Climate Change

The new era of Emissions Awareness
The world’s leading scientists continue to stress the evidence supporting climate change grows stronger with new research.

Everyday, more people and businesses are becoming aware of the impact of the carbon emissions caused by their everyday activities on the environment. Some people are aware and doing something about it. But a lot of people think doing a little bit is enough. The truth is if you do a little you achieve a little. We need to make deep cuts in carbon emissions and help drive investment in low-carbon solutions.

But what can you do? An increasingly popular option is to offset carbon and become carbon neutral.

Offset Carbon and be Carbon Neutral
To carbon offset is to reduce or stop carbon emissions somewhere else in the world for some of the carbon emissions you are responsible in your daily life. If you offset carbon emissions equivalent to the carbon emissions of all your activities in one year, then you are carbon neutral.

You use a carbon credit to offset carbon emissions. A carbon credit generally represents one tonne of carbon emissions reduced in a carbon project somewhere else in the world.

However, there has been some concerns about the calibre of carbon credits available to offset carbon emissions.

Most carbon offset projects use carbon credits created from trees or renewable projects. While these sound attractive there are concerns about using them as carbon offsets. A third type of carbon credit, a carbon emissions credit from a compliance regulated scheme, overcomes these concerns and empowers you to proactively reduce global carbon emission credits. These alternatives are investigated in the article “What are the alternatives to carbon offset / become carbon neutral”.

A More Meaningful Solution – Carbon Emission Credits
Carbon emission credits work like this. Through a simple and powerful initiative, you access a compliance regulated market to buy and cancel carbon emission credits. Cancelling carbon emissions credits from the limited pool of credits in the European Emissions Trading Scheme means there are fewer credits available to be used by industry to emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. You are taking away the rights of industry to emit carbon dioxide.

Fewer carbon emission credits helps drive investment in low-carbon solutions such as energy efficiencies and renewable energy, as emitters can use the money from the carbon credits they sell to fund their investments in low-carbon solutions. They are rewarded for emitting less carbon dioxide.

Carbon emission credits have been referred to as the ‘most pure’ form of carbon emission reduction. We call it the Climakind alternative to offset carbon emissions because it helps ensure your carbon emissions reduction efforts are proactive, high quality and secure.

You help speed up the transition to a low-carbon future.

Making it Simple
To make it simple, Climakind provides affordable and easily recognisable levels of participation. You can choose to cancel carbon emission credits equal to one year of your annual carbon emissions and instantly become a Gold member, or start with one month’s carbon emissions as a Bronze member. You can add to your membership anytime through the member lounge at www.climakind.com. You can even compare your purchases to the global average over different time periods.

All this makes being Climakind (ClimateKind – to be climate kind is to be kind to the climate) more than just a simple carbon offset or carbon neutral solution.

You can make a difference
Whether you are a business or an individual Climakind can help you reduce carbon emissions.

Visit www.climakind.com and register to cancel carbon emission credits today.

Help make a difference. Act now to reduce global carbon emissions and encourage investment in low carbon-solutions.

You can have a meaningful impact in the transition to a sustainable future. You can make a difference.

The question most often asked by organizations trying to figure out carbon emissions reporting is related to The Climate Registry. Explained here are further details about the registry and why your organization should care about it.

The Climate Registry was published in draft form as early as May, 2007. It documents and outlines the requirements for carbon (CO2) emissions reporting. Many organizations are wondering why it is so important. Its impact to your organization is the question continuing to be asked even today. It is an important part of carbon emission protocols established in the United States and internationally to combat air pollution and Global Warming.

The Climate Registry is an agreement regarding emissions reporting protocols or a collaboration between 39 U.S. states (and growing), all Canadian provinces and territories, 6 states in Mexico and three native sovereign nations aimed at recording and tracking greenhouse gas emissions from businesses, municipalities, organizations, and other facilities.

There are key components to The Climate Registry that all companies need to be aware of or they could face substantial disadvantages as it relates to the future carbon credit and trading schemes.

What is the registry hoping to accomplish? Because different U.S. states, countries, and Canadian provinces have their own mandatory regulations for reducing greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions, The Climate Registry provides a standard measure for how carbon emissions are calculated and a streamlined approach for those who are required to report their carbon emissions output.

The C02 data submitted by businesses, municipalities, and other organizations can be added to web-based, carbon management information system to support various initiatives aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions across an organization’s single facility or down to an individual asset level. As the World continues to collect more and more accurate carbon data, organizations will start to take part (either by choice or by regulations) in cap and trade programs that target the reduction of greenhouse gases (GHGs).

What are the registry’s goals?

The Climate Registry is using the single reporting protocol to streamline efforts to reduce emissions that harm the environment and ensure consistent reporting of emissions across different organizations and industries. Through the registry’s requirements protocol, the risks of greenhouse gases can be easily identified and opportunities for programs and initiatives to address greenhouse gas emissions can be developed.

This set of carbon emissions reporting requirements makes it politically and geographically easier for countries to come together to achieve positive effects on climate change. By using a common framework or set of reporting protocols, current and future carbon emissions management programs, perhaps adopted at a national level through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), can work together and be supported at a reduced cost across the economy.

What is the registry expecting from businesses?

The Climate Registry expects businesses to calculate, record, verify, and submit report the amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs) or their carbon equivalent on a yearly basis. Generally, a baseline carbon emissions report is generated from data collected across an organization for a representative year, such as emissions levels in your organization as of 1990.

What is being required of businesses?

Often refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) systems or heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC-R) systems, are include in carbon emissions requirements due to their high global warming potential. Organizations operating these systems must adhere to The Climate Registry requirements. Direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions need to be reported, which include hydrofluorocarbons, carbon dioxide, perfluorocarbons, methane, sulfur hexafluoride and nitrous oxide.

This emissions protocol allows for consistency, streamlines program requirements and ensures integrity in accounting and reporting of carbon emissions across any reporting entity.

What might the registry look for from my business?

Simply, this protocol or set of requirements defines how to track and report greenhouse gas emissions. While it may take additional effort on your part to do this, there are management programs to ease the process and the burden of paperwork and to ensure accurate tracking and reporting of refrigerant use. Carbon information management systems help organization remain in compliance as it related to greenhouse gas reporting rules and regulations. These systems take the form of web-based applications that help collect, track, and report CO2 gases emitted from corporate assets.

The Climate Registry is already having an impact on your organization or business, whether you know it or not. At it’s core these regulations are addressing climate change and are being adopted by more and more regulatory bodies everyday.

Positive impacts and improvements to our climate change issues will only start improving when carbon emissions across the Globe are reduced. And that is something that The Climate Registry is aiming to help us all do.

According to statistics, Australia is ninth in the world with the amount of greenhouse gas emissions they put into the air. In the year 2000, it was estimated that Australia was responsible for putting as much as 25.9 tons of carbon emissions into the air. The fact that Australia was ranked as ninth in the list of who produces the most emissions that are put into the air per year is not very good. This is a fairly clear indication that something must be done about the emissions being put into the air by Australia and this needs to be done now.

What can Australia do to reduce their emissions? There is plenty that an individual can do. An individual can do some simple things around their home that could help in saving electricity and the bonus with doing this is that it can save the individual money as well. Keeping the home maintained, purchasing highly efficient electronics, turning things off when they are not in use and using alternative transportation are all simple ways that an individual can help reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses they normally contribute to the atmosphere. Businesses can also do a lot by encouraging alternative transportation and car pooling, as well as keeping the building well maintained and having machinery turned off when not in use are all things that can greatly help in reducing greenhouse emissions; however, getting the government to give incentives for becoming more green and enforcing it can go even farther. By writing to the government, voting on parties that are in favor of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, getting thousands to sign petitions to show support for the reduction of emissions as well as educating others about the need for the reduction of these emissions can all go a long way in bringing the change that is necessary.

Especially with government support, incentives and enforcement can push the country to start becoming more progressive and change to using renewable forms of energy that will aid in stopping the emissions from being put into the air.

Another effective strategy to reduce carbon emissions is to purchase carbon offsets. Carbon Offsetting is an efficient and easy way to reduce your carbon footprint.

There is much that can be done if just one person puts their mind to it, but it is amazing what many people can do if they work together. If enough emphasis is put onto the problem with emissions and the government is pressured enough to realize that this is an important concern for their people, changes can be made.

This may seem a slightly unlikely article for me to be writing at first. Working in the road transport industry as I do, many people assume it is automatically impossible to have a green conscience. This isn’t surprising, given that my job depends on hundreds of haulage vehicles dragging loads up and down the country, producing all those environment damaging carbon emissions along the way. Actually, the truth is that my job allows me to be both a vocal green advocate and a road haulage representative while still helping me claim a regular salary. No, I haven’t invented a magical device that changes exhaust emissions into pure oxygen – it’s simply thanks to the nature of the freight exchange.

It works like this: under normal circumstances, owner operators or haulage companies manage their own loads with their customers, make their delivery and then return home to the depot for the next load. Environmentally and on a human level, this is in no way efficient. The driver is, in effect, only being paid for the outbound journey, and in these times when the price of fuel seems to be rising on an almost daily basis, this is financially crippling. Now consider a freight exchange – a network of suppliers and haulage drivers/companies who distribute their loads between them meaning that the return journey can contain another job. This means the trip is paid for (both ways) and therefore the haulage company is not operating at an inefficient loss (even for a minute) and profits can rise.

All well and good, but this still isn’t looking particularly environmentally friendly is it? Wait, I’m getting to that part.

Now, if this return load is being distributed back to someone who is already out on the road, it won’t be given to an owner operator for whom that would be the sole purpose of the trip. This means that there are less wasted journeys (every mile involved has a delivery attached) and therefore less unnecessary carbon emissions all over the place. Better still, if this collaboration for efficiency continues across the industry, then less road haulage vehicles will be required to shift all the work, and we may even see the decommissioning of these carbon-emitting behemoths. The environment will surely jump for joy.

Unlike most environmentally friendly solutions which require an element of self sacrifice and extra work, the freight exchange actually creates benefits across the board: the haulage companies and owner operators make more money, the roads get less congested and the environment becomes less polluted. Efficiency shines through and everybody wins – and for that reason, we have seen impressive pick up for our online freight exchange for the 7.5tonne and above market: Haulage Exchange.

I can’t say whether our customer base is growing for monitory or environmental reasons (it’s probably both), but whichever it is, the gradual migration to Haulage Exchange and other freight exchanges is great news for the environment. And if our drivers save themselves significant money as well, then all the better. What harm is a little incentive when the environment is at stake?

The Kyoto Protocol is a UN-led international agreement reached in 1997 in Kyoto, Japan to address the problems of climate change and the reduction greenhouse gas emissions. The Kyoto Protocol went into force on February 2005.

Signatory countries are committed to moving away from fossil fuel energy sources – oil, gas, and coal, to renewable sources of energy such as hydro, wind and solar power, and to less environmentally harmful ways of burning fossil fuels. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are mainly generated by burning fossil fuels. Higher levels of greenhouse gas emissions cause global warming and climate change.

The Protocol commits 38 industrialized countries to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2008-2012 to overall levels that are 5.2 percent below 1990 levels. Targets for greenhouse gas emissions reduction were established for each industrialized country. Developing countries including China and India were asked to set voluntary targets for greenhouse gas emissions.

The Canadian target for Kyoto is to reduce by 2012, greenhouse gas emissions by six percent below their 1990. The United States did not ratify the Kyoto Protocol, and in February 2002 introduced the Clean Skies and Global Climate Change initiatives, in which targets for reduction in greenhouse gas emissions are linked directly to GDP and the size of the U.S. economy.

Trading of carbon emissions is linked to a program called Cap-and-Trade. Understanding this concept is necessary to begin effective trading. A central authority (usually a government or international body) sets a limit or cap on the amount of emissions discharged into the atmosphere. Companies that exceed the cap may be subject to fine or regulatory sanction. Therefore, those who find they cannot meet the conditions of the cap will look to buy credits from those who pollute less.

Many older established companies are forced to spend considerable sums of money modernizing plants. In many instances this takes time, usually years to achieve. In contrast to new generation technologies which are not faced with up-grading facilities to comply with 1990 emission standards. Trading emission credits is a way for low emission companies such as wind farms to sell credits to benefit higher emitting companies. Cap-and-trade programs ultimately aid in being a net benefit to the host country by enabling it to meet it’s commitment to the Kyoto Protocol Agreement.

From the very beginning, this first phase of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme, or EU-ETS, was intended to be a learning period to work out the kinks and entice major greenhouse gas emitters on board.

On January 1, 2005, the EU-ETS came online with the cap-and-trade program covering approximately 12,000 installations including electricity production and some heavy industry. These 27 member countries of the European Union represents roughly 45 percent of total European CO2 emissions.

Now three years later, amid a flurry of expectations and public controversy, the European Union has credible results to back up its claim of success. Recently, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology analysis of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) affirms that despite rather unstable beginnings, the system has been an unprecedented success. More importantly, it opens the door for skeptical countries like the United States to follow suit.

The United States would have been required to reduce its emissions 7 percent below 1990 levels had it accepted ratification of Kyoto. Instead, U.S. emissions have now risen more than 16 percent between 1990 and 2005.

The Bush administration and Republican lawmakers opposed to emission caps have been touting the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, which consists of Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, and the United States. The aim of the initiative, which began in 2005, is to foster cooperation on ways to improve clean energy development and lower emissions without global mandates. But since the initiative started, the United States, India, and China have come under increased domestic pressure to move toward mandatory emission controls. California is among several U.S. states that have entered into partnerships or passed laws for controlling greenhouse gases ahead of the federal government, leading to a showdown with congressional lawmakers. Major U.S. cities have also instituted a host of policies designed to cut greenhouse gases.

Without the United States entering into a binding commitment, it is feared that several developing countries which have not yet signed plus some Kyoto signatories may be unwilling to agree to additional international commitments.