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Outside the Box (and Into the Fire ..)
The graphic to the left has been developed from various sources. The conclusions are scary:
- the world will reach 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels (ie 15,5 °C) very soon
- Being Nett zero by 2050 is too late
This assessment uses very simple calculations and assumptions but the conclusions align very well with others.
How are Countries Doing
Current Pledges and Policies are not adequate to be below 1.5 degrees (climateactiontracker)
It is best to look at sites such as climateactiontracker before exercise - not just before bed ..
Follow the "leader" - Not
Companies
Are you a B Corp ?
But it is not clear the (really) big boys are playing
But it is not clear the (really) big boys are playing
There are many initiatives including SBTi, B Corp, RE 100, CAM.
But it is not clear the (really) big boys are playing
But it is not clear the (really) big boys are playing
But it is not clear the (really) big boys are playing
BP, Shell and other companies have recently made big statements. Even if there is an element of Greenwash the fact they are doing something sets them apart ... If anyone has heard anything from Exxon, Chevron, China Coal, CNPC, Gazprom please send info ..
Jargon (With some opinions/comments)
CH4 - Methane
CH4 is the main component of Natural gas and is approximately 25 times more damaging (see GWP, CO2eq below) to the planet than CO2 ie 1 tonne CH4 = 25 tonnes CO2 eq. This simple fact is behind the relatively recent focus by Oil and Gas companies to reduce / avoid venting/leaking of gas "Fugitive Emissions"
CO2 101
There is (perhaps too) much info on the net - we have tried to capture some key elements here so you don't have to ask ..
CO2 eq - CO2 Equivalent
There are several gases that are causing Global Warming including CO2 (that is generated from decomposition and burning), Methane (CH4), Nitrous oxide (N2O), Ozone (O3), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Hydrofluorocarbons (eg HCFCs and HFCs).
CO2 PWO - CO2 Personal Workout
A phrase coined by The-E
CSR - Corporate Social Responsibility
Until recently companies addressed Sustainability related topics through CSR. The focus was generally on Social programmes to "offset" or compensate communities impacted by a project or companies activities. Often the CSR function was associated with corporate communications ...
Embodied Carbon
The CO2 emitted in producing materials. It is estimated from the energy used to extract and transport raw materials as well as emissions from manufacturing processes. It is an important aspect of LCA and EPDs
EPD - Environmental Product Declarations
Is a document describing the Life Cycle Impacts of a (normally building) product. The preparation of EPD's are governed by International standards including EN15804 (used in Europe and some other regions of the world) and ISO 21930. Verification of the EPD is described in ISO14025. Many organisations around the world are involved in establishing country specific requirements (BRE (UK), UL (US), RTS (Finland), .
ESG - Environmental Social and Governance
A more recent term that brings Environmental and Social together with Management (Governance). Is this just CSR with a new name ?
GWP - Global Warming Potential
This is the same concept as CO2eq ie CH4 has a (much) higher GWP than CO2
NETs - Negative Emissions Technologies
To meet the 1.5 degrees rise target requires significant volumes of CO2 to be taken out of the atmosphere. Technologies include: AR - afforestation and reforestation, SCS - soil carbon sequestration, BC - biochar, BECCS - bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, DACCS - direct air carbon capture and storage, EW - enhanced weathering, OF - ocean fertilization, SAI - Stratospheric Aerosol injection. The graphic to the left depicts the readiness and indicative cost per tonne CO2 of these technologies as at 2015 (excludes SAI). Info from ref 3 and ref 5 (see OSTB tab)
LCA - Life Cycle Analysis
A process of assessing the environmental impacts of a thing "from cradle to grave". Whilst this concept has been around for years there are now various guidelines, standards, tools, consultants and industry bodies working to standardize the process and ensure it is used to support businesses in reducing the environmental impacts of their business.
SME - Small and Medium Enterprise
As defined by the SBTI (see below) an SME is "A non-subsidiary, independent company which employs fewer than 500 employees."
Initiatives and Actors
CPD (Initially meaning Carbon Disclosure Project)
CDP is a not-for-profit charity that runs the global disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states and regions to manage their environmental impacts.
IPPC - The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change
TED - Countdown
Countdown is a global initiative to champion and accelerate solutions to the climate crisis, turning ideas into action.
Our World in Data
Research and data to make progress against the world’s largest problems. See the graphic to the left.
SBTi - Science Based Targets initiative
SBTi is an initiative established by CDP, the United Nations Global Compact (UN Global Compact), World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). A large number of companies including global brands (eg IKEA (retail), Accor (Hotels), Lafarge (Cement), BCG (Consulting), Mammut (apparel), Arup (Engineering), VW (cars)) have "committed to commit" to science based targets linked to the Paris agreement goals ie less than 2 and target of 1.5°C increase in Global temperature. Separate processes and timelines have been established for SME's, Oil and Gas and the Financial Sector. For example the Oil and Gas Sector does not need to establish targets until October 2022.
Some props for discussion
Where are the "N0IL ers"
Where are the "N0IL ers"
Where are the "N0IL ers"
Achieving the 1.5 degree target assumes we will all change our ways ie we all need to become "N0ILers" or "NZ@2030ers" - Sustainable House, EV driving, Vegetarian, Non fliers. Whilst a small % of the population have made significant adjustments to their lives (COVID helped) there is plenty of evidence suggesting Environmental Aspects still rank low in individuals decision making - for example car purchases in the US are likely to go up with the largest segment continuing to be "Trucks" and SUV's ....
Big Oil will save us
Where are the "N0IL ers"
Where are the "N0IL ers"
Can big oil really change its stripes ? Can we rely on them to save the planet ? On the face of it they are trying but if one digs a little deeper there continues to be (more than just) a hint of "greenwash".
We can re-engineer the Planet in 15 years
We can re-engineer the Planet in 15 years
We can re-engineer the Planet in 15 years
Concepts such as Ocean Fertilization and "Stratospheric Aerosol injection" (SAI) pose many risks including Moral Hazard and "Termination Shock" . Are International Organisations and governments equipped to make informed policy choices to ensure any such Geoengineering is sustainable (COVID was simple ...)
Carbon Capture is Easy
We can re-engineer the Planet in 15 years
We can re-engineer the Planet in 15 years
Various CCS pilots have been conducted around the world. To work you need to have the right geography, undertake many studies and invest a lot of money. The actual injection process involves using a large amount of (often fossil fuel derived) energy. The monitoring is expensive and complex. Even then it may not work .....
Some Websites
1 - ENERDA
Enerda - Global Energy Trends - 2020 Edition - October update (COVID Impact on Global Emissions
2 - Our World in Data
3 - Negative Emissions Technologies
Stranded Carbon Assets and Negative Emissions Technologies – February 2015 -Smith School of Enterprise and Environment, University of Oxford
4 - Climate Majors
5 - Global warming will happen faster than we think
Global warming will happen faster than we think Three trends will combine to hasten it, warn Yangyang Xu, Veerabhadran Ramanathan and David G. Victor.
6 - SAI - The Economist
Economist Feb 27 2021 - Floating a trial Balloon - Dusting the upper atmosphere could help counter climate change
7 - Breakthrough
breakthroughonline.org.au
8 - In Salah CCS
The In Salah CO2 storage project: lessons learned and knowledge transfer P. S. Ringrosea *, A. S. Mathiesonb , I. W. Wrightb , F. Selamac , O. Hansena , R. Bissellb , N. Saoulaa , & J. Midgleyb , Energy Procedia 37 ( 2013 ) 6226– 6236 , ScienceDirect.com
9 - Future of Mobility
Deloitte - Future of Automotive Sales and Aftersales - Impact of current industry trends on OEM revenues and profits until 2035. Some key points (as summarised in ref 5):
- COVID-19 slowed the growth rate of EV sales across various regions. Even so, the course seems clear for growth over the next decade.
- The recovery in EV sales is likely to be slower in the United States than in other major regions, as manufacturers delay the launch of new cars and consumers take advantage of low oil prices.
- By 2030, BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicle) will account for 81% of all new EVs sold.
- The top three consumer priorities for EV adoption in the US as of 2020 are as follows: lack of electric charging infrastructure (29%), driving range (25%), cost/premium price (18%)
10 - Climate Action Tracker
See info on Paris je t'aime
Some Background Reading
That old Cycling Shirt
Footprint of Banking Services
That old Cycling Shirt
We have done some Life Cycle assessments for one of our clients that sells Chinese made clothes to an international client base. This assessment highlights the significance of the "purchase" and "use" phase of a garment. For example:
- means of acquiring the garment - the journey to the shop
- washing & drying: frequency, items per load, drying method
- carbon intensity of the owners electricity
- number of times is used
- Second, 3 rd .... life
- Final resting place
Are you a Mr Busy or a Mrs E ?
(Not so) Green Energy
Footprint of Banking Services
That old Cycling Shirt
Richard Headland at Which? said:
“As consumers grow ever-more environmentally-conscious, it’s concerning that some suppliers appear to be ‘greenwashing’ their energy tariffs, which could risk misleading customers. We believe there needs to be greater clarity on how renewable electricity is defined and marketed. People can only make informed decisions about where to buy their energy from if firms are more upfront and transparent about their green credentials.”
Footprint of Banking Services
Footprint of Banking Services
Footprint of Banking Services
From the Guardian Newspaper UK
When you take out a mortgage or loan, or pay for an overdraft, your interest payments feed all this activity, sending a series of economic and environmental ripple effects out across the country and wider world.
Input-output analysis suggests a ballpark footprint of 160g CO2e for every pound spent on UK financial services. The figure is about the same for other professional services, such as solicitors, lawyers, accountants, therapists and architects.
If you have a £100,000 mortgage on a 5% interest rate, then each year you would pay £5,000 in interest (plus any actual repayments). At 160g per pound, that would add up to a remarkably large annual carbon footprint of around 800kg.
Bitcoin
Bitcoin
Footprint of Banking Services
Various organisations have attempted to assess the energy and associated carbon emissions associated with Bitcoin. As with many of these assessments it is not easy and is not accurate. Irrespective it is clear that the impacts of using Bitcoin are significantly higher that other means of payment. The 380.6 kgCO2 shown here is per transaction. You can do 843,549 transactions with Visa for every Bitcoin transation.
Food
Bitcoin
Food
Click on the picture to watch an informative video regarding the various aspects considered in determining the carbon impact of food. I used to think it was all about farts but I was wrong ..