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,  

Committee on Climate Change
Date: 2019-05-03
In the UK, according to the Committee on Climate Change(CCC), a stark increase in woodland expansion -- 50,000,000 new trees per year -- is needed in the UK if the country is to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The CCC analysis outlines that 32,000 hectares annually of net woodland increase is required for the next 30 years. This moves the UK from 13 pct to 17 pct woodland cover. This equates to a million new hectares of woodland cover, and around 1.5 billion trees. (Source: The Committee on Climate Change, May, 2019) Contact: Committee of Climate Change, +44 (0) 207 591 6252, www.theccc.org.uk

More Low-Carbon Energy News Committee on Climate Change,  Reforestation,  Climate Change,  

Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
Date: 2019-04-26
At Queen's Park in Toronto, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry reports it is cancelling the government's $4.7-million per year 50 Million Tree Program as part of it budgetary restraint effort. According to the industry group Forests Ontario, more than 27 million trees have been planted across Ontario through the reforestation-carbon sequestration program since 2008.

Forests Ontario notes about 40 pct forest cover is needed to ensure forest sustainability. The average coverage in southern Ontario is 26 pct with some areas hovering at 5 pct. (Source: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Canadian Press, National Post, 25 April, 2019) Contact: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, 800-667-1940, www.ontario.ca/page/ministry-natural-resources-and-forestry; Forests Ontario, (416) 646-1193, www.forestsontario.ca

More Low-Carbon Energy News Reforestation,  Carbon Sequestration,  

University of Edinburgh
Date: 2019-04-10
In the UK, researchers at the University of Edinburgh and University College London have found that natural forests store more carbon for longer periods compared to plantations and agroforestry. The researchers found the carbon sequestration potential of natural forests is 40 times greater than that of plantations, reforestation and re-greening efforts and the cultivation of commercial crops.

In reaching their conclusions, the researchers examined commitments made by 43 countries in tropical and subtropical regions, where trees grow faster and thus hold greater promise of removing atmospheric carbon.

These countries have pledged as of October 2017 to restore a combined 2.92 million square kilometers (1.13 million square miles) of degraded and deforested land -- an area almost twice the size of Alaska. Some of these are national commitments, while others were made under the Bonn Challenge launched in 2011 by the German government and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The latter initiative aims to restore 3.5 million square kilometers (1.35 million square miles) of degraded and deforested land by 2030 -- greater than the land mass of India.

The researcher's analysis found that at present, 45 pct of the commitments made by the 43 countries involve planting commercially profitable trees. Many of these plantations are expected to occur in countries like Brazil, China, Indonesia, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In China, 98.8 pct of the area to be restored will host plantations. In Brazil, it's just over 80 pct of the targeted restoration area, with well under 1 pct for natural forests. (Source: University of Edinburgh, Mongabay, April, 2019) Contact: University of Edinburgh, /www.ed.ac.uk

More Low-Carbon Energy News University of Edinburgh,  Carbon Sequestration,  Forest Carbon Sink,  Reforestation,  

Royal Dutch Shell
Date: 2019-04-10
Oil major Royal Dutch Shell reports it plans to invest $300 million in forests, wetlands and other natural ecosystems around the world over the next three years as part of its strategy to "act on global climate change." The investment programme will contribute to the Shell Group's three-year target, beginning in 2019, to reduce its net carbon footprint by between 2 pct and 3 pct, according to Shell.

Projects in Shell's pipeline include a 5 million tree planting initiative in the Netherlands, a 300-hectare reforestation project in Spain and an 800-hectare endangered native forest regeneration project in the state of Queensland. (Source: Shell, Various Media, Bunkerspot, April, 2019) Contact: Royal Dutch Shell, Ben van Beurden, CEO, www.corporate-office-headquarters.com/shell-oil-company

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Emissions,  Royal Dutch Shell,  Reforestation,  Carbon Sequestration,  

Eni
Date: 2019-03-18
The Financial Times is reporting Rome-headquartered Italian oil and gas major Eni New Energy SpA will plant 81,000 square kilometers of forests -- twice the size of the Netherlands -- in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Ghana to compensate for its CO2 emissions.

ENI also want to reduce flaring and reduce methane leaks. Flaring is a practice where gases produced during the refining of oil are burned, should be banned by 2025. Methane gas emissions must then be reduced by 80 percent. Oil and gas companies are increasingly feeling the need to take measures to reduce their carbon footprint. At the same time, the companies continue to produce more fossil fuels. They say they do this to meet the growing demand in developing countries. (Source: ENI, Financial Times, Zurich Weekly News Review, 17 Mar., 2019) Contact: Eni New Energy SpA, +39 06 598 21, +39 06 598 22141 - fax, www.eni.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Eni,  Carbon Footprint,  Reforestation,  

University of Hawaiii at Manoa
Date: 2018-11-22
The Carbon Neutrality Challenge, a joint project of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and numerous organizations, aims to test the feasibility of restoring local ecosystems to offset all of the state’s carbon emissions. The group held its first proof-of-concept event on Nov. 17, 2018, at Ala Mahamoe Cultural Garden and Forest near Tripler Hospital. At the event, six teams of volunteers from UH Mānoa and various student groups, local organizations and businesses joined together in friendly competition to plant a record-setting 1,000 trees in one day. At the end of the day’s competition, teams were ranked according to the number of trees planted, with rankings available online. The goal of the event was to demonstrate the state’s ability to scale up restoration, and plant trees by the number needed to position Hawaiʻi as the first place in the world to fully offset its carbon emissions via ecosystem restoration. “The average carbon footprint of a person in Hawaiʻi is estimated at ~12 tonnes of CO2 each year. It will take 12 Milo trees just below five years to remove all of that carbon. The group notes that, with a million people in the state, if each person plants just one tree, Hawaiʻi can easily have a million trees in the ground within a week. The tree-planting pilot is based on the premise that climate change can be solved if individuals calculate how much CO2 they generate, estimate the number of trees needed to sequester those emissions and plant the required number of trees.

Despite increasingly obvious consequences of deadly heatwaves, hurricanes, floods, droughts, wildfires, and other climatic changes, greenhouse gas emissions remain largely unabated. While considerable attention has been given to improvements in energy efficiency and renewable energy sources as a way to reduce emissions, much less serious attention has been given to improving the state of natural ecosystems as sinks of such emissions. For instance, if restored, global natural forest may stock >460 billion tonnes of carbon, or all human carbon emissions at current rates for 50 years. That degree of ecosystem restoration, however, poses numerous big challenges. (Source: University of Hawaii at MānoaBig Island Now, 19 Nov., 2018) Contact: University of Hawaii at Mānoa, Camilo Mora, Assoc. Prof. of Geography,

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

National Academies of Science, Engineering
Date: 2018-11-09
A new report from the Washington, DC-headquartered National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine has concluded that a substantial research initiative should begin as soon as possible to learn more about the impacts, limitations and scalability of Negative Emissions Technologies (NETs).

According to the report, NETs , which remove CO2 directly from ambient air or enhance natural carbon sinks, could be scaled up to capture and store a significant amount of global carbon emissions, but not enough to prevent a global temperature increase of more than 2 degrees C. More research is needed to understand how to overcome existing constraints on the technologies, such as high costs and energy requirements, according to the report.

The report highlights two NETs -- direct air capture (DAR) and mineralization using chemicals and reforestation, changing agricultural practices to enhance soil carbon storage, using biomass produce electricity with CCS and enhancing the amount of carbon stored in coastal ecosystems. In addition to mitigating climate change, NETs could open an untapped market, the report notes. (Source: National Academies of Science, Engineering, Engineering News Record, Nov., 2018)Contact: National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, 202-334-2000, www.nationalacademies.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News CO2,  Carbon Capture,  Carbon Dioxide,  

Youth Icons Ghana
Date: 2018-10-19
Speaking in the capital city of Accra, Youth Icons Ghana president Nana Yaw Osei-Darkwa, has admonished the country's financial institutions to invest heavily in climate change mitigation and adaptation projects to save the Ghanaian economy. According to him climate change presented both opportunities and threats and banks and financial institutions must position themselves to take advantage of the business opportunities of climate change as well as prepare themselves to withstand effects of climate change.

According to Osei-Darkwa, "Projects such as smart-agriculture, afforestation and restoration of vital ecosystems would help combat climate change." Osei-Darkwa added that his not-for-profit NGO has established the Green Republic Project to plant more than 20 million trees by the year 2028 to absorb atmospheric CO2. (Source: Youth Icons Ghana Ghanaian Times, 17 Oct., 2018) Contact: Youth Icons Ghana, +233 (0) 264 268 686, +233 (0) 277 268686, info@youthiconsgh.org, www.youthiconsgh.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Change Mitigation,  Reforestation,  Carbon Emissions,  Climate Change Adaptation,  

Shell Oil
Date: 2018-10-12
Speaking at the Oil & Money Conference in London on Tuesday, Shell Oil CEO Ben van Beurden argued that an increased reliance on renewable energy would not be enough to meet the Paris Climate Agreement goal of limiting climate change to 1.5C degrees.

van Beurden noted that reforestation -- the planting of more trees -- was the only solution to meeting the goal of 1.5C. Reforestation is similar to afforestation, which is the process of restoring and recreating areas of woodland on land that was not previously forested.

Removal of woodland areas and forests from the planet has become all too common, due to agricultural activities, logging, mining and forest fires. Forests soak up pollution and dust from the air, maintain the balance of CO2 and oxygen in Earth's atmosphere, build natural habitats and ecosystems and maintain the water cycle which prevents soil erosion.

Reforestation can help mitigate global warming by reducing the amount of CO2 in the air. Trees use sunlight to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. Water also evaporates from leaves and this conversion of water to vapour removes heat from the air.

The Shell CEO added that an Amazon-sized tree planting project is needed to meet global warming targets. (Source: Shell, iNews, 10 Oct., 2018)

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Date: 2018-10-03
An executive summary of the UN Summary for Policymakers report on limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees C will be vetted by diplomats under the 195-nation Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in South Korea this week.

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

More Low-Carbon Energy News Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ,  Climate Change,  

Mangrove, Apple
Date: 2018-09-17
Smart Phone juggernaut Apple reports it is investing an undisclosed sum in a project in Colombia to restore mangroves and sequester as much as 17,000 metric tons (18,739 tons) of carbon dioxide in two years. That’s equal to the emissions that the fleet of vehicles updating Apple Maps will produce over the coming decade, according to the Apple release.

Beyond cutting the amount of carbon dioxide we put into the atmosphere, scientists show that we will also need to pull carbon dioxide from the air to avoid catastrophic climate change. There are six so-called “negative-emissions technologies” that can help us get there: afforestation and reforestation; enhanced weathering (using minerals that capture carbon dioxide); soil carbon (tweaking the crops and forests we currently grow to absorb more carbon); biochar (using a special kind charcoal as to trap carbon dioxide); BECCS (bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, which requires capturing carbon dioxide produced by burning biomass like wood and then burying it underground); and DAC (direct air capture, which involves the use of machines that are essentially trees on steroids to suck carbon dioxide from the air and bury it underground).

Among those negative-emissions technologies, mangrove restoration would be classed as reforestation. The Conservation International project would cover an area of 17,000 hectares (42,000 acres) in the Sinu river delta. The NGO will use the money raised for the project to help the 12,000 people in the community who use the mangroves for food, firewood, and livelihoods. Conservation International believes the carbon offsets will provide financial security to the region and develop sustainable ways to support tourism and fisheries.

(Source: Apple, PR, Sept., 2018)

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Sequestration news,  Apple news,  Mangrove news,  

Date: 2018-09-17
Apple’s newest smartphones may not have received all-round praise, but its latest environmental initiative surely should. On Friday (Sep. 14), the world’s most valuable company said it is investing an undisclosed sum in a project in Colombia to restore mangroves and sequester as much as 17,000 metric tons (18,739 tons) of carbon dioxide in two years. That’s equal to the emissions that the fleet of vehicles updating Apple Maps will produce over the coming decade.

“Mangroves live at the edge of the land and sea, providing local communities with coastal protection, habitat for their fisheries, and a wealth of biodiversity,” according to Conservation International, an NGO that’s leading the mangrove restoration project. “These and other ocean wetlands store up to 10 times the carbon per unit area as terrestrial forests, making them a vital ally in the fight against climate change.” A 2016 study of 3,000 deforested mangrove patches found that most of them were being cut down for the use of growing rice, palm trees, or expanding fisheries.

Beyond cutting the amount of carbon dioxide we put into the atmosphere, scientists show that we will also need to pull carbon dioxide from the air to avoid catastrophic climate change. There are six so-called “negative-emissions technologies” that can help us get there: afforestation and reforestation; enhanced weathering (using minerals that capture carbon dioxide); soil carbon (tweaking the crops and forests we currently grow to absorb more carbon); biochar (using a special kind charcoal as to trap carbon dioxide); BECCS (bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, which requires capturing carbon dioxide produced by burning biomass like wood and then burying it underground); and DAC (direct air capture, which involves the use of machines that are essentially trees on steroids to suck carbon dioxide from the air and bury it underground).

Among those negative-emissions technologies, mangrove restoration would be classed as reforestation. The Conservation International project would cover an area of 17,000 hectares (42,000 acres) in the Sinu river delta. The NGO will use the money raised for the project to help the 12,000 people in the community who use the mangroves for food, firewood, and livelihoods. Conservation International believes the carbon offsets will provide financial security to the region and develop sustainable ways to support tourism and fisheries.

Earlier this year, Apple also announced that all of its electricity use in 45 countries is powered by 100% renewable energy. Some of the success of such environmental shifts are down to the lower cost of renewable energy, but much credit also goes to environmental campaigns like Greenpeace’s Click Clean that hold tech companies to account on their sustainability promises. That said, there’s still a long way to go if Apple plans to cut emissions from all its energy use. (Source: Apple, PR, Sept., 2018)

Coop Carbone
Date: 2018-08-31
In Quebec, the Arbre-Evolution co-op reports it is partnering with Coop Carbone to develop carbon-offsetting projects. Coop Carbone works with enterprises to identify, develop and fund carbon-offsetting projects.

Arbre-Evolution's pioneering approach to carbon offsetting focuses on the "social aspect of planting trees." Arbre-Evolution selects and supports projects from ideas put forward by businesses and community groups seeking to offset their carbon footprints through community tree planting and reforestation projects on publicly or collectively owned land.

In addition to its partnership with Coop Carbone, Arbre-Evolution is working with the Forest Stewardship Council of Canada. The co-op's approach enables communities and companies to be part of the process rather than simply purchasing carbon credits. (Source: Coop News, 28 Aug., 2018) Contact: Arbre-Evolution, (514) 207-3686, (418) 607-0697, info@arbre-evolution.org, www.arbre-evolution.org; Coop Carbone, Jean Nolet, Pres., http://coopcarbone.coop

More Low-Carbon Energy News Coop Carbone,  Carbon Offsets,  Carbon Emissions,  Reforestation,  

Darling Brewery
Date: 2018-07-23
South African micro-brewery Daring Brewery near Cape Town is reported to be the first in Africa to go carbon-neutral as more businesses across the continent adjust to climate change, and as consumers become increasingly conscious of the environmental impact and carbon footprint of the products they purchase. To help reach its goal, the brewery decreased its water and energy consumption in the brewing process, increased its over all energy efficiency and purchased carbon credits at a reforestation project in Zimbabwe and included environment information on it labels.

South Africa has committed to introduce a carbon credit tax on large emitters and is expected to make products from carbon-neutral companies "the cheaper option," by January, 2019. (Source: Darling Brewery, Portland Press Herald, AP, 21 July, 2018) Contact: Darling Brewery, +27 21 286 1099, www.darlingbrew.co.za

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon-Neutral,  

GreenTrees,American Carbon Registry
Date: 2018-07-09
In the Old Dominion State, GreenTrees® is reporting completion of its latest verification for 1,273,866 metric tons on the American Carbon Registry (ACR) -- the organization's second consecutive issuance of over one million tons.

ACR has had fifteen issuances over a million forestry tons for both compliance and voluntary markets. This includes IFM, Avoided Conversion and Afforestation/Reforestation project types. Of the fifteen issuances, GreenTrees has two of them. Only three of the fifteen issuances are from afforestation/reforestation projects, with the remaining one from an international project.

The GreenTrees River System approach is setting the standard for how reforestation can achieve scale and impact and does it with small and medium-sized landowners. Reforestation provides a continuous loop of scaled impact while bending the climate curve.

GreenTrees® is the largest reforestation program in North America with more than 120,000 acres of trees planted with its 500 landowner partners, producing over 1,000,000 tons annually on The American Carbon Registry. (Source: GreenTrees, CSRWire, 6 July, 2018) Contact: GreenTrees, Chandler Van Voorhis, (540)253-2504, chandler@green-trees.com, www.green-trees.com; American Carbon Registry, https://americancarbonregistry.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Refdorestation,  Climate Change,  American Carbon Registry ,  Carbon Emissions,  Carbon Credits,  

www.ayalaland.com.ph
Date: 2018-03-19
In the Philippines, real estate giant Ayala Land Inc. and Center for Conservation Innovations Inc. report they are conducting carbon emission-offsetting forest preservation and reforestation program entitled Carbon Neutral by 2022. The program is aimed at maximizing the carbon storage potential of a 133-hectare forest in Alaminos, Laguna, to help abate the impacts of climate change.

In January, 2018, the company set aside 450 hectares of land to develop carbon-guzzling forests in line with its other low-carbon targets, including increased reliance on renewable energy, green building practices and increased energy efficiency. Ayala Land Inc. generates produces about 68,000 tpy of CO2, according to the company. tons of carbon dioxide a year.

The Center for Conservation Innovations Inc. will study five sites in different parts of the Philippines to determine a baseline carbon stock in the carbon-forest sites, three of which are within or adjacent to existing Alaya Land development projects. (Source: Alaya Land Inc., Business Mirror, 18 Mar., 2018)Contact: Center for Conservation Innovations, www.conservation-innovations.org; Ayala Land Inc., Anna Maria Gonzales, Sustainability Manager, www.ayalaland.com.ph

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Offsetting,  Carbon Storage,  Carbon Enissions,  

Ontario,Carbon Offsets
Date: 2018-03-02
At Queens Park, the government of Ontario reports it is developing 13 proposed carbon offset protocols in cooperation with the province of Quebec and will work with the province's Environmental Commissioner (ECO) to address its concerns linked to several of the proposed offset methodologies.

ECO has recommended scrapping at least three of the protocols including additionality, permanence, mitigation potential and leakage. The ECO also recommended that forest management, afforestation and reforestation projects be ineligible to generate carbon offsets for use in the province's carbon market.

Ontario and Quebec -- two of the three WCI member jurisdictions -- are jointly developing the 13 protocols, with California-based Climate Action Reserve tasked with authoring them. (Source: Province of Ontario, Carbon Pulse, 20 Feb., 2018)Contact: Ontario Environmental Commissioner, https://eco.on.ca

More Low-Carbon Energy News Ontario,  Carbon Offsets,  

Statistics New Zealand
Date: 2018-02-28
In Auckland, Statistics New Zealand is reporting the country's carbon emissions grew slower than growth in the economy while native fores tareas shrank slightly over the same period. According to Stats NZ, that spells difficulty for New Zealand in meeting its Paris climate change accord obligations by 2030, given that plantation forests are currently the country's main fallback for offsetting rising national emissions.

According to Stats NZ, Greenhouse gas emissions measures between 1990 and 2015, the latest year for which figures are available, show emissions increased from 61 million tpy to 76 million tpy.

Stats NZ accounts show both a dramatic rise in the total carbon sequestration occurring in maturing plantation forests and a dramatic drop in new planting from a peak at the start of the period of around 100,000 hectares a year to well under 20,000 hectares annually since 2005. That's in spite of the recognition that plantation forest carbon 'sinks' are one New Zealand's best options to meet its climate change commitments. To remedy the situation, the government is ramping up a "billion trees" planting programme over the next decade. (Source: Stats NZ, SHARECHAT.co.nz, 29 Feb., 2018)Contact: Statistics New Zealand, www.stats.govt.nz

More Low-Carbon Energy News NZ Carbon Emissions,  Carbon Sink,  Reforestation,  

World Bank,REDD+
Date: 2018-02-12
The World Bank reports it has granted $4.8 million to support Bhutan's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through strengthening the country's forests under the Bhutan REDD+ Readiness Project.

The Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, and Conservation, Sustainable Management of Forest and Enhancement of Forest Carbon Stocks (REDD+) is a mitigation mechanism to combat climate change. The international programme operates under the principles of reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and enhancing carbon sequestration through improved forest protection and management.

The REDD+ Readiness programme was established in Bhutan in 2010. In 2013, the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility of the World Bank approved the REDD+ Readiness Preparation Proposal (R-PP) and the project was implemented from 2015 with $3.8 million in World Bank grant funding. In the three years, the project completed the National Forest Inventory, established heritage forests, land use and land cover mapping 2016, revised forest and nature conservation rules and regulations of 2017, build capacity for forest management, and institutionalized national forest monitoring system and forest reference emission level including the forest resource information management system. (Source: Kuensel, World Bank, 12 Feb., 2018)

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

Appalachian State University
Date: 2018-02-05
Researchers from Boone, North Carolina-based Appalachian State University faculty are reporting receipt of Clabough Foundation funding to develop the OFFSET -- Offsets for Future Forest Stewardship and Education Together -- Workshop for forest managers landowners in the High Country and Blue Ridge Mountains area.

The project aims to provide an overview of forest projects that can offset CO2 GHG emissions and the mechanisms for participation in forest conservation, reforestation, improved forest management and other related programs.

The OFFSET Workshop will provide an overview and outline of specific carbon offset programs, voluntary and compliance carbon markets -- California cap-and-trade -- and the rules, regulations and guidelines for participation. Presenters will also outline different types of forest offset projects, describe the stages in the lifetime of a project, accepted carbon registries, carbon stock assessments, verification and current trends in the program. California's forest carbon offset program, baseline assessments of carbon stocks and an accounting methodology for forest offset activities that could occur in North Carolina, will also be covered. (Source: Appalachian Today, 29 Jan., 2018)Contact: Appalachian State University, http://earth.appstate.edu, http://rieee.appstate.edu

Ministry of Capital Administration and Development Division
Date: 2017-12-04
In Islamabad, the Pakistan Prime Minister's Green Pakistan Programme has targeted the planting of 100 million trees by 2021 as part of the country's fight against climate change and to mitigate its effects. At present 4 to 5 pct of Pakistan's land area -- 3.2 to 4 million hectares -- is forested. The country harvests approximately 27,000 hectares of forests per year.

Pakistan is rated the world's 7th most vulnerable country to the effects of climate change by the German Watch Index. Between 1996-2015, Pakistan suffered 133 different disasters attributed to climate change, according to the German Watch Index. Pakistan has also suffered economic damages of around $25-$27 billion due to floods and other climate change-related disasters between 2010-2016. (Source: Pakistan Ministry of Capital Administration and Development Division, Pakistan Today, News International, 3 Dec., 2017) Contact: Ministry of Capital Administration and Development Division, cadd.gov.pk

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

VietNam,Carbon Emissions
Date: 2017-10-06
VietNamNet Bridge reports the Vietnamese government is launching a project aimed at cutting emissions from deforestation and increasing forest CO2 absorption. The project will be implemented in the six provinces where forest coverage accounts for 57 pct or 2.9 million hectares, of the country's total forest area.

The global Forest Carbon Partnership Facility and World Bank have committed to pay Viet Nam $60 million for the absorption of 10.3 million tonnes of CO2 from 2018 to 2024.

This project is the first regional-level project implemented by the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) programme in Viet Nam. Cities discharge 70 pct of Vietnam's CO2. (Source: Vietnam Bridge Vietnam Net, Others, Oct., 2017)

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

EU
Date: 2017-09-15
In Brussels, European Union Parliamentarians (MEPs) report their approval of new rules for accounting for the "negative emissions" from forestry as part of the EU's 2030 climate change policy.

The EU has a target to cut emissions by 40 pct by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, and forests acting as "carbon sinks" removing more than 400 Mt CO2 from the atmosphere annually -- equivalent to 10 pct of the EU's total greenhouse gas emissions -- is part of the EU's meeting its carbon reduction targets.

The European Commission's initial proposal for a regulation on land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) introduced a "no-debit" or zero target whereby EU countries must offset all deforestation either by equivalent reforestation or improved forest management and thus have a neutral impact on climate change. The Commission proposal also required all 28 EU states to account for the emissions produced from burning biofuels, which was not the case previously.

The MEPs have also adopted a mandatory 2000 -2012 historical baseline obliging EU countries to count all emissions coming from changes in forest management in subsequent years. This means that if a country increased its harvesting levels, the reduction in "carbon sink" capacity would be accounted as a net increase in emissions. The MEPs also raised the upper limit for forest credits that EU countries can use to offset emissions in other types of land (wetlands, for example) from 3,5 pct to 7 pct of the total current sink capacity of forests. (Source: European Commission, EURACTIV.com, Various Others 14 Sept., 2017) Contact: European Commission, ec.europa.eu/commission

More Low-Carbon Energy News European Commission,  Carbon Sink,  Forest Carbon,  CO2,  Carbon Emissions,  

Veridium Labs
Date: 2017-08-30
In Hong Kong, environmental technology startup Veridium Labs reports it aims to raise $150 million in October through the sale of tokens backed by forest Carbon Offset Credits (Carbon Credits) and other credits used to fund environmental mitigation efforts. Proceeds will be used to build a platform to enable trading of assets backed by "natural capital" -- air, water, forests, and minerals -- an untapped and undervalued asset class that academics from several U.S. universities have estimated is worth more than $120 trillion.

Veridium will issue two types of tokens. VERIDIUM membership tokens will grant access to the trading platform while TGR tokens represent actual environmental mitigation credits. Some companies purchase the credits voluntarily while other credits, such as wetland or stream credits, are required by the U.S. EPA and other regulators. Pension funds and investment firms are the major drivers of environmental mitigation credits, as they try to ensure the companies they invest in are socially responsible, according to Veridium.

There will be 15 million "TGR" tokens at the initial offering, backed by REDD+ forest carbon offset credits issued by Infinite Earth and backed by natural assets from the Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve in Borneo, Indonesia. Infinite Earth currently holds a 60-year lease on the Indonesian biodiversity reserve.

Veridium Labs Ltd., a joint-venture between ConsenSys AG and EnVision Corporation, is an Environmental FinTech company offering a real-world application of blockchain technology that uses the cryptographic environmental mitigation offsets issued through the Veridium Network to create an entirely new asset class of commodities with net positive environmental impacts. Veridium Labs is responsible for creating enterprise solutions for corporations that will drive demand for the tokenized natural capital assets issued on the blockchain through the Veridium Network. The company is currently working on climate change risk mitigation products for institutional portfolio management companies, pension funds and endowments as well as creating sustainable supply chain solutions for Fortune 100 & 500 companies. (Source: Veridium Labs, NYTimes, Others, 28 Aug., 2017) Contact: Veridium Labs, Todd Lemons, CEO, +852-5808-0007, (980) 202-0297, www.veridium.io

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Credit,  Carbon Offset Credits ,  REDD+,  Reforestation,  

Trump
Date: 2017-08-21
It is being widely reported that growing resistance to the Trump administration's rollback of U.S. climate policy is literally taking root worldwide under the guise of the "Trump Forest" project. The project is being driven by New Zealand climate scientist Dr. Daniel Price, ex-journalist Adrien Taylor, and political scientist Jeff Willis.

The Trump Forest project project aims to plant 110 billion trees which would cover an area larger than the State of Kentucky, to offset the carbon emissions created by the Trump administration's climate regression, from repealing the Clean Power Plan to withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement.

"The project rests on a simple idea: to soak up excess carbon emissions created by the Trump administration's rollback of climate policies and devotion to fossil fuels, plant something that absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. (Source: ThinkProgress, Various Others18 Aug., 2017)

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

Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife
Date: 2017-08-11
The Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife has issued an RfP for an operator to sell carbon offset credits for reforestation and recovery of its planned Puu Mali Forest Carbon Project on Mauna Kea .

The Puu Mali Forest Carbon Project calls for the planting of native trees and watershed land restoration. The improvements will be paid for through the sale of carbon offset credits, with one such credit typically certifying the storage of one metric ton of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide in plants and other organic material. (Source: Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife, Honolulu Star, AP, Aug., 2017) Contact: Puu Mali Forest Carbon Project, (808) 587-0166, dlnr@hawaii.gov,http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/forestry/frs/initiatives/forestcarbon/pmra/

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Credit,  Reforestation,  

Date: 2017-07-19
New research indicates that simply reducing greenhouse gas emissions is not enough to avoid the massive costs and environmental destruction that young people are likely to face if the effects of climate change compound and worsen. The research is part of the scientific basis for legal action in Juliana et al. v. United States, filed in Eugene, Oregon Federal Court in 2015 by 21 young people, claiming the president and major government agencies are violating their constitutional rights to life, liberty and property by failing to address climate change.

According to a just published Columbia University study by Professor James Hansen, former head of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies , most carbon in the atmosphere can be removed through improved forestry and agricultural practices alone, which would be comparatively inexpensive, and could enhance forest products and soil fertility. And, while reforestation and other measures to remove CO2 from the atmosphere will help, elevated fossil fuel emissions will require costly technological solutions to extract additional CO2 and prevent global warming.

However, if CO2 emissions grow at a rate of 2 pct a year -- they rose 2.6 pct a year from 2000 to 2015 -- nations would need to extract more than 1,100 gigatons of carbon from the atmosphere by 2100. This could be achieved only by using expensive technological solutions, according to the study. According to Hansen, CO2 should be reduced to fewer than 350 ppm from the current level of about 400 ppm. To do so, nations must reduce CO2 emissions by 6 pct a year by 2021, and extract roughly 165 gigatons ( 1 gigaton = 1 billion tonnes) of carbon from the atmosphere by 2100. Even if global average temperatures stay below 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels -- the primary goal of the 2015 Paris climate agreement -- climate feedbacks could be "slowed," to the partial melting of ice sheets and resulting sea level rise. (Source: Court News, July, 2017)

More Low-Carbon Energy News GHG,  Greenhouse Gas Emissions,  Climate Change,  

More Low-Carbon Energy News GHG,  Greenhouse Gas Emissions,  Climate Change,  

Mansfield Energy
Date: 2017-06-23
Gainsville, Georgia-headquartered Mansfield Energy Corp, through a partnership with GreenPrint, is announcing the launch of its turnkey, ZERO™ reduced emissions program. Participating Mansfield Energy clients will have their diesel fuel's carbon dioxide emissions automatically offset through proportionate investments in certified CO2 reduction projects such as reforestation, alternative energy, planting trees locally, and more.

ZERO™, which requires no capital expense, no new fuel, and no new hardware to install, automatically calculates CO2 emissions based on current diesel usage, reduces the associated emissions through investments in certified, verified carbon offset projects, and then provides turnkey certified emissions and sustainability reporting that companies can use for supply chain reports, RFPs, cause marketing, and annual reports.

GreenPrint is a technology and service company enabling companies to practice sustainability in a turn-key way. Blending transaction processing software with climate science, the company's patent-pending products reduce emissions on vehicles for municipalities and commercial fleets. Working with over 42,000 corporate clients in 8 languages across 12 countries, GreenPrint reduces emissions on almost 500 million gpy of fuel. (Source: Mansfield Energy, GreenPrint, 21 June, 2017) Contact: Mansfield Energy, Doug Haugh, President and Chief Strategy Officer , (800) 695-6626, www.mansfield.energy.com, www.zerofuel.com; GreenPrint, http://GreenPrintCorp.com

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

Date: 2017-06-14
In Nairobi, the Kenyan government reports it is bolstering the country's fight against the severe effects of climate change by planting and commercializing extremely hardy and fast growing bamboo in selected catchment areas. The plan is part of the country's Kenya Vision 2030 Initiative.

The Vision 2030 Initiative bamboo planting program is designed to encourage and enable Kenyans to participate in environmental activities including climate change mitigation by developing small bamboo forests in pursuit of achieving the targeted 10 pct forest cover by 2030.

According to the International Network of Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR), a UN registered intergovernmental organization promoting the growing of bamboo and rattan for economic and environmental gains, the annual global bamboo economy is valued at $60 billion. The. (Source: Xinhua|, 13 June, 2017) Contact: Kenya Vision 2030, www.vision2030.go.ke

More Low-Carbon Energy News Bamboo,  Climate Change,  Climate Change Mitigation,  Reforestation,  Climate Change Mitigation,  

UNFCCC,REDD+,UNEP
Date: 2017-05-15
Jamaica reports it has embarked on the first phase of the United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forestry Degradation in Developing Countries (UN-REDD), a global initiative to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The Programme aims to provide positive incentives to countries to contribute to climate-change mitigation through activities in the forestry and land use sectors. The programme falls under the auspices of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and seeks to curb emissions, particularly in the forestry sector, most of which are tropical forests in developing countries.

The UNFCCC developed a set of guidelines for countries to implement the REDD+ mechanism which are to be implemented over three phases. The first is REDD+ Readiness, where countries are expected to design national strategies and action plans alongside relevant stakeholders, to be able to combat the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, build capacity and develop policies.

The phase also includes establishing a National Forest Monitoring System, which is a holistic system to monitor forest cover nationally over a period of time, as well as a measurement reporting and verification (MRV) system.

The country will also establish the forest reference emission levels, to estimate the total carbon dioxide the forested areas are emitting on an annual basis. This is used as a baseline to determine how well the country does in REDD+ activities.

A safeguard information system will also be set up to ensure that REDD+ activities are environmentally friendly and that any benefits accrued are distributed equitably to all stakeholders involved in the mitigation activities.

The UN-REDD was launched in 2008 and builds on the convening role and technical expertise of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).Jamaica is receiving support for the programme through the Green Climate Fund of the UNEP. (Source: Jamaica Information Service, 12 May, 2017) Contact: Jamaica Information Service, +876 926 3590, jis.gov.jm; UNDP, www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home.html; UNFCCC, http://unfccc.int

More Low-Carbon Energy News Deforestation,  Reforestation,  UNFCCC,  Climate Change,  REDD+,  UNEP Green Climate Fund,  

Forest Enhancement Society of British Columbia
Date: 2017-02-27
The Forest Enhancement Society of British Columbia reports thatB.C Premier Christy Clark's office has promised $150 million in the 2016-17 fiscal year for tree planting to help the province sequester carbon and fight climate change.

"The rehabilitation and reforestation of damaged forest stands will provide significant greenhouse gas benefits and increase the use of low-quality fibre," according to the Provincial Forest Carbon Initiative. The initiative aims to cut carbon emissions in the forest sector and increase tree planting over an area of up to 300,000 hectares through 2021.

The Forest Enhancement Society of British Columbia was created by the B.C. government in February 2016 with an initial cash infusion of $85 million. The organization operates at arm's length from government and funds projects aimed at forest enhancement and wildfire reduction on provincial Crown land. (Source: Forest Enhancement Society of British Columbia, PR, EcoLog, 24 Feb., 2017) Contact: Forest Enhancement Society of British Columbia, Jim Snetsinger, Vice Chair, www.fesbc.ca

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Sequestration,  Reforestation,