SK Group
Date: 2022-05-02
South Korea-based SK Group Inc. wholly-owned subsidiary SK Forest is touting its various forestry businesses, including its Afforestation and reforestation Clean Development Mechanism (A/R CDM), is touting its environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiative and plan to curb combined carbon emissions by 35 pct (200 million tonnes by 2030) jumping by 85 pct through 2040 compared to emissions in 2020.

SK Forestry notes it has planted 250,000 trees in Goseong, Gwangwon, South Korea and is actively participating in forest projection projects in developing countries. (Source: SK Group Inc., PR, JoongAng Daily, 2 May, 2022)

More Low-Carbon Energy News SK Group news,  Carbon Credits news,  Reforestation news,  

Spades Touts Climate Resilience Enterprise (Ind. Report)
Date: 2022-01-05
Minneapolis-based specific benefit for profit corporation Spades reports it is developing three new tree planting projects involving 1,000,000 acres, 100 million trees, and 100 million MT of sequestered carbon, with dozens of projects in its pipeline. Spades biotechnology increases tree survival to improve climate resilience, investor returns, local economic development and provide returns via carbon offsets timber, and agroforestry.

Spades proprietary solutions include Terrazone™ which helps fit people and land, negotiating between competing rural land uses, including the protection of habitat; Ecofit™biotech helps select the right combination of local tree species for current and future environments; engagement with the largest tree grower network in the world and local governments; and balanced finance to help unlock higher returns for investors, donors, and local landowners, applying monitoring and standards to track outcomes for 50 years.

Spades projects are open to diverse habitats and locations, from temperate to tropical, coastlines to highlands, in developed and developing nations. The first three projects are in Africa and Latin America.

Established in 2019, Spades is committed to developing profitable projects to reforest the world. Our vision is to sustain the world by integrating thriving human, environmental, and economic solutions. Spades' solutions meet multiple urgent, global needs of stakeholders. Reforestation, regenerative agriculture, integrated rural land use development, diversified ecosystems, greater food security, better water resources, carbon sequestration, air quality, and income and investment opportunities are just a few areas that will reap rewards from Spades work, according to the company.

According to a May 2021 report by the UNCCD, more than 125 countries have made commitments to improve their land and ecosystems. National pledges to take action already cover over 1 billion hectares. (Source: Spades, PR, Jan., 2022) Contact: Spades for Life, Raymond Menard, CEO, www.spades.life

More Low-Carbon Energy News Reforestation,  Aforestation,  Carbon Emissions,  Climate Change,  Carbon Sequestration,  

Michigan State Forest Carbon and Climate Program
Date: 2021-12-06
The Michigan State University Forest Carbon and Climate Program (FCCP), a partner in a new 5-year, $5.3 million USDA Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), is reporting receipt of Climate Action and Reforestation in Northern Michigan grant funding for the reforestation of over 16,400 acres in 27 counties in the northern lower peninsula of Michigan. The grant will also be used for the incentivization of forest restoration activities and the encouragement of long-term forest stewardship.

FCCP will assess climate benefits through the estimation of carbon sequestration potential through site monitoring that will assess seedling health and survival rate. FCCP will also be exploring innovative carbon monitoring methods such as remote sensing and field plot data.

The funding is through the USDA RCPP, a sector of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) which promotes the coordination of conservation activities with partners that can substantially benefit NRCS efforts.

The MSU FCCP stems from the Department of Forestry. Its goals are to increase understanding and implementation of climate-conscious forestry practices.

Download the USDA Regional Conservation Partnership Program Climate Action and Reforestation in Northern Michigan details HERE . (Source: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, PR, Website, Dec., 2021) Contact: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, www.nrcs.usda.gov; Michigan State University Forest Carbon and Climate Program, www.canr.msu.edu/fccp

More Low-Carbon Energy News USDA,  Climate Change,  Afforestation,  Reforestation,  Climate Change,  

University of Western Australia
Date: 2021-11-29
In the Land Down Under, University of Western Australia researchers have found offsetting agricultural emissions through reforestation would cost Western Australian (WA) farms 15 pct of their profits and require between 8 and 11 pct of farmland to be forested. The report notes that WA's agricultural emissions have consistently decreased since 1990, led by reductions in livestock, which is more carbon emission intensive than crop production.

The study accounted for regional communities' opposition to reforestation and estimates the cost and distribution of land needed to achieve carbon neutrality. The report notes reforestation would be most effective if undertaken across a wide area of the grain-growing region, away from the most productive or expensive areas, on low-cost but reasonably fertile land that supports vegetation suitable for carbon storage.

Australia's Clean Energy Regulator has offered a carbon credit scheme for farmland reforestation projects buts its value to farmers was significantly less than cropping or livestock. For much of the last decade, obtaining carbon credits through the Commonwealth's Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) was the only government incentive offered for Australian farmers to reforest their land.

The study concluded that reforestation alone is not the most cost-effective path to decarbonising Australian agriculture and that carbon sequestration opportunities in pastoral regions are much more cost-effective than switching productive ag land into trees. (Source: University of Western Australia, PR, Nov., 2021) Contact: University of Western Australia, School of Agriculture and Environment, Prof. Ross Kingwell , (+61 8) 6488 6000, www.uwa.edu.au/schools/agriculture-and-environment

More Low-Carbon Energy News GHGs,  Carbon Emissions,  Reforestation,  

IndiaNational Power Corp.
Date: 2021-10-13
India's largest power company National Power Corp. (Napocor) is reporting the launch of its "Energy Carbon Sequestration Initiative" which promotes reforestation across 56,000 hectares of watersheds while helping energy companies and other firms in watershed areas meet their carbon offsetting targets.

Napocor's protection and reforestation projects are presently supported by the universal charge-environmental fund which is collected from electricity users every month. In July, the Indian Government Department of Energy issued an advisory aimed at encouraging independent power producers to join Napocor's carbon sequestration program. (Source: Napocore, PR 12 Oct., 2021) Contact: Napocore, Emmanuel A. Umali, Manager for Watershed Management, www.ntpc.co.in

More Low-Carbon Energy News Reforestation news,  Carbon Sequestration news,  Climate Change news,  

Green Trees,American Carbon Registry
Date: 2021-09-29
In the Palmetto State, Columbia-based Milliken Forestry Company and ACRE Investment Management have announced plans to kickstart Green Trees South Carolina, a voluntary reforestation project that will help "bend the climate curve."

GreenTrees is the world's largest voluntary forest carbon project that helps landowners plan, plant and measure the carbon sequestration from the trees that grow on their property. That information will be entered into the American Carbon Registry and included in the carbon market and sold to a group of buyers.

To date, Green Trees has planted more than 50 million trees and plans to plant over 100 million more by the year 2030. More than 600 landowners in 13 states have participating the Green Trees program. (Source: Milliken Forestry Company, PR, Green Trees Website, ABC Columbia, 28 Sept., 2021) Contact: Milliken Forestry Company, 803-788-0590 , www.millikenforestry.com; Green Trees, info@green-trees.com, (540) 253-2504, www.green-trees.com; American Carbon Registry, www.americancarbonregistry.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Reforestation,  Green Trees ,  Carbon Markets,  Carbon Credit,  American Carbon Registry,  

Foresight Sustainable Forestry
Date: 2021-09-08
In the UK, London-headquartered Foresight Sustainable Forestry Co PLC reports it is seeking to raise £200 million in an IPO this November on London's Main Market. The IPO proceeds will directly enable around 4 million tonnes of carbon sequestration from the atmosphere from new afforestation planting, according to the company release.

London-listed Foresight Group Holdings Ltd noted , "For some years now Foresight, as one of a very few significant players in this sector, has been looking to scale up its forestry investments in an appropriate structure for a wide range of investors to participate in and this LSE Main Market listed sustainable forestry company launch represents the next development in that journey." Contact: Foresight Sustainable Forestry Co., Bernard Fairman, +44 (0)20 3667 8100, info@foresightgroup.eu, www.foresightgroup.eu

More Low-Carbon Energy News Foresight Sustainable Forestry ,  Reforestation,  Carbon Sequestration,  

China National Forestry and Grassland Administration
Date: 2021-08-25
In Beijing, the China National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA) is reporting plans to plant 500 million mu (about 33.33 million hectares) of forests and grasslands in the next five years to help the country achieve its commitment to peaking carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, as forests and grasslands are important carbon sinks that absorb and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The plan calls for planting 54 million trees and 46 million mu of grass each year over the next five years to increase the country's forest coverage rate to 24.1 pct and its grassland vegetation coverage to 57 pct by 2025, as outlined in the country's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) on the protection and development of forests and grasslands. The country also aims to raise its forest stock volume to 19 billion cubic meters by the end of 2025, an increase of 1.4 billion cubic meters from last year.

China's forest carbon reserves have hit 9.2 billion tonnes, with an average annual increase of over 200 million tonnes over the past five years -- equivalent to a carbon sink of 700 million to 800 million tonnes, according to NFGA data. (Source: China National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Website PR, 18 Aug., 2021) Contact: China National Forestry and Grassland Administration, www.iucn.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Neutral,  Reforestation,  Climate Change,  Carbon Sink,  Cargon Emissions,  ,  

CME Group
Date: 2021-06-21
In Chicago, the diverse derivatives marketplace CME Group reports it is launching a new futures contract Aug. 1 that will be tied to the value of nature-based carbon credits, including those generated from agriculture.

The new N-GEO futures are designed "to help create a more transparent and efficient voluntary emissions offset market." The contract size is 1,000 offsets and each offset represents 1 metric ton of CO2, according to the release.

The futures were developed with Xpansiv market CBL, which launched an N-GEO spot contract earlier this year based on eligible voluntary offsets from Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use (AFOLU) projects with additional Climate, Community, and Biodiversity (CCB) accreditation.

N-GEO futures are based on eligible voluntary offsets from AFOLU projects with additional Climate, Community, and Biodiversity (CCB) accreditation. AFOLU category activities include: afforestation, reforestation, revegetation, wetland rewetting and conservation and improved forestry management. N-GEO futures are based on eligible voluntary offsets from AFOLU projects with additional Climate, Community, and Biodiversity (CCB) accreditation, CME said. The futures are based on CBL's Nature-Based Global Emissions Offset Spot contract, which launched in March. (Source: CME Group, PR, PR, 21 June, 2021) Contact: CME Group, Peter Keavey, Global Head of Energy, 312-930-1000, www.cmegroup.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Offset news,  Voluntary Carbon Offset news,  

Singapore
Date: 2021-06-18
Singapore last month launched Climate Impact X (CIX), a carbon trading marketplace based on nature conservancy projects and backed by its state investment firm, stock exchange , largest bank and the UK Standard Chartered Bank. The CIX initiative has two main platforms: a marketplace for nature-based projects, and an exchange where carbon credits can be freely traded in larger quantities.

Demand for nature-based carbon credits, such as those from forest conservation and reforestation programs, or wetlands and grasslands restoration projects, has been growing in recent years. Verra, one of the main standard-setting bodies for voluntary carbon markets, reported that nature-based solutions represented 68 pct of its total issuances in Q1 of this year, compared with 38 pct in 2016.

In 2019, the supply of nature-based projects fell but demand remained strong, resulting in a 30 pct price surge across voluntary markets. That same year, nature-based offsets were three times pricier, on average, than renewable energy ones, data from Ecosystem Marketplace showed. (Source: Ecosystem Marketplace ,Mongabay, 16 June, 2021) Contact: Ecosystem Marketplace, www.ecosystemmarketplace.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Maket,  Carbon Credit,  

VINCI Airport
Date: 2021-06-11
In France, VINCI Airports is reporting a reforestation program to absorb the residual emissions of Lyon-Saint Exupery and Lyon-Bron airports.

The first project of this program, conducted in partnership with the French National Forest Office and the Rhone Departmental Council, is located about 30 kilometers away from Lyon-Saint Exupery airport, and will restore, reforest, maintain and manage 3.6 hectares with locally resilient species selected for their strong capacity to adapt to water stress and absorb CO2. This reforestation project, which will sequester more than 500 tons of CO2 over the planting's growth period, aims at achieving the Low Carbon Label certification.

By developing other similar projects within a five-year framework agreement with the Rhone department, VINCI Airports will create a network of forest sinks in the Rhone region that will offset 100 pct of Lyon airports' residual emissions and enable Lyon-Saint Exupery airport to become the first French commercial airports to achieve net-zero emissionsby 2026. (Source: VINCI Airports, PR, June, 2021) Contact: VINCI Airports, Nicolas Notebaert, CEO, www.vinvi-airports.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Sink,  Carbon Credit,  Reforestation,  

UK Rainforest
Date: 2021-03-17
In London, the UK has launched its new Mobilising Finance for Forests Programme, a £150 million fund to help protect rainforests equivalent to an area the size of Wales, cut millions of tonnes of carbon emissions and improve the lives of over 600,000 people in tropical forest communities across Africa, Asia and Latin America. The programme will support sustainable land-use projects and protect rainforest regions like the Amazon and Indonesian basins in communities vulnerable to climate change.

This funding will help to remove 28 million tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere, equivalent to the offsetting London's entire CO2 emissions annually over the next 15 years, through investing in eco-friendly projects like harvesting nuts, seeds, and coffee sustainably, restoring lost forests, diversifying crops to prevent soil erosion, and launching conservation activities -- restoring tropical forests as our most effective and natural carbon capture and storage sinks.

The government program is expected to attract as much as £850 million in private investment, support thousands of green jobs across multiple sectors, such as agriculture, food, and technology in these regions, and to provide 23 pct of the reduction in carbon emissions and climate impacts needed over the next decade to meet the goals set in the Paris Climate Agreement. (Source: UK Ministry of State, PR, 12 Mar., 2021) Contact: UK International Environment Minister Lord Goldsmith , www.gov.uk/government/people/zac-goldsmith

More Low-Carbon Energy News Rainforest,  Reforestation,  Climate Change,  Deforestation,  

Jordan
Date: 2021-03-17
The Jordan Environment Ministry is touting a plan to plant 10 million trees over 10 years as part of the kingdom's effort to fight climate change. The programme focuses on eucalyptus, jujube and carob and other species that after the initial phase of taking root, can survive without a lot of additional water.

Although forests make up only one pct of the Indiana-size desert kingdom's territory, Jordan has an estimated 23 million orchard trees and the country's nurseries produce 2.5 million forest trees and 500,000 fruit trees per year. (Source: Jordan Environment Ministry, todayonline, 11 Mar., 2021) Contact: Jordan Environment Ministry, +96265560113, www.moenv.gov.jo/EN/Pages/Protect_the_Environment

More Low-Carbon Energy News Jordan,  Reforestation,  Climate Change,  

Nepal, World Bank
Date: 2021-03-01
In Kathmandu , the Government of Nepal is reporting $45 million Emissions Reductions Payment Agreement (ERPA) has with the World Bank International Finance Corporation (IFC) aimed at supporting the Himalayan country's effort to decrease carbon emissions from deforestation and forest degradation through 2025.

The initiative will focus on improving community-based forest management, improving integrated land use planning and promoting alternative energy sources. It is also expected to support Nepal's Emission Reductions Programme aims to reduce 9 million tpy of carbon emissions, lower rates of deforestation and forest degradation across 2.4 million hectares of resource-rich land, including 20 pct of the country’s forest cover in the Terai Arc Landscape. (Source: Gov. of Nepal, Energy Live, World Bank IFC, 1 Mar., 2021) Contact: World Ban, International Finance Corporation, www.ifc.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News World Bank,  Reforestation,  Deforestation,  Carbon Emissions,  Climate Change,  

Shell
Date: 2021-02-22
Oil industry giant Royal Dutch Shell reports plans to increase tree plantings, the use of nature-based carbon offsets and carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology in their effort to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and achieve net-zero carbon by 2050.

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

More Low-Carbon Energy News Shell,  CCS,  Reforestation,  Carbon Offset,  

Fiji,Forest Carbon Partnership
Date: 2021-01-29
In the South Pacific, Fiji has become the only Small Island Developing State in the Pacific to enter a carbon trade under a 5-year emissions reduction payment agreement with the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility, a global partnership at the World Bank. The facility will unlock $26 million in results based payments for increasing carbon sequestration and reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.

The Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) is a global partnership of governments, businesses, civil society, and Indigenous Peoples focused on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, forest carbon stock conservation, the sustainable management of forests, and the enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries, activities commonly referred to as REDD+. The FCPF works with 47 developing countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean, along with 17 donors that have made contributions and commitments totaling $1.3 billion. The FCPF supports REDD+ efforts through its Readiness and Carbon Funds.

Fijian Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum noted "The emission reduction program area includes forest protection, planting and ustainable management of over 37,000 hectares spread over 20 districts on the islands of Viti Levu, Vanua Levu and Taveuni, with the potential to expand to other areas that express interest. The contracted volume of greenhouse gases that Fiji is expected to sequester from these forest activities in the next five years is 2.5 million tonnes, for which a result-based payment of $12.5 million will be paid upon verification by the World Bank."(Source: FBN News, 27 Jan., 2021) Contact: Forest Carbon Partnership Facility, www.forestcarbonpartnership.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News World Bank,  REDD+,  Forest Carbon Partnership,  Fiji,  Carbon Trading,  Reforestation,  Carbon Emissions,  Climate Change ,  

Bezos Earth Fund
Date: 2020-11-23
Amazon CEO and billionaire Jeff Bezos has announced the first 16 recipients who together will receive a total of $791 million fro Bazo's $10 billion Earth Fund. The recipients are listed in order of funding:

Environmental Defense Fund -- $100 million grant will support work that includes completion and launch of MethaneSAT, a satellite that will not only locate and measure sources of methane pollution around the world, but also provide public access to data that ensures accountability and drives deep reductions of this pollutant. www.edf.org

The Natural Resources Defense Council -- $100 million to advance climate solutions and legislation at the state level, move the needle on policies and programs focused on reducing oil and gas production, protect and restore ecosystems that store carbon (like forests and wetlands), and accelerate sustainable and regenerative agriculture practices. www.nrdc.org

The Nature Conservancy -- $100 million to protect the Emerald Edge forest in the U.S. and Canada. www.nature.org

The World Resources Institute -- $100 million will be doled out over 5 years and will be used to develop a satellite-based monitoring system to advance natural climate solutions around the world. www.wri.org.

The World Wildlife Fund -- $100 million to help protect and restore mangroves, which store carbon and protect coastal communities from the ravages of climate-accelerated weather events www.worldwildlife.org.

ClimateWorks Foundation -- $50 million will be used to drive climate action in the transportation and industrial sectors.www.climateworks.org

The Hive Fund for Climate and Gender Justice -- $43 million over three years to expand grant-making to organizations led by Black, Brown, and Indigenous women and other frontline leaders. www.hivedund.org

The Solutions Project -- $43 million over the next three years to accelerate the transition to 100 pct clean energy and equitable access to healthy air, water, and land. www.thesolutionsproject.org

The Climate + Clean Energy Equity Fund -- $43 million over 3 years to support grassroots organizing to build power and increase participation in our democratic processes. www.theequityfund.org

Salk Institute for Biological Studies -- $30 million to advance efforts to increase the ability of crop plants, such as corn and soybeans, to capture and store atmospheric carbon via their roots in the soil. www.salk.edu

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) -- $15 million over teo years to advocate for updates to the U.S. electrical grid that will speed the amount of wind, solar, and energy storage used in key states. www.ucsusa.org

Rocky Mountain Institute -- $10 million, $8 million of which will go to its carbon-free buildings campaign, which seeks to make all U.S. buildings carbon-free by 2040 by advocating for all-electric new construction and retrofitting existing homes and businesses to reduce their carbon footprint. www.rmi.org

Dream Corps Green For All -- $10 million to continue its work creating a green economy that prioritized low-income communities and people of color.www.thedreamcorp.org.

Eden Reforestation Projects -- $5 million to plant trees and alleviate extreme poverty in three countries.www.edenprojects.org. (Source: Bezos Earth Fund, Release, 16 Nov., 2020)

More Low-Carbon Energy News Bezos Earth Fund,  Climate Change,  

World Economic Forum
Date: 2020-08-31
In Jan., 2020, the World Economic Forum launched 1t.org, an inclusive platform to support the global effort to conserve, restore and grow 1 trillion trees worldwide by 2030. Now, the Forum and American Forests are partnering to accelerate that vision through US leadership at home and abroad.

In July, bipartisan leaders in Washington, DC passed the Great American Outdoors Act, the nation's largest forest conservation measure in 50 years. Leaders from the 25 U.S. Climate Alliance states and mayors across America are also setting public policies to conserve, restore and grow our forests. More federal legislation is on the way, including the bipartisan REPLANT Act that would reforest 1.2 billion trees on America's national forests by 2030.

U.S. Chapter of 1t.org, led by American Forests and the Forum, launched this week to connect, empower and mobilize a global reforestation community to ensure the conservation and restoration of one trillion trees, the planting of 855 million trees, and supporting mapping technology and carbon finance that will lead to many more trees.

In the US alone, forests currently capture 15 pct of the nation's carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels, according to the release. (Source: 1t.org, World Economic Forum. The Print, 30 Aug., 2020) Contact: World Economic Forum, www.weforum.org; 1t.org, www.1t.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News World Economic Forum,  Reforestation,  Carbon Capture,  

Advanced Biofuel
Date: 2020-08-31
A new study led by Colorado State University is predicting significant climate benefits stemming from the use of advanced biofuel technologies. Accounting for all of the carbon flows in biofuel systems and comparing them to those in grasslands and forests, the team found clear strategies for biofuels to have a net carbon benefit.

John Field, research scientist at the Natural Resource Ecology Lab at CSU, said it has been a challenge for the biofuel industry to demonstrate commercial viability for cellulosic biofuels created from switchgrass and other non-edible plants.

The research team used modeling to simulate switchgrass cultivation, cellulosic biofuel production and carbon capture and storage (CCS), tracking ecosystem and carbon flows. Scientists then compared this modeling to alternative ways to store carbon on the land, including growing forest or grassland.

CCS technology is being used by at least one facility in Illinois that is processing corn to ethanol as a conventional biofuel to create ethanol, but these systems are not yet widespread. As part of the study, researchers created models to simulate what this would look like at a cellulosic biofuel refinery. "What we found is that around half of the carbon in the switchgrass that comes into the refinery becomes a byproduct that would be available for carbon capture and storage. The resulting byproduct streams of high-purity CO2 would not require much separation or clean-up before being stored underground," the study noted.

The research team analyzed three contrasting U.S. case studies and found that on land where farmers or land managers were transitioning out of growing crops or maintaining pastures for grazing, cultivating switchgrass for cellulosic ethanol production had a per-hectare mitigation potential comparable to reforestation and several-fold greater than grassland restoration.

Using switchgrass can be particularly helpful in parts of the country where planting more trees is not an option.

This research was partially funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the US DOE via the Center for Bioenergy Innovation, and the Sao Paulo Research Foundation in Brazil.

The study illustrates how deliberate land use choices support the climate performance of present-day cellulosic ethanol technology and how technological advancements and CCS addition could produce several times the climate mitigation potential of competing land-based biological mitigation schemes. These results affirm the climate mitigation logic of biofuels, consistent with their prominent role in many climate stabilization scenarios, the study concludes. (Source: Colorado State University, Green Car Congress, Aug., 2020) Contact: Colorado State University, Natural Resource Ecology Lab, John Field, (970) 491-1604, John.L.Field@colostate.edu, www.nrel.colostate.edu

More Low-Carbon Energy News Advanced Biofuel,  Cellulosic Biofuel,  Switchgrass,  

Vietnam, REDD+
Date: 2020-06-29
In Hanoi , the Vietnam Administration of Forestry under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has announced it will implement the second phase of the international REED+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) Vietnam Phase 2 (FCPF-2) program.

The FCPF-2 project aims to assist relevant agencies at the central level and in the six northern central Vietnam provinces to improve their institutional and technical capacity to prepare for the REDD+ implementation. It also supports the building of the emission reduction and transfer of the rights to emission reduction programme in the northern central region (ERPD) for 2018-2025, helping to carry out the national REDD+ action programme and the country's Nationally Determined Contribution under the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change.

Phase 1, which ran from November 2016 to June 30, 2020, was implemented in Hanoi and the six northern central provinces at a total cost of $5.7 million (US) , including $5 million in non-refundable ODA capital from the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF).

REDD+ is an international initiative aimed at providing financial and technical assistance for developing countries to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change impact via efforts against deforestation and forest degradation. Vietnam has participated in REDD+ since 2008, and more than 45 related projects have been implemented in the country to date. (Source: Vietnam Administration of Forestry, PR, 28 June, 2020) Contact: Vietnam Administration of Forestry, www.flegt.org/web/vietnam-administration-of-forestry

More Low-Carbon Energy News REDD+,  Deforestation,  Reforestation,  Climate Change,  

Amazon, Climate Change
Date: 2020-06-24
Online merchandising giant Amazon has announced an initial $2 billion Climate Pledge Fund to support the development of sustainable technologies and services that will enable Amazon and other companies to meet The Climate Pledge -- a commitment to be net zero carbon by 2040. This dedicated venture investment program will back visionary companies in various industries whose products and services will facilitate the transition to a zero carbon economy.

Amazon also released its 2019 sustainability report and an update on the company's sustainability goals and programs, including:

Amazon announced it's on a path to run on 100 pct renewable energy by 2025, five years ahead of schedule. As part of The Climate Pledge, Amazon previously committed to reach 80 pct renewable energy by 2024 and 100 pct renewable energy by 2030.

To date, Amazon has announced 91 renewable energy projects around the globe totaling over 2,900 MW delivering more than 7.6 million MWh of renewable energy annually, enough to power 680,000 U.S. homes.

Amazon made two investments from its $100 million Right Now Climate Fund in nature-based solutions and reforestation projects around the world, including a reforestation project in the Appalachians in the U.S. and an urban greening initiative in Berlin, Germany.

Since 2015, Amazon has reduced the weight of outbound packaging by 33 pct and eliminated more than 880,000 tons of packaging material, the equivalent of 1.5 billion shipping boxes.

Details of Amazon's sustainability goals are HERE. (Source: Amazon, PR, June, 2020) Contact: Amazon Inc., Amazon-pr@amazon.com, www.amazon.com/pr

More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Pledge,  Climate Change,  Amazon,  Jeff Bezos,  

Carbon Emissions
Date: 2020-06-05
In Wellington, the New Zealand Government's wide-ranging freshwater reforms and land-use policies -- including afforestation of farmland -- "has the potential to result in substantial annual net emissions reductions," according to recently released Cabinet papers.

"The majority of emissions reductions are through sequestration and are a result of anticipated land-use change primarily due to the interaction of the sediment proposal and the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). It is expected that a portion of hill country pasture will be converted to forestry between 2025 and 2050, as afforestation is a cost-effective option for achieving the sediment bottom line. The maximum amount that could profitably be converted is estimated at 600,000 hectares. However, on-farm mitigations through [freshwater farm plans] will play a role and contribute to achieving the sediment bottom line without changing land use, so it is uncertain how much contribution land-use change will make. Depending on the degree to which new sediment requirements are met with afforestation, three different emissions reductions scenarios were drawn up," according to the papaers.

Even the most conservative scenario found a reduction of 35 million tonnes of CO2 or the equivalent amount of another greenhouse gas (Mt CO2e) by 2050. The most optimistic emissions reduction scenario for the freshwater reform package projected a sink of 97.2 Mt CO2e. New Zealand's annual gross emissions are around 80 Mt CO2e. Excluding the sediment policy, the freshwater package is still estimated to present impressive reductions, on the order of four million tonnes of CO2e by 2050, the papers note. (Source: Newsroom NZ, June, 2020)

More Low-Carbon Energy News Aforestation. Reforestation,  Soil Carbon,  Carbon Sink,  Carbon Emissions,  

USDA Forest Service
Date: 2020-05-04
USDA Forest Service reports the release of its Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Removals from Forest Land, Woodlands, and Urban Trees in the United States, 1990-2018 report, a state-by-state overview of carbon emissions and related trends and details on deforestation and reforestation across the 49 continental states. Estimates of carbon movement from the atmosphere into living trees, dead wood, and soil as well as state-by-state estimates of emissions from forest fires is included.

The Forest Service scientists quantified the contribution of forests, harvested wood products, and urban trees to carbon capture and storage. They found that, collectively, these natural systems account for more than 95 pct of Earth's terrestrial carbon sink. The atmospheric carbon absorbed by forests, harvested wood, and urban trees is equal to more than 11 pct of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States each year between 1990 and 2018.

Download the Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Removals from Forest Land, Woodlands, and Urban Trees in the United States, 1990-2018 report HERE. (Source: USDA Forest Service, April, 2020) Contact: U.S. Forest Service, www.fs.usda.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News CCS,  USDA Forest Service,  Carbon Emissions,  

Vietnam
Date: 2020-03-20
In Hanoi, the government of Vietnam reports the introduction of legislation to reduce the country of 98,000 resident's reliance on coal and advance its greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals, as per the Paris Climate Accord.

The four-pronged legislation includes; cap and trade; a ban on chemicals that destroy the ozone; corporate emission reporting rules; and a database of both emissions and the measures to decrease them. The legislation includes measures to decrease emissions by focusing on reforestation, creating a domestic carbon credit market, and drastically cut coal consumption which presently generates almost one-third of the country's electric power -- figure projected to increase by five times by 2030. (Source: Various Media, VOA Khymer, 19 Mar., 2020)

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Emissions,  Climate Change,  Coal,  Paris Climate Accord,  Vietnam Emissions,  

Washington State
Date: 2020-03-09
Sitting in Olympia last Thursday, the Washington State Senate reported the near unanimous passage of House Bill 2528 recognizing the state's timber industry's efforts to reduce carbon emissions through reforestation and other management practices. The legislation also recognizes the role of forest products in carbon sequestration and directs the state Department of Commerce to promote markets for the state's forest products.

Having been amended in the Senate, House Bill 2528 returns to the the Washington State House for full approval the on to the governor to be signed into law. (Source: The World, Various Media, chronicleonline. 7 Mar., 2020)

More Low-Carbon Energy News Woody Biomass,  Reforestation,  Carbon Sequestration,  

Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative
Date: 2020-02-26
In the Aloha State, the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative (HLRI) is reporting the planting of 500,000 native trees in February as part of its effort to reduce the effects of climate change through carbon sequestration. The February plantings covered more than 1,200 acres of former pastureland on both Oahu and Hawaii Island.

According to the release, over the 50-year lifetime of a single tree, it will produce $31,250 worth of oxygen and $62,000 worth of air pollution control. Each tree will recycle $37,500 worth of water and prevent $31,250 of soil erosion. This data suggests that one tree will produce a societal benefit of $162,000. (Source: Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative, Big Island Now, 23 Feb., 2020) Contact: Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative , www.legacyforest.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Capture,  Reforestation,  Carbon Emissions,  

Pakistan
Date: 2020-02-26
Reporting from Islamabad, Malik Amin Aslam, the climate change adviser to the Prime Minister notes the Pakistan government is eyeing grant funding of more than $350 million to mitigate the impact of increasing greenhouse gas emissions and the possible devastation of global warming.

According to a release, Pakistan would use roughly $200 million from the Green Climate Fund to mitigate environmental degradation and combat climate change. An additional $188 million would be used to fund major projects including the upcoming Ecosystem Restoration Initiative that aims at implementing the "Ten Billion Tree Tsunami" tree planting programme. (Source: Various Media, The Nation, 24 Feb., 2020) Contact: Green Climate Fund, www.greenclimate.fund

More Low-Carbon Energy News Green Climate Fund,  Carbon Emissions,  Climate Change,  Global Warming,  Pakistan Climate Change,  

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

To that end, EY will focus on reducing travel emissions, sustainable procurement practices and purchasing more renewable energy to power EY offices. It will also purchase carbon credits to offset the EY carbon footprint and invest in projects that reduce carbon emissions or remove carbon from the atmosphere, for example reforestation projects. The company is also expanding its global sustainability strategy which will focus on helping clients innovate and use technology to reduce their own carbon emissions, while driving sustainable economic growth. To date the company has:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AstraZeneca
Date: 2020-01-24
Cambridge, UK-based British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca reports it will invest $1 billion to reach zero carbon emissions across its global operations by 2025, and ensure its entire value chain is carbon negative by 2030 -- as outlined in the company's just released Ambition Zero Carbonstrategy.

To that end, AstraZeneca plans to cut carbon emissions to net-zero emissions within its own operations without relying on offset schemes, use 100 pct renewable energy, and reduce total energy consumption by 10 pct from a 2015 base, all by 2025. The pharmaceuticals maker is also planning a 50,000,000 tree reforestation initiative named AZ Forest which will launch in Australis this February. (Source: AstraZeneka, PR, BusinessGreen, 20 Jan., 2020) Contact: AstraZeneca, Pascal Soirot, CEO, +44 (0)20 3749 5000, www.astrazeneka.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Net-Zero Carbon Emissions,  Reforestation,  Carbon Offsets,  

British Airways,CORSIA
Date: 2020-01-03
Following up on our 11th October, 2019 coverage, British Airways reports it will begin offsetting carbon emissions on all flights within the UK, as part of its commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Customers flying within the UK on flights operated by British Airways will have the carbon emissions from their flights offset by the airline and invested in verified carbon reduction projects such as renewable energy, protection of rainforests and reforestation programmes.

In addition, British Airways' carbon emissions on international flights will be capped at 2020 levels through the United Nations' worldwide carbon pricing scheme called CORSIA, (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation).

British Airways has committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 through a range of initiatives, including offsetting emissions, flying more fuel-efficient aircraft, investing in sustainable aviation fuel and changing operating procedures, as well as working with stakeholders and governments to strengthen global climate policy.

The airline and its parent company, IAG will invest a total of $400 million on alternative sustainable fuel development over the next 20 years. (Source: British Airways, PR, 2 Jan., 2019) Contact: British Airways, www.ba.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News British Airways,  Aviation Emissions,  Carbon Offset,  CORSIA,  

Nature Conservancy,USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Date: 2019-11-15
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Nature Conservancy (TNC) are reporting their partnership to support sustainable forests and carbon market development and the creation of the Healthy Forest Reserve Program (HFRP).

The program offers financial assistance in the form of easement payments for specific conservation actions on private forest and tribal lands in Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky. Under the program, landowners develop a carbon forest project with TNC and get assistance with carbon credit development and marketing as well as some potential additional income from the sale of credits.

The program offers a 30-year term and permanent easement options for private landowners or a 30-year contract for tribal lands. The USDA will pay 75 pct of the value of the land enrolled in 30-year easements plus 75 pct of the average cost of the approved conservation practices. Landowners who select the permanent easement option can get 100 pct of the easement value of the enrolled property. (Source: NRCS, Nature Conservancy,CBS 19, 13 Nov., 2019) Contact: Nature Conservancy, Steve Lineman or Greg Meade, (276) 676-2209, (703) 841-5300, www.nature.org; USDA NRCS, Easement Program Manager Diane Dunaway, (804) 287-1634 www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/site/fl

More Low-Carbon Energy News Nature Conservancy,  Reforestation,  USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service,  

Green Climate Fund
Date: 2019-11-15
In South Korea, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) is reporting approval of $161 million in funding for climate resilient projects in Chile, Kyrgyzstan and Nepal. The project, which are supported by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), are aimed at building resilience and mitigating the effects of climate change.

FAO supports countries to enhance their planning and capacities for climate change-related investments under the GCF Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme.

In Chile, GCF has approved a new $63 million REDD+ Results Based Payment Funding Proposal to restore and conserve about 25,000 hectares of native forest. The project is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1.1 million tons of CO2, while promoting afforestation in more than 7,000 hectares and the sustainable management and conservation of over 17,000 hectares of forest.

Land-locked Kyrgyzstan will benefit from a $30 million GCF grant supplemented by another $20 million for a project aimed at increasing carbon sequestration through forest and pasture rehabilitation.

In Nepal, GCF allocated nearly $40 million in grant funding to address forest degradation, flooding and soil erosion in the Churia hills region. The Nepal Ministry of Forests and Environment will contribute $8 million to the 7-year effort.

The GCF supports developing countries efforts to respond to the challenge of climate change, limit or reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to climate change, and promote low-emission and climate-resilient development. (Source: UN Food and Agriculture Organization, PR, 13 Nov., 2019) Contact: UN Food and Agriculture Organization, +39 06 570 53625, FAO-Newsroom@fao.org, www.fao.org/home/en; Green Climate Fund, www.greenclimate.fund

More Low-Carbon Energy News Green Climate Fund,  Reforestation,  Carbon Sequestration,  Climate Change,  

DEFRA
Date: 2019-11-06
In the UK, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is launching a new £50 million Woodland Carbon Guarantee scheme to boost tree-planting rates to combat climate change. The scheme promises landowners and farmers a long-term income stream to encourage them to create new woodlands.

The government is committed to planting 11 million trees by 2022, as part of its effort to hit net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 to tackle climate change.

Under the new scheme, farmers can sell the carbon dioxide they capture by growing trees in the form of Woodland Carbon Units (verified carbon credits) to the government for a guaranteed price every five or 10 years up to 2055/56. (Source: DEFRA, Farmers Weekly, 5 Nov., 2019) Contact: Woodland Carbon Guarantee, www.gov.uk/guidance/woodland-carbon-guarantee; DEFRA, www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs

More Low-Carbon Energy News DEFRA,  Climate Change,  Reforestation,  Carbon Emissions,  

Ohio State University, Climate Change
Date: 2019-11-06
A joint study from Ohio State and Yale universities is reporting the environmental burden of deforestation might not be as bad as previously thought. Previous estimates show that 27 pct of man-made net carbon emissions were from deforestation, but the study determined that number is actually closer to 7 pct.

The study, which appeared Monday in the Journal of Forest Economics, takes into account the planting of new trees and forest management practices that eased environmental impacts. Previous studies did not take those factors into account. "There was a significant shift toward treating forests as a renewable, rather than nonrenewable, resource in the last century, and we estimate that those reforestation and forest management efforts have led to a far smaller carbon burden on the environment," Prof. Brent Sohngen said. (Source: The Ohio State University, PR, Columbus Dispatch, 4 Nov., 2019) Contact: Ohio State University, Prof. Brent Sohngen, Environmental and Resource Economics, 614-688-4640, sohngen.1@osu.edu, www.aede.osu.edu/our-people/brent-sohngen

More Low-Carbon Energy News Ohio State University,  Deforestation,  Carbon Emissions,  Reforestation,  

Carbon Credit, AirCarbon Pte
Date: 2019-11-01
In Singapore, AirCarbon Pte Ltd. reports its newly launched global blockchain-based AirCarbon Exchange will provide a ready supply of credits (EEUs) to airlines and other corporate buyers wishing to acquire CO2 offsets for compliance and voluntary purposes.

These credits, when approved, will be eligible under the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) regime. Each tradable token will be backed by one equivalent tonne of CORSICA-compliant, highly liquid and tradable carbon credits. AirCarbon is applying for the recognized market operator (RMO) licence from the Monetary Authority of Singapore, and aims for the exchange to be fully operational in 2020.

AirCarbon also operates the AirCarbon Fund, an investment fund which invests in carbon-mitigating projects such as reforestation, methane capture and carbon emissions reduction. Through these projects, the fund intends to generate CORSIA-compliant tradable carbon offsets, which will then be listed on the exchange. (Source: AirCarbon Pte, Business Times, 30 Oct., 2019) Contact: AirCarbon Pte Ltd., www.aircarbon.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Credit,  EEUs,  Carbon Offset,  ICAO,  

British Airways
Date: 2019-10-11
In the UK, British Airways (BA) reports thet beginning in Jan., 2020, it will offset the carbon emissions from all of its 75 daily domestic flights that collectively emit roughly 400,000 tpy of CO2 Emissions. BA notes that from next year its carbon emissions on international flights will be capped through the UN's offsetting scheme. BA's parent company IAG has committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

In its offsetting, British Airways will invest in verified carbon reduction (VCR) projects worldwide, including renewable energy, rainforest protection and reforestation programmes. (Source: British Airways, Business Traveler, Oct., 2019) Contact: British Airways, www.ba.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News British Airways,  Aviation Emissions,  CO2,  Climate Change,  VCR,  

Climate Change
Date: 2019-09-18
The German newspaper Deutsche Welle (DW) is reporting Danish individuals and companies alike responded to a recent climate change "telethon" fundraising with donations totaling approximately €2.4 million ($2.57 million) to fund the planting of approximately 1 million trees in the Scandinavian country.

For every 20 Danish kroner (€2.70 or $3.00) donation one tree is to be planted, and 20 pct of the total donations will be earmarked for forest conservation efforts in Denmark. (Source: DW, 15 Dept., 2019)

More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Change,  Reforestation,  

G7
Date: 2019-08-30
At the conclusion of the Biarritz G7 Summit, the Uk announced it would increase its contribution to cutting carbon emissions in the developing world to £1.44 billion over the next foru years. The UK's previous contribution of £720 million between 2014 and 2019 came from the UK's Green Climate Fund (GCF). The GCF supports projects to protect and preserve natural habitats in the developing world, including in the Amazon where fires continue to rage.

The newly announced £1.44 billion funding, which will come from the UK aid budget and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), will be earmarked for tackling climate change, including wildfires.

During the Summit meeting, the G7 agreed to support a medium-term reforestation plan which will be unveiled at the UN in September. (Source: G7 Release, Various Media, Daily Mail, 27 Aug., 2019)

More Low-Carbon Energy News G7,  Climate Change,  Carbon Emission ,  

Lufthansa
Date: 2019-08-21
In Berlin, German airline Lufthansa's Innovation Hub is reporting the launch of its "Compensaid" sustainability platform focused on carbon-neutral sustainable renewable fuels (SAF). The new platform will allow airline passengers to offset their individual carbon footprint by using SAF, reducing up to 80 pct of their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

"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,  

Climate Change
Date: 2019-08-16
In Washington, US presidential wannabe Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) is reportedly set to table the Climate Stewardship Act, climate change related legislation that would fund the planting of 4.1 billion trees by 2030 and 16 billion by 2050. Booker's proposed legislation is intended to address climate change, reduce carbon emissions and energy use, and create more than 200,000 forestry jobs in the first ten years.

The Climate Stewardship Act will be presented in September.

The new trees will cover up to 64 million acres and will capture more than 13 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide by the end of the century -- equivalent to more than two full years of the country's current greenhouse gas emissions. Approximately 400 million trees will be planted in urban areas to provide cooling effects on heatwaves and help urban residents to reduce their energy usage. The Act will also establish a Reforest America cost-share programme, the Urban Wood initiative, the Stewardship Corps and provide funding to the US Forest Service and the Department of Interior. (Source: Office of Sen. Cory BookerVarious Media, Smart Energy, 15 Aug., 2019)Contact: Office of Sen. Cory Booker, https://twitter.com/CoryBooker

More Low-Carbon Energy News Cliamate Change,  Afforestation,  Reforestation,  

Khushhali Microfinance Bank
Date: 2019-08-07
In Islamabad, the Khushhali Microfinance Bank (KMBL) reports it is partnering with Punjab Forest Departmenth to plant and maintain 6,000 trees in Changa Manga area near Lahore. The afforestation initiative is intended to help maintain biodiversity and ecological balances and address climate change, according to a KMBL statement.

KMBL president Ghalib Nishtar said the bank's small reforestation project aims to take a leading role in fighting climate change and embracing a greener future. The KMBL is "Green Office Certified" by WWF-Pakistan in recognition of its efforts to implement environmentally sustainable practices within the Bank. (Source: Khushhali Microfinance Bank, The International News, 8 Aug., 2019)

More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Change,  Aforestation,  Reforeratation,  

Reforestation,Ethiopia
Date: 2019-08-05
In Ethiopia, the Gulele Botanical Garden in Addis Ababa, reports more than 350 million trees were planted at roughy 1,000 sites acress the country in one day as part of a reforestation effort to counter the effects of deforestation and climate change. The effort easily surpassed its nationwide 200 million tree goal.

The UN estimates Ethiopia's forest coverage declined to a low of just 4 per cent in the 2000s. Global potential tree coverage stands at 4.4 billion hectares of canopy under the current climate. (Source: UN Modern Diplomacy, 4 Aug., 2019)

More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Change,  Deforestation,  Reforestation,  

ETH Zurich
Date: 2019-07-08
A recently released study from the Crowther Lab at ETH Zurich notes 0.9 billion hectares of land worldwide would be suitable for reforestation an the resulting capture of two thirds of human-made carbon emissions and would thus be the most effective method to combat climate change.

The study identified where -- excluding cities or agricultural areas -- in the world new trees could grow and how much carbon they would store. The researchers calculated that under the current climate conditions, Earth's land could support 4.4 billion hectares of continuous tree cover -- 1.6 billion more than the currently existing 2.8 billion hectares. Of these 1.6 billion hectares, 0.9 billion hectares fulfill the criterion of not being used by humans. This means that there is currently an area of the size of the US available for tree restoration. Once mature, these new forests could store 205 billion tonnes of carbon: about two thirds of the 300 billion tonnes of carbon that has been released into the atmosphere as a result of human activity since the Industrial Revolution.

The study identifies Russia (151 million hectares); the US (103 million hectares); Canada (78.4 million hectares); Australia (58 million hectares); Brazil (49.7 million hectares); and China (40.2 million hectares) as the countries with the greaterd forestation potential. (Source: ETH Zurch, PR, 4 July, 2019) Contact: ETH Zurich, Prof. Tom Crowther, Institute for Integrative Biology, +41 44 632 4141, tom.crowther@usys.ethz.ch, www.hk.ethz.ch

More Low-Carbon Energy News ETH Zurich,  Forestation,  Reforestation,  Climate Change,  

Climate Change, Woodland Trust
Date: 2019-06-17
The Woodland Trust reports in 2018 Scotland planted over 22 million trees in a 11,200 hectare reforestation project aimed at addressing climate change. Scotland's reforestation effort surpassed anywhere else in the UK. England planted just 1,420 hectares of woodland in 2018, despite a target of 5,000 hectares being set.

The percentage of woodland cover in the UK remains at 13 pct; England has 10 pct, while Wales and Scotland have 15 and 19 pct respectively. All of this is part of the country's effort to battle climate change, with the increased number of trees being described as a "critical contribution to the global climate emergency."

Even so, studies show there's now so much CO2 in the atmosphere that an area larger then the entire US would have to be reforested just to capture 10 pct of the world's annual CO2 emissions.

The Woodland Trust is the largest woodland conservation charity in the United Kingdom concerned with the creation, protection, and restoration of native woodland heritage. It has planted over 43 million trees since 1972. (Source: Woodland Trust, UNILAD News, 12 June, 2019) Contact: Woodland Trust, www.woodlandtrust.org.uk

More Low-Carbon Energy News Woodland Trust ,  Climate Change,  Carbon Emissions,  Reforestation,  

Carbon Offsets,UN Environment
Date: 2019-06-17
According to the UN Environment's Carbon Offsets are Not Our Get-Out-of-Jail Free Card Report , buying carbon credits in exchange for a clean conscience while burning fossil fuels is under fire by private citizens, scientists and activists concerned with the way carbon offsets have been used by polluters as a free pass for inaction.

Annual emissions have to reduce by 29-32 gigatonnes of equivalent carbon dioxide (CO2e) by 2030 to maintain a fighting chance to stay below 1.5 degree C -- a five-fold increase on current ambitions, the report notes.

According to the report, carbon offset schemes were set up to allow the largest polluters who exceed permitted emissions’ levels to fund projects, such as reforestation, that reduce CO2 in the air, essentially balancing out their emissions equation. The types of carbon offset projects that are implemented range from forestry sequestration projects to energy efficiency and renewable energy projects (which reduce future CO2 emissions in the atmosphere).

Carbon offsets are useful while infrastructure and industry make the transition to electric mobility, alternative energy and the new technology necessary for low- and zero-carbon lifestyles. Where there are no viable alternatives in the short term, an offset scheme promises to cancel out the emissions in one place with emission-reducing actions in another.

Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) credits have also come under fire with a 2016 study found 85 pct of the offsets had a "low likelihood" of creating real reductions, and the UN has struggled to reconcile its support for offsets with evidence that they are problematic.

Download the UN Carbon Offsets are Not Our Get-Out-of-Jail Free Card report HERE; (Source: UN Environment, Pro Publica, 10 June, 2019) Contact: UN Environment, Niklas.Hagelberg, Niklas.Hagelberg@un.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News CDM,  Carbon Emissions,  Carbon Offsets,