation rates for planted and naturally regenerating stands of woody biomass across Australia," Roxburgh noted and added climate, rather than past land use, was the most important driver of potential carbon accumulation.
The study provides an important benchmark to assess the global potential of forest regrowth as a climate mitigation strategy.
(Source: CSIRO, Spatial Source, October, 2020)
Contact: CSIRO, +61 3 9545 2176, enquiries@csiro.au, www.csiro.au
More Low-Carbon Energy News CSIRO, Carbon Capture,
The Kamloops community climate action plan proposes the following:
The city notes that, in addition to emissions reductions actions already in place, the above efforts could potentially reduce GHG emissions by 538,000 to 556,000 tonnes of CO2 by 2050. In 2019 the city committed to maintain a 1.5 C temperature increase, as set out in the Paris Agreement as well as IPCC targets for emissions to be reduced by between 40 and 60 pct by 2030 or sooner.
(Source: City of Kamloops, Civic Web, July, 2020)
Contact: City of Kamloops , www.kamloops.civicweb.net; IPCC, www.ipcc.ch
More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Change, IPCC,
"Biodiesel, among other desired properties, is renewable, biodegradable, sustainable, and emits less particles. It also contains no sulfur, in addition to possessing most of the good characteristics of petroleum diesel. At the moment, more than 95 pct of biodiesel produced globally is obtained from vegetable oil feedstocks, which are usually very expensive and thus, without tax waiver and subsidy, makes biodiesel non-competitive with the petroleum diesel.
"Based on this, non-edible feedstocks are being investigated. Although, their oil yield is low, studies are carried out to ensure efficient extraction. The economics of the process is considered to determine the most economic variables that impact the profitability of biodiesel production.
"The global production capacity of biodiesel is expected to reach 12 billion gpy by 2020 with Brazil, the United States , Malaysia, Argentina, Netherlands, Spain, Philippines, Belgium, Indonesia and Germany meeting more than 80 pct of the world demand. Countries like US, China and India are currently experiencing a great growth in the biodiesel market with their respective governments planning to replace about 15 pct of the conventional diesel with biodiesel by 2020.
Download the Biodiesel Production as a Renewable Resource for the Potential Displacement of the Petroleum Diesel report HERE. (Source: IntechOpen, July, 2020) Contact: IntechOpen Ltd, +44 (0) 203 972 6202, info@intechopen.com, www.intechopen.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Biodiesel news,
"From an emissions standpoint, the UK would be better off burning coal and leaving those (older) trees standing as long as possible." -- Bill Moomaw, Biomass Energy Researcher, UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (Source: IPCC, Eco Business, Mongabay, 20 April, 2020)
A Bioenergy & Alternative Fuels report subscriber noted the following:
First, the 40 million acres, more or less, of managed southern pine plantations are loblolly pine not longleaf pine. These two pine varieties have important differences in growth rate and ecological values.
Second, and more much importantly, mature pine forest do not 'accelerate' their storage as they mature. These are privately owned lands and the details of the site and management practices are very important, but the annually growth rate (carbon accumulation) on most pine sites slows after 15-20 years. The TOTAL carbon on the acre/hectare increase, but at a slower annual rate.
Finally, and completely absent from these discussion that are typically led by scientist or environmental groups who do not have a clear understanding of the on the ground ownership and motivations of private landowners in the southern US, is that without a source of income some of these forest will be converted to some other uses, probably pasture, which has very limited carbon storage potential. In effect these EU experts are trying to shift the costs of carbon sequestration to private landowners. One can argue that if they want to sequester carbon in trees, and take on the additional risk of unplanned, large scale release from fire, disease or hurricane, that is fine, but they should pay the landowner for the carbon and the lost income.
Editor's Note: We thank our reader for his input and clarification of our report.
More Low-Carbon Energy News Woody Biomass,
CAP notes these actions will result in major economic and health benefits, lead to energy security and great resilience to the harmful impacts of a changing climate, and address racial and economic equality to ensure the benefits of carbon reductions are equitably shared.
In 2017, Parisi created the Dane County Office of Energy & Climate Change (OECC) to lead public and private efforts across the county to address climate change. The OECC led by its director, Keith Reopelle, created the Council on Climate Change -- a work group of 38 local governments, energy utilities, businesses, and environmental and community organizations that provided input into the development of the CAP to reduce GHG emissions across all 61 cities, towns and villages as well as the private sector.
(Source: Dane County Office of Energy & Climate Change, Herald Independent, 26 April, 2020)
Contact: Dane County Office of Energy & Climate Change, Keith Reopelle, Dir., www.daneclimateaction.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Change, Carbon Emissions, CO2,
"From an emissions standpoint, the UK would be better off burning coal and leaving those (older) trees standing as long as possible." --
Bill Moomaw, Biomass Energy Researcher, UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (Source: Eco Business, Mongabay, 20 April, 2020)
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Emissions ,
ESA findings show
Greenland and Antarctica lost 6.4 trillion tonnes of ice between 1992 and 2017 -- pushing global sea levels up by 17.8 millimetres.
Of the total sea level rise coming from melting polar ice sheets, around 60 pct (10.6 millimetres) was due to Greenland ice losses and 40 pct was due to Antarctica (7.2 millimetres). In just 6 month, the loss of ice from 81 billion tpy in the 1990s to 475 billion tpy in the 2010s. This means that polar ice sheets are now responsible for a third of all sea level rise.
(Source: European Space Agency Website, 13 Mar., 2020)
Contact: European Space Agency, www.esa.int
More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Change, Global Warming,
The letter, which noted that the "carbon benefits of sustainable forest biomass are well established", cites a report from UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC) which notes -- "In the long term, a sustainable forest management strategy aimed at maintaining or increasing forest carbon stocks, while producing an annual sustained yield of timber, fibre or energy from the forest, will generate the largest sustained mitigation benefit. Demand for wood helps keep land in forest and incentivizes investments in new and more productive forests, all of which have significant carbon benefits."
Reviewing more than 30 years of scientific research on forest biomass utilization, scientists from Yale, Harvard, and Georgia to Washington, Idaho, Berkeley and others identified four fundamentals for science-based decision-making on biomass energy production:
The Synthesis Report will present the latest state of climate knowledge to serve as the basis for international negotiations in time for the first global stock-take under the Paris Agreement in 2023.
The global stock-take is a process under the 2015 Paris Agreement of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to take stock of collective progress towards achieving the purpose of the Agreement and its long-term goals. It takes place every five years, with the first one in 2023.
The outcome of the global stock-take will inform Parties to the Agreement in updating and enhancing, in a nationally determined manner, their actions and support for the goals of the Agreement, as well as enhancing international cooperation for climate action.
(Source: IPCC, PR, 20 Feb., 2020) Contact: IPCC, www.ipcc.ch; UNFCCC, www.unfccc.int
More Low-Carbon Energy News UNFCCC, Paris Climate Agreement, IPCC,
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned that going beyond 1.5 degrees C will increase the frequency and intensity of climate impacts.
The report notes 2020 is a critical year for climate action, with the UN climate change conference in Glasgow aiming to determine the future course of efforts to avert crisis, and countries expected to significantly step up their climate commitments.
Download the full report HERE. (Source: UN Environment Programme, Dec., 2019) Contact: UN Environment Programme, www.unep.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News UN Environment Programme , Climate Chanmge, Carbon Emissions,
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,
The report recommends Queensland stop burning coal for power by 2030 to play its part in keeping global heating to 1.5 Celsius under the UN's Paris Agreement targets, agreed to by Australia in 2016. The report also notes hitting the necessary emissions reduction target would spell the end of Queensland thermal coal exports by 2040, as part of a "rapid and almost complete global phase-out" of coal for electric power genearation.
Queensland is Australia's biggest carbon-emitting state and will blow its total "carbon budget" of 1.2 gigatonnes by 2031 if its CO2 emissions remain at their 2017 rate, the report found.
The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has forecast that 70-90 pct of coral reefs worldwide will be lost at a 1.5C rise, with more than 99 per cent lost at 2C.
Queensland accounts for 24 pct of Australia's energy and industry emissions and is targeting zero-net emissions by 2050.
(Source: Climate Analytics, Australia Broadcasting Corp., 27 Oct., 2019) Contact: Climate Analytics, Bill Hare, Director, +49 (0)30 259229520, www.climateanalytics.org; Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Josh Thomas, CEO, www.gbrmpa.gov.au; Great Barrier Reef Foundation, www.barrierreef.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Analytics, Carbon Emissions, Coal, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority ,
The letter, which noted that the "carbon benefits of sustainable forest biomass are well established", cites a report from UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC) which notes: "In the long term, a sustainable forest management strategy aimed at maintaining or increasing forest carbon stocks, while producing an annual sustained yield of timber, fibre or energy from the forest, will generate the largest sustained mitigation benefit. Demand for wood helps keep land in forest and incentivizes investments in new and more productive forests, all of which have significant carbon benefits."
Reviewing more than 30 years of scientific research on forest biomass utilization, scientists from Yale, Harvard, and Georgia to Washington, Idaho, Berkeley and others identified four fundamentals for science-based decision-making on biomass energy production:
The first is an energy pathway set by current and planned policies. The second is a cleaner climate-resilient pathway based largely on more ambitious, yet achievable, uptake of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures, which limits the rise in global temperature to well below 2 degrees C and closer to 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial levels and is aligned within the envelope of scenarios presented in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 degree C.
This report outlines the role of wind power in the transformation of the global energy system based on IRENA's climate resilient pathway, specifically the growth in wind power deployments that would be needed in the next three decades to achieve the Paris climate goals.
Download the IRENA report HERE, (Source: IRENA, Oct., 2019)
Contact: IRENA, www.irena.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News IRENA, Wind, IPCC,
The Exmooor National Park Authority noted it has already cut its carbon emissions by 30 pct by: improving energy efficiency within Authority-owned buildings; installing renewable energy along with a scheme to facilitate installation of 73 new renewable energy systems in local communities, farms and houses across Exmoor; the restoration of nearly 2,500 hectares of peatland in the National Park through the Exmoor Mires Partnership, with plans to extend this to at least 3,000 hectares.
Peatlands are the UK's single most important terrestrial carbon store, containing 20 times more carbon than all UK forests.
A functioning bog absorbs around 0.87 tpy of carbon per hectare year while dry peatland releases CO2 -- degraded peat in England is emitting an estimated 11 million tpy of CO2. (Source: Exmoor National Park Authority, Somerset County Gazette, 6 Oct., 2019) Contact: Exmoor National Park Authority, +44 1398 323665, www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk
More Low-Carbon Energy News Peatland, CO2, Carbon Sequestrartion, Carbon Emissions, Carbon Sequestration,
Download the report HERE. Source: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Yahoo Finance, 26 Sept., 2019) Contact: IPCC, www.ipcc.ch
More Low-Carbon Energy News Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Renewable Energy, Solar, Wind ,
The report will be a key scientific input into forthcoming climate and environment negotiations, such as the Conference of the Parties of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (COP14) in New Delhi, India in September and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference (COP25) in Santiago, Chile, in December.
The report notes that better land management can contribute to tackling climate change, but is not the only solution. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from all sectors is essential if global warming is to be kept to well below 2 degrees C, if not 1.5 degrees C.
The IPCC assessments provide all levels of government with scientific information that can be used to develop climate policies and in international negotiations to tackle climate change.
The IPCC, the world body for assessing the state of scientific knowledge related to climate change, its impacts and potential future risks and possible response options.
Download the UN IPCC Land is Part of the Climate Solution report
HERE. (Source: UN IPCC, 8 Aug., 2019) Contact: IPCC, www.ipcc.ch
More Low-Carbon Energy News IPCC, Climate Change, Global Waming, Carbon Emissions,
Participating companies include: Acciona, AstraZeneca, Banka BioLoo, BT, Dalmia Cement Ltd., Eco-Steel Africa Ltd., Enel, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Iberdrola, KLP, Levi Strauss & Co., Mahindra Group, Natura &Co, Novozymes, Royal DSM, SAP, Signify, Singtel, Telefonica, Telia, Unilever, Vodafone Group PLC and Zurich Insurance, amongst others, collectively representing over one million employees from 17 sectors and more than 16 countries.
(Source: UN Global Compact, PR, COMTEX, 23 July, 2019) Contact: UN Global Compact, (212) 907-1301, www.unglobalcompact.org; Science Based Targets Initiative, +44 (0) 20 3818 3916,
Sarah.Savage@cdp.net, www.sciencebasedtargets.org; We Mean Business Coalition, Kristen King, (904) 608- 1745
kristen@wemeanbusinesscoalition.org
www.wemeanbusinesscoaltion.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Science Based Targets initiative, UN Global Compact, Carbon Emissions, Climate Change,
"We know that the Earth is warming; years ago it was covered in ice. Several times since it has gone through periods of being encapsulated in ice!!! Fifty-five thousand years old samples drawn from Antarctic core drills indicate the Earth was 2% warmer than it is today. The reason for this is that the proximity between the sun and the Earth is in a constant state of flux., "The United Nations has propagated an agenda that has a goal of establishing income equality between all countries. To reach that objective, they have decided on the 'Robin Hood' approach -- rob from the rich and give to the poor. Guess who the villain is -- that's right, the USA. How do they accomplish this? They develop a 'Chicken Little' narrative and generate a villain -- that rich country whose people live in luxury.
"Please humor me while we address the UN's narrative. They repeatedly reiterate that 97 pct of the scientists say that the earth is warming and it is caused by humans and the use of 'fossil fuels.' In 1988, The UN formed a committee, The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, (IPCC) 11,944 scientists were questioned. Of those, 66.4 pct (7,930) said they did not believe that was true. Of the other 4,014, 1,344 said they did not know leaving 2,670 that agreed, which is 22 pct, not 97 pct. That is the first big lie!!! The question I have is: How many of those 22 pct have a parochial interest in the warming equation? Bear in mind that our government spent $22 billion in 2016 to have this warming theory authenticated, with most going to academics.
"Next, let's address the fossil fuel cause. 70.9 pct of the Earth's surface consists of ocean water. The National Oceanographic Survey Department states that the average depth of the ocean is 12,100 feet, which means there are 351,600,000,000,000,000,000 gallons of water in the ocean.
"Salt water weighs 8.5 lbs. per gallon. One pound of water uses 1 BTU to raise the temperature 1 degree Fahrenheit. All countries combined in 2015 produced 9 billion tons of coal. The heat factor of the Pittsburgh seam of coal is 12,000 BTU. Using the 35/65 pct factor with 35 pct used to generate electricity and 65 pct lost to the stack gases, allowing for 0 pct dissipated to the land masses or the atmosphere, all heat being transferred to the ocean, it would take 21,610 years to raise the temperature of the ocean 1 degree Fahrenheit!
"We (the U.S.) are the only industrialized country that has cut CO2 emissions since 2005. Following is a list of coal-fired power plants in several other countries: Europe has 480 and is building 27 more; Turkey- 56 and building 93; South Africa-79, building 24; India- 589, building 446; Philippines- 19, building 60; South Korea- 58, building 26; Japan- 90, building 45; China- 2363, building 1171; and the USA- 359, building 0 . Totals: 4,075 existing and 1,892 under construction not including Russia, North Korea and Eastern Europe, with most of their electric generation being coal fired.
"My fellow Americans, the most outrageous hoax that has ever been attached to any group of people since the beginning of mankind is attempting to be heaped on the United States of America -- all in the interest of taxing this country into oblivion.
They are trying to do what two World Wars, communism and socialism could not accomplish, but it is being condoned and sanctioned from within by progressive liberals who apparently have had lobotomies, or missed a good chance, and our own politicians who gush with delight at the unending stream of $$$$ coming from this potential 'Cash Cow'"! (Source: WCWV, Exponent Telegram, 26 May, 2019) Contact: Exponemt Telegram,
Mr. Phil Southern, (800) 982-6034, www.wvnews.com/theet/news
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Emissions, Coal,
"We, the undersigned 4,520 Amazon employees, ask that you adopt the climate plan shareholder resolution and release a company-wide climate plan that incorporates the principles outlined in this letter.
"Amazon has the resources and scale to spark the world's imagination and redefine what is possible and necessary to address the climate crisis. We believe this is a historic opportunity for Amazon to stand with employees and signal to the world that we're ready to be a climate leader.
"Climate change is an existential threat. The 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report predicts that a warming of 2 degree C, which we're currently on track to surpass, will threaten the lives of hundreds of millions of people and put thousands of species at risk of extinction. We're already seeing devastating climate impacts: unprecedented flooding in India and Mozambique, dry water wells in Africa, coastal displacement in Asia, wildfires and floods in North America, and crop failure in Latin America. Vulnerable communities least responsible for the climate crisis are already paying the highest price.
"Amazon's leadership is urgently needed. We're a company that understands the importance of thinking big, taking ownership of hard problems, and earning trust. These traits have made Amazon a top global innovator but have been missing from the company's approach to climate change. For example: We (Amazon) haven't disclosed a company-wide plan to reach zero carbon emissions within the timeline required; Shipment Zero only commits to net carbon reductions; We have an AWS for oil & gas initiative devoted to helping fossil fuel companies accelerate and expand oil and gas extraction; We donate to climate-delaying legislators (Amazon has joined a variety of sustainability organizations like the Corporate Eco Forum and the American Council on Renewable Energy, we donated to 68 members of congress in 2018 who voted against climate legislation 100 pct of the time) ; and our sustainability goals lack context. "For example, we've set a goal of at least 50 solar installations in warehouse facilities by 2020. This represents only 6 pct of buildings in our global fulfillment network and a fraction of our overall carbon footprint .
"Our customer obsession requires climate obsession. This necessitates an immediate company-wide plan addressing climate change that demonstrates the following principles: Public goals and timelines consistent with science and the IPCC report ; A complete transition away from fossil fuels rather than relying on carbon offsets; Prioritization of climate impact when making business decision; Reduction of harm to the most vulnerable communities first; Advocacy for local, federal, and international policies; Fair treatment of all employees during climate disruptions and extreme weather events.
"In our mission to become 'Earth's most customer-centric company,' we believe our climate impact must be a top consideration in everything we do. We have the power to shift entire industries, inspire global action on climate, and lead on the issue of our lifetimes. We ask that you, as leaders responsible for our strategic direction, adopt the climate plan resolution and release a company-wide plan that incorporates the six principles above." (Source: Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, April, 2019)
More Low-Carbon Energy News Amazon, Climate Change, Renewable Energy,
BIMCO wants the next IMO study to ignore Scenarios 1 and 5 of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSP) because they are based on unrealistic short- to mid-term economic growth projections. According to BIMCO, "The previous [IMO] study's most pessimistic projection of a 250 pct increase in CO2 emissions from shipping has since proven to be totally unrealistic, given the actual and projected economic development of the world, Unfortunately, the 250 pct projection has frequently been used as a stick against the shipping industry and to shape regional policy. BIMCO wants to avoid that happening again."
BIMCO claims a new report by the CE Delft consultancy uses a more realistic GDP growth forecast to project a reduction of 20 pct against a goal of 50 pct by 2050. Acknowledging the 30 pct shortfall in emissions reduction "We will need new solutions, in addition to traditional efficiency measures, to reach the 2050 target. But to pick the right solutions, we need realistic projections." BIMCO says.
BIMCO has 2,000 members in more than 120 countries representing shipowners, operators, managers, brokers and agents.
(Source: Baltic and International Maritime Consultative Organization, Project Cargo Global, Feb., 2019) Contact: BIMCO Lars Robert Pedersen, Deputy Sec. Gen., +45 44 36 68 00,
+45 44 36 68 68. mailbox@bimco.org, www.bimco.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News BIMCO, IMO, Maritime Emissions,
The most recent report from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change highlights the narrow twelve-year window we have to mitigate the worst effects of climate change. Because of its potency as a greenhouse gas, regulating methane emissions is one of the most promising ways to make dramatic short-term changes to the atmosphere that could be the difference between manageable climate impacts and disastrous ones.
CAVU (Climate Advocates/Voces Unidas), has worked to inform a wide audience about the the impacts of methane emissions to New Mexico.
(Source: Climate Advocates/Voces Unidas, New Mexico Public Radio, 2 Feb., 2019) Contact: Climate Advocates/Voces Unidas, www.facebook.com/CAVUorg/?rc=p; U.S. Climate Alliance, www.usclimatealliance.org; New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, www.governor.state.nm.us
More Low-Carbon Energy News U.S. Climate Alliance, Methane, Methane Emissions,
More recently, the Government published its £420 million construction sector deal, outlining a course for halving building energy use and emissions by 2030.
Even so, several industry bodies and corporations have argued that wider progress towards low-carbon infrastructure has been too slow -- particularly in light of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) global warming report's conclusion that the world must achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 to avoid catastrophic climate change.
(Source: Greater Manchester Combined Authority, edie News, 7 January 2019) Contact: Greater Manchester Combined Authority, +44 161 778 7000, www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk
More Low-Carbon Energy News Building Carbon Emissions, Carbon Neutral, Net-Zero Carbon Emissions,
Runoff from Greenland, currently the biggest single source of meltwater adding to the volume of the world's oceans, is 50 pct higher than pre-industrial levels and increasing exponentially as a result of man-made global warming, the article warns.
Based on UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change data, almost all of the increase has occurred in the past two decades.
(Source: Conservation Int'l. HumanNature Blog, 11 Dec., 2018)
More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Change,
In October, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned that the world has only 8 years left to limit climate change catastrophe and that drastic cuts in carbon emissions will be needed if the world is to reach the COP15 pledge of keeping temperatures between 1.5C and 2C. Unfortunately, CO2 emissions hit a record high in 2017.
Although Poland has reduced its share of coal in power generation, the country still gets close to 80 pct of its electricity from the fossil fuel. Even so, Poland is planning construction of another major coal-fired power plant that the Environment Ministry promises will be the last.
However, some observers are skeptical since the the country's most recent energy plan would basically see the amount of coal in the energy mix remain unchanged at 80 pct until 2030, when coal reserves are expected to run dry.
Even so, Polish authorities are calling for a "just transition" for fossil fuel industries like coal which are facing closures as part of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
(Source: REMI rfi, Others, Dec. 3, 2018)
More Low-Carbon Energy News Paris Climate Agreement, COP24, Coal, Climate Change,
Midpen, which stewards more than 63,000 acres of public open space, including redwood forests which store large amounts of carbon, is targeting a reduction in emissions of 20 pct below its 2016 baseline by 2022, 40 pct by 2030 and 80 pct by 2050. To that end, Midpen will reduce emissions from vehicles, equipment, employee commutes, business travel, offices and tenant residences, using renewable diesel fuel, installing electric vehicle chargers,and others. The plan also identifies strategies for reducing or offsetting emissions from livestock grazing in Midpen's open space preserves, enhancing carbon sequestration, reducing preserve visitor transportation emissions and increasing staff and visitor awareness of climate change.
This goal is in line with the Golden State's climate change policy and the Paris Climate Agreement, which aims to limit global warming to two degrees Celsius.
The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District is a public agency committed to acquiring and preserving open space and agricultural land of regional significance, protect and restore the natural environment and provide opportunities for ecologically sensitive public enjoyment and education. (Source: Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, Siliconner, 13 Oct., 2018) Contact: Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, Ana Maria Ruiz, Dir., (650) 691-1200, (650) 691-0485 (fax), info@openspace.org, www.openspace.org/climate
More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Change,
The Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5C was approved by the IPCC on Saturday in Incheon, South. Korea. It will be a key scientific input into the Katowice Climate Change Conference in Poland in December, when governments review the Paris Agreement to tackle climate change.
"With more than 6,000 scientific references cited and the dedicated contribution of thousands of expert and government reviewers worldwide, this important report testifies to the breadth and policy relevance of the IPCC," said Hoesung Lee, Chair of the IPCC. Ninety-one authors and review editors from 40 countries prepared the IPCC report in response to an invitation from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) when it adopted the Paris Agreement in 2015.
The report highlights a number of climate change impacts that could be avoided by limiting global warming to 1.5C compared to 2C, or more. For instance, by 2100, global sea level rise would be 10 cm lower with global warming of 1.5C compared with 2C. The likelihood of an Arctic Ocean free of sea ice in summer would be once per century with global warming of 1.5C, compared with at least once per decade with 2C. Coral reefs would decline by 70 -- 90 percent with global warming of 1.5C, whereas virtually all (99 percent) would be lost with 2C. Limiting global warming would also give people and ecosystems more room to adapt and remain below relevant risk thresholds.
The report also examines pathways available to limit warming to 1.5C, what it would take to achieve them and what the consequences could be. The report finds that limiting global warming to 1.5C would require rapid and far reaching transitions in land, energy, industry, buildings, transport, and cities. Global net human-caused emissions of CO2 would need to fall by about 45 pct from 2010 levels by 2030, reaching net-zero around 2050. This means that any remaining emissions would need to be balanced by removing CO2from the air.
Allowing the global temperature to temporarily exceed or 'overshoot' 1.5C would mean a greater reliance on techniques that remove CO2 from the air to return global temperature to below 1.5C by 2100. The effectiveness of such techniques are unproven at large scale and some may carry significant risks for sustainable development, the report notes.
The report was prepared under the scientific leadership of all three IPCC working groups. Working Group I assesses the physical science basis of climate change; Working Group II addresses impacts, adaptation and vulnerability; and Working Group III deals with the mitigation of climate change.
The Paris Agreement adopted by 195 nations at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in December 2015 included the aim of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change by "holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels." As part of the decision to adopt the Paris Agreement, the IPCC was invited to produce, in 2018, the attached Special Report on global warming of 1.5C -- the first in a series of Special Reports to be produced in the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Cycle.
The IPCC is the leading world body for assessing the science related to climate change, its impacts and potential future risks, and possible response options.
Download the IPCC Report on
Global Warming
HERE.
(Source: IPCC, PR,
8 October 2018) Contact: IPCC, +41 22 730 8208 / 54 / 84, Fax. +41 22 730 8025 / 13, Sec@wmo.int,
www.ipcc.ch
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The report considers what it will take to prevent the Earth's average surface temperature from rising beyond 1.5C (2.7 degrees F) above pre-industrial levels.
The report notes with "high confidence" that at current GHG emissions levels we will pass the 1.5C marker around 2040. The report adds that to have at least a 50-50 chance of a 1.5 C world, the global economy must, by 2050, become "carbon neutral" and CO2 emissions peak not later than 2020 then fall dramatically.
The 22-page Summary also details the amount of CO2 we can dump into the atmosphere and still stay under the 1.5C threshold.
The report also identifies scenarios on the best way to ramp up the fight against climate change: adoption of new technologies to radically reduce energy needs; major reductions in energy consumption habits; removing massive amounts of CO2 out of the air, either though large-scale reforestation, use of biofuels; and direct carbon capture. The report notes the share of primary energy coming from renewables would have to jump to at least 50 pct by mid-century, and the share of coal drop from about 28 to between 1 and 7 pct.
Download the Sumary for Policymakers HERE.
(Source: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, PhysOrg, Various Media, Oct., 2018) Contact: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, www.ipcc.ch
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A carbon offset is a reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases made to compensate for an emission made elsewhere. (Source: IPCC, Public Service News Australia, 17 June, 2018)Contact: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, www.ipcc.ch; Climate Neutral Now initiative, https://unfccc.int/climate-action/climate-neutral-now; UNFCCC, https://unfccc.int
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The CCUS initiative will seek to support and accelerate existing CCUS projects such as those undertaken by the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum, the International Energy Agency (IEA), the IEA's Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme, Mission Innovation, and the Global CCS Institute.
The US, Saudi Arabia and Norway will lead the project, with international partners including Canada, China, Japan, Mexico, and the UK.
The technologies are predicted to play a key role in global decarbonization efforts, with nuclear set to make energy-intensive processes such as desalination, hydrogen production and energy storage carbon neutral.
Following the Paris Agreement, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and IEA predicted that CCUS would be essential to limiting global warming to 2 degree C. (Source: US DOE, Power Tech, 31 May, 2018)
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