Test

Showing posts with label look back. Show all posts

2014 Year End Review: People Powered Environmental Movement

December 30, 2014 Add Comment Edit

In 2014 collaborative relationships were formed that helped grow the environmental movement. More than any other single factor, growing calls for climate action from people around the world give us reason to hope that we will manifest the change we need to see. People are capable of driving change and forcing businesses and political leaderships to act. In addition to protesting, environmentalists are flexing their financial muscles. In 2014 this point was driven home by environmental groups who spent $85 million in support of climate-conscious politicians. While we still have a long way to go before we have responsive political leaderships and widespread adoption of truly sustainable business models, people powered movements are growing and they have the capacity to change both politics and business.

People are contributing to environmental groups and protesting against climate change in record numbers. They are signing petitions and sharing information through their social media networks.

In 2014 a number of environmental organizations helped drive the movement. Bill McKibben and 350.org drove the fossil fuel divestment movement to new heights, particularly on university campuses across North America and they also helped to organize the historic People's Climate March where over 1000 organizations came together to protest.

"All I ever really wanted was to see a climate movement come together, to see that we were actually going to fight," 350.org co-founder Bill McKibben told InsideClimate News. "And finally that day I was fully convinced."

"The movement today looks nothing like it did just a few years ago," said Jane Kleeb, director of Bold Nebraska, a grassroots group leading the fight against the Keystone XL. "There are unlikely alliances now, ones I couldn't have predicted, and we're stronger than ever."

Environmental Defense Fund was among many organizations that launched new campaigns in 2014. The EDF campaing called Defend Our Future, is a grassroots effort that initially sought to get 100,000 young people in Colorado to pledge to vote for climate action. By election day on November 14th they had secured more than 125,000 pledges. Although they did not manage to stave off major Republican gains in the 2014 midterms, it does bode well for the future.

Young people in particular are driving climate action, they have the most to lose from inaction and the most to gain. Seventeen out of 20 young American voters support climate action. This has powerful implications for both Democrats and Republicans. Going forward, politicians vying for office will not have a prayer of getting elected if they fail to respond to the youth demographic.

It is hard to reconcile the growing climate movement with the new slate of Republicans that were elected at the end of 2014. While fossil fuel interests like the Koch brothers continue to outspend environmentalists, there is a growing backlash against Big Oil's deceitful misinformation campaigns. However, even Republicans beholden to the oil lobby cannot ignore the changing demographics and hope to retain power.

Related
2014 Year End Review: Sustainable Business
2014 Year End Review: Climate Change is Already Here and Left Unchecked it will get Far Worse
2014 Year End Review: Renewable Energy Achievements
2014 Year End Review: Reasons for Hope
2014 Year End Review: Climate and Energy Miscalculations
Climate Science Studies 2014 Chronological Review
Climate Focused Legal Battles in 2014 and 2015
Sustainability and (Cause) Marketing in 2014
2014 US State Energy Legislation Review
Video - 2014 was a Big Year for the Climate Movement (Climate Reality)
Video - Environmental Successes by NRDC Activists in 2014

2014 Year End Review: Reasons for Hope

December 30, 2014 Add Comment Edit

Here are some of the most inspiring and transformative climate stories of 2014. Although global temperatures continue to increase and levels of atmospheric carbon are around 400 ppm, we have seen some reasons to buoy our hope over the course of the last year. People, companies, cities, states, countries, and regions are beginning to wake up and face the challenge of climate change.

There are some technological innovations (like graphene) that may help us to transition to a low carbon. However, even without such game changing disruptive innovations, in 2014 it became apparent that we can still make the transition with existing technologies and at reasonable costs. In 2014, both the Risky Business report and a White House report, illustrated the cost of delaying action.

China and the US have signed an agreement to lower emissions and Europe has shown world leading leadership. Their leadership is important as together they account for more than half of all global emissions of energy related CO2.

The EU already has an emission reduction plan in place. The EPA's Clean Power Plan and vehicle emissions standards go a long way to reducing US carbon emissions.

We have also seen serious progress to reduce short lived pollutants like methane which is responsible for 25 percent of the current warming. The technology to reduce methane emissions in the extractives industry already exists.

Energy efficiency and the idea of putting a price on carbon (eg California and the RGGI states) are other powerful ways of combating climate change that have gained some traction this year.

Perhaps the most important and inspirational climate story has to do with the powerful new climate movement that is emerging. This new movement was in evidence in September at the People's Climate March in New York City. Not only did hundreds of thousands came together in Manhattan, there were also 2,600 events in 162 countries around the world.

We also saw growing interest in the campaign to divest from fossil fuels and invest in clean energy. This is crucial as there is no way we can reduce emissions without substantially reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.

In 2014 we saw evidence that from a social, scientific, economic and political point of view it is possible to reverse our perilous trajectory.

Related
2014 Year End Review: Sustainable Business
2014 Year End Review: Climate Change is Already Here and Left Unchecked it will get Far Worse
2014 Year End Review: Renewable Energy Achievements
2014 Year End Review: People Powered Environmental Movement
2014 Year End Review: Climate and Energy Miscalculations
Climate Science Studies 2014 Chronological Review
Climate Focused Legal Battles in 2014 and 2015
Sustainability and (Cause) Marketing in 2014
2014 US State Energy Legislation Review
Video - 2014 was a Big Year for the Climate Movement (Climate Reality)
Video - Environmental Successes by NRDC Activists in 2014

Ethical Corporations Top Anayses of 2013

January 17, 2014 Add Comment Edit

The Ethical Corporation provides business intelligence for sustainability to more than 3,000 multinational companies every year. Their conferences are widely recognized as the best in the field of corporate responsibility and sustainability. They publish the leading responsible business magazine, website, research reports and analyses.

Here are the Ethical Corporations three most read analyses of 2013 from the Business Strategy hub:

Here are some of the key CR reporting and sustainability analysis recently published on EthicalCorp.com

Infographic - Review of US Solar in 2013

January 17, 2014 Add Comment Edit

EcoWatch's Five Realities of Climate Change in 2013

January 16, 2014 Add Comment Edit

EcoWatch is a leading environmental platform that publishes stories on econews, green living and sustainable business. Here is their list of the top five stories for 2013.

1. 400 ppm: World Crosses Sobering Climate Milestone

In May, scientists at the Mauna Loa observatory in Hawaii confirmed that concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) had passed the ominous milestone of 400 parts per million (ppm)—concentrations not seen for more than 3 million years. According to experts, the last time our planet was exposed to equivalent levels of greenhouse gases, global temperatures were 3-4 degrees Celsius hotter and sea levels were 5-40 meters higher than today.

“It is symbolic, a point to pause and think about where we have been and where we are going,” said Professor Ralph Keeling from the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii on this historic milestone. “It’s like turning 50. It’s a wake up to what has been building up in front of us all along.”

2. A Year of Extreme Weather

2013 was the seventh warmest year on record. As of November it also had the second highest number of billion-dollar weather disasters around the globe since accurate records begun in 2000.

China, Russia, Europe, North America, Indonesia and India were plagued with floods while China, Portugal, Hungary, Finland and the UK all experienced heat waves. In the Uttarakhand state of India, flooding left 5,700 lives presumed lost and many more devastated. At the other extreme, California’s Death Valley saw temperatures hit 54 degrees Celsius—the hottest temperature ever record on Earth in June—while Australia got so hot, the country’s heat map needed a new color added.

The Pacific saw some of its worst storms on record this year. In October, Cyclone Phallin carved a path of damage across India’s Odisha region—with storm surges reaching as high as 3.5 meters (11 feet). In November, it was the turn of the Philippines, when Typhoon Haiyan brought winds of 315 km/hr and gusts up to 380 km/hr. It was recognized as the strongest tropical cyclone to make landfall in modern history, and the storm’s death toll currently stands at more than 6,000.

“To anyone who continues to deny the reality that is climate change, I dare you to get off your ivory tower and away from the comfort of you armchair. I dare you to go to the islands of the Pacific, the islands of the Caribbean and the islands of the Indian Ocean,” urged Filippino climate commissioner, Yeb Sano in the wake of the storm. “And if that is not enough, you may want to pay a visit to the Philippines.”

3. Increasing Human Costs of Climate Change

This year has seen storm surges engulfing large parts of the low lying Marshall Islands and who villages in Fiji already being forced to relocate because of rising seas. This year has also seen a court case in New Zealand where an immigrant from the Pacific Island of Kiribati fought—and failed—for climate refugee status, arguing that sea level rises made it too dangerous to return home.

In its Turn Down the Heat report back in June, the World Bank painted a stark picture of our warming world. They warned that millions would be left trapped in poverty as temperatures rise, with two degree Celsius and four degrees Celsius of warming expected to put serious strain on agricultural production, water resources and coastal communities.

Other warnings this year include the threat of persistent flooding impacting development in Pakistan and climate change’s impact food production around the world—including in the UK and Ghana—and the potential for increased numbers of climate refugees in the Sahel region of Africa.

4. Governments Backtrack on Climate Pledges

When Australia’s new government came to power in September, the first major act of the Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, was to scrap the Climate Commission—an independent climate research body. The government has also started to repeal the country’s carbon pricing laws, replacing it with a direct action plan, which experts say is uneconomical and could cause a rise in the country’s emissions.

Canada’s emissions continue to rise this year, as the country’s government blindly pursues the expansion of its tar sands industry, approving the construction of a highly controversial Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline to export tar sands and conducting fierce lobbying tours to sell the industry to the U.S. and Europe.

Japan has also joined this year’s climate villains list as days into November’s UN climate talks, the government announced a change in its climate commitment which will see the country’s emissions rise three percent on 1990 levels by 2020—a big jump from their promised 25 percent cut.

5. Climate Activists Increasingly at Risk

In a much publicized saga, the Arctic 30—28 of who were Greenpeace activists—faced 15 years in a Russian prison after being faced with piracy this year, for protesting at a Gazprom drilling rig. The activists spent two months in jail before being given amnesty by the Russian parliament this week.

U.S. activist Tim DeChristopher was released from jail after a twenty-one month prison term for disrupting a land auction which would have sold off leasing rights to oil and gas companies, while Australian activist Jonathan Moylan is facing jail time following a fake press release blamed for setbacks on the approval of the $776 million dollar Maules Creek coal mine.

And more and more activists are paying the ultimate price to give the world a better future, with reports showing the murder of environmentalists—particularly in the global south—is on the rise, and far too many deaths reported in 2013.

While this list offers a sobering reminder of how far we still have to go as a movement, 2013 has also been a year of great wins for the environmental movement and of positive shifts that show the issue is beginning to resonate with all sectors of society.

Source: EcoWatch

Related Articles
EcoWatch's Top Seven EcoBusiness Stories of 2013
GMO's Top Sustainability and Green Economy Stories of 2013
GMO's Top Energy Stories of 2013
GMOs Top Political Stories of 2013
GMO's Top Communications Stories of 2013
GMO's Top Climate Change Stories of 2013
GMO's Top Green School Stories of 2013
The Growth of US Renewable Energy in 2013
Examples of Renewable Energy Innovations in 2013
US Energy Efficiency in 2013: Success Stories and Barriers
What We Learned about Climate Change in 2013
Climate Villains of 2013
Global Extreme Weather in 2013
Ethical Corporations Top Anayses of 2013
Green Economy and Trade Opportunties (2013 - 2014)
Andrew Winston's Top 10 Sustainable Business Stories for 2013
WWF's Top Global Success Stories of 2013
Top Five Positive Climate Stories for 2013 from Grist
Environmental Defense Canada 2013 Achievements
EDF's Top Stories of 2013
Top Climate Reality Stories of 2013
Greenpeace: Top Stories of 2013
Top Canadian Environmental Defense Issues in 2013
The David Suzuki Foundation Reflects on 2013 and Raises the Bar
Video - NRDC Environmental Victories in 2013
Video - A Satellite View of Weather in 2013]
Infographic - Review of US Solar in 2013
Infographic: Global Solar Energy 2007 - 2014
Obama Found the Courage to Act on Climate Change
Video - What Obama is Doing to Combat Climate Change

EDF's Top Stories of 2013 are Not Without Controversy

January 13, 2014 Add Comment Edit

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) is a scientist founded organization that works to preserve the natural systems on which all life depends. They focus on the most critical environmental problems including, climate and energy, oceans, ecosystems, and health. They use a uniquely effective approach, drawing on science, economics, partnerships and bipartisan outreach. They solve problems by bringing together insights from many disciplines and diverse groups of people. EDF works with industry and believes in a data driven approach to promote market incentives for change behavior. They describe themselves as utterly nonpartisan and oriented toward practical policy solutions. Their work is grounded in the belief that we can protect our health and the environment while improving our economic well-being.

The following article was published at the end of 2013 under the title, EDF Voices: People on the Planet A year of environmental controversy – and that’s a good thing.

Natural Gas

Whether we like it or not, horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing are now standard practice for U.S. natural gas production. And the fact is that natural gas development can impose serious risks on public health and the environment. That’s one reason why EDF is working hard to accelerate the transition to clean, renewable energy, and it’s why some environmentalists oppose all hydraulic fracturing. We understand that view – and we’re fighting for the traditional rights of local communities to regulate natural gas – but we don’t think bans or moratoria are sufficient. America is not going to wean itself off natural gas overnight. Natural gas heats more than half of U.S. homes, supplies more than a third of our electricity, and is a critical ingredient in our pharmaceuticals and fertilizer.

That doesn’t mean we have to sit by while development hurts our communities. No one should be forced to put their health and quality of life at risk for the sake of cheap energy. That's wrong, and that's why EDF is fighting for tough regulations and strong enforcement — vital protections needed to safeguard our air, water, land and public health.

Sometimes we fight tooth and nail against industry lobbyists to win those protections. And sometimes we’re able to negotiate with industry. In November, Governor John Hickenlooper of Colorado proposed new regulations for oil and gas operations that, if adopted, will cut both conventional air pollution and climate pollution – by making Colorado the first state in the nation to tackle the problem of methane emissions.

While the new Colorado proposal doesn’t address all the issues surrounding oil and gas development, the governor and the state’s regulators should be applauded for their efforts in bringing forward these commonsense air pollution measures, which were agreed to and supported by EDF, Anadarko Petroleum, Encana, and Noble Energy. We’re proud to have helped reach that agreement, and in 2014 we’ll be defending it against attack from companies that think it goes too far and some allies who don’t think it goes far enough. As Bill Clinton used to say, if you’re getting it from both sides you’re probably in the right place.

We’re going to keep at it, because we want to make 2014 the year America got serious about its methane problem. The main component of natural gas, methane is an incredibly potent climate pollutant. Whether burning natural gas is better for our climate than burning coal depends on how much uncombusted methane leaks into the atmosphere from the natural gas system — but no one knows exactly what the leakage rate is.

To find out, EDF has launched an ambitious series of sixteen scientific studies – with over 90 partners drawn from academia, think tanks, NGOs and the energy industry – to measure methane emissions from the entire natural gas supply chain. It is work like this that led to the groundbreaking proposal in Colorado. And many of the sixteen studies simply wouldn’t be possible without industry participation, because the scientists wouldn’t have access to the natural gas fields.

Toxic Chemicals

The Toxic Substances Control Act of 1974 is as antiquated as it is inadequate. Among its many problems, it doesn’t help us distinguish between safe and unsafe chemicals, and it perpetuates the chemical industry's failure to innovate toward safer chemical and product design.

In May 2013, Senators Frank Lautenberg and David Vitter introduced the Chemical Safety Improvement Act with strong bipartisan support. It is far from a perfect bill (see our official position for a detailed accounting of its strengths and weaknesses), but Republican and Democratic support in a bitterly divided congress makes it the best chance in a generation to reform our outdated chemicals policy.

The Chemical Safety Improvement Act needs to be strengthened and improved, then passed. Some in the environmental community think Congress should throw out the bill and start over from scratch. We disagree – and that’s seen by some as controversial. But we’ve been waiting decades for a law that ensure chemicals are deemed likely to be safe before they enter the market. Our children’s health demands that we not let this chance slip away.

Corporate Partnerships

When a reporter asked the great safecracker Willie Sutton why he robbed banks, Sutton supposedly replied, “because that’s where the money is.” EDF works with multinational corporations because that’s where the pollution is – if you want to drive energy and emissions reductions through supply chains that are bigger than most nations, you need to work with big companies like Walmart. Our partnership with Walmart has generated criticism for years, so it’s important to understand that we do not accept money from corporate partners such as Walmart. Our work is funded by generous individuals and foundations, ensuring our independence and credibility.

Grist.org recently ran an article mischaracterizing our relationship with Walmart, and my colleague Tom Murray wrote a clarifying response that laid out just a few of the reasons we celebrate Walmart’s environmental gains, including:

20 million metric tons of greenhouse gasses that EDF convinced Walmart to publicly commit to cutting from its supply chain. 15 million acres of farmland that EDF and Walmart are targeting to optimize fertilizer practices, which could ultimately avoid 7 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. These initiatives will touch 30 percent of food and beverage sales in North America. 100 thousand products screened for hazardous chemicals thanks to a tool EDF helped create that identifies toxic chemicals in products.

Working with a company as big and controversial as Walmart makes you a target, but it can drive outsize environmental gains. And fighting for strong rules on toxic chemicals and natural gas can make you a target too – but without those rules, people and ecosystems are left unprotected. We’re confident this is the right path for EDF.

After all, some of the approaches we were criticized for in years past – in everything from fisheries management to acid rain pollution reduction – are now widely hailed as successes. So, guided by sound economics and rigorous science, we’re going to keep fighting for a healthy environment – and working with unusual allies when that will help drive progress. If that turns out to be controversial in 2014, so be it.

Source: EDF

Related Articles
GMO's Top Sustainability and Green Economy Stories of 2013
GMO's Top Energy Stories of 2013
GMOs Top Political Stories of 2013
GMO's Top Communications Stories of 2013
GMO's Top Climate Change Stories of 2013
GMO's Top Green School Stories of 2013
The Growth of US Renewable Energy in 2013
Examples of Renewable Energy Innovations in 2013
US Energy Efficiency in 2013: Success Stories and Barriers
What We Learned about Climate Change in 2013
Climate Villains of 2013
Global Extreme Weather in 2013
Ethical Corporations Top Anayses of 2013
Green Economy and Trade Opportunties (2013 - 2014)
Andrew Winston's Top 10 Sustainable Business Stories for 2013
EcoWatch's Top Seven EcoBusiness Stories of 2013
EcoWatch's Five Realities of Climate Change in 2013
WWF's Top Global Success Stories of 2013
Top Five Positive Climate Stories for 2013 from Grist
Environmental Defense Canada 2013 Achievements
Top Climate Reality Stories of 2013
Greenpeace: Top Stories of 2013
Top Canadian Environmental Defense Issues in 2013
The David Suzuki Foundation Reflects on 2013 and Raises the Bar
Video - NRDC Environmental Victories in 2013
Video - A Satellite View of Weather in 2013]
Infographic - Review of US Solar in 2013
Infographic: Global Solar Energy 2007 - 2014
Obama Found the Courage to Act on Climate Change
Video - What Obama is Doing to Combat Climate Change

US Energy Efficiency in 2013: Success Stories and Barriers

January 13, 2014 Add Comment Edit

Energy efficiency has played a pivotal role in American productivity improvements. In 2013, energy efficiency continued to move forward in the U.S. Driven by cost savings, energy efficiency is good for business and the economy. Improving efficiency increases production and can even lead to a higher quality of material life. Energy efficiency improves the nation’s GDP for each national energy dollar. Perhaps most importantly, energy efficiency is a meaningful part of emissions reductions, which combats climate change and improves air quality.

Despite progress, there is still a lot of room for improvement in energy efficiency. As reported in Forbes, the U.S. is the global leader in wasting energy with the nation currently wasting more energy than it uses. A total of 57 percent of the energy flowing into our economy is wasted as heat, noise, and leaks, costing U.S. businesses and households an estimated $130 billion per year. In addition to massive cost savings, it is estimated that energy efficiency can also create more than one million jobs in the U.S.

Federal legislation pertaining to energy efficiency has been around for almost 27 years. Existing energy efficiency standards for everything from appliances to commercial products was first signed into law in 1987. Congress and the Department of Energy have subsequently added many new products and updated standards.

According to a 2012 study by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), appliance, equipment, and lighting standards will save businesses and consumers more than $1.1 trillion by 2035. By updating existing standards and setting new standards for additional products, consumers and businesses could save another $170 billion.

Climate benefits of energy efficiency

The benefits of energy efficiency extend well beyond cost savings. As indicated in an International Energy Agency (IEA) report, adopting measures to promote energy efficiency can buy the world an additional five years to secure a global climate deal. The IEA also suggests that energy efficiency may help us to keep temperature increases within 3 degrees Celsius (5.4 Fahrenheit) or perhaps even the 2 degrees Celsius upper threshold limit agreed upon by scientists.

Economic improvements

The health of the American economy is being buoyed in part by energy efficiency. This is one of the findings in a new report by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) titled Energy and Environment Report, America’s (Amazingly) Good Energy News. The report demonstrates that energy efficiency measures are working in America. Although the U.S. economy grew by 25 percent between 1999 and 2012, total U.S. energy use actually declined during this period. The costs of energy services has also declined during the same period according to the NRDC report.

Energy productivity

Energy efficiency was largely replaced by the term energy productivity in 2013, this is due to the growing appreciation that conserving energy is good for the economy. Energy productivity is defined as the amount of economic output possible at a given level of energy supply.

Energy productivity rose to prominence in 2013, due largely to the political advocacy of the Alliance to Save Energy and their Energy 2030 plan, which was put forth by the Alliance Commission on National Energy Efficiency Policy. The plan proposes doubling energy productivity by 2030.

The Obama administration and energy efficiency

The Obama administration embraced energy efficiency in earnest in 2013. President Obama showed his support for energy efficiency in his State of the Union address in which he called for cutting energy waste by half in our homes and buildings by 2030. As outlined in the President’s 2014 budget, energy efficiency is central to the Race to the Top program.

Doubling energy productivity is a key strategy in the President’s Climate Action Plan. The President’s Plan also sets power plant carbon standards, builds a 21st-century transportation sector, reduces energy bills for families and businesses, invests in R&D, and modernizes the grid.

The federal government’s Better Building Challenge has been expanded to include multifamily housing, and incorporate new accelerator programs for building data, performance contracting, and energy performance certification. Govenment agencies have also increased their energy savings performance contracts, which augments efficiency in federal buildings. Another catalyst is the Energy Efficiency and Loan Conservation Program, which provides $250 million for energy efficiency retrofitting projects in rural communities.

A couple of federal government agencies stand out for their promotion of energy efficiency. Both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) chief Gina McCarthy and Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz are energy efficiency advocates.

The Department of Energy (DOE) is taking a leadership role by working on energy efficiency with new publications detailing methods for estimating energy efficiency savings and creating protocols for energy efficiency programs. Moniz has pledged to address appliance and equipment standards as well as establish rules pertaining to efficiency standards in electric motors. As reported by The Hill, the new rules will save up to $23 billion in energy costs over 30 years, as cited by DOE data.

According to Steven Nadel, Executive Director of ACEEE, electricity use and oil for transportation were down nationwide in 2013 as compared to 2011 and 2012 levels. He attributed the decline to utility-run energy efficiency programs, as well as equipment and vehicle standards.

States and cities

Energy efficiency is also moving forward on state and municipal levels. According to Nadel, highlights include utility programs in states like Mississippi and Louisiana, and legislation that was passed in Connecticut and Maine.

ACEEE’s 2013 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard shows that the top 10 states for energy efficiency are Massachusetts, California, New York, Oregon, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Maryland, and Illinois. With Mississippi, Maine, Kansas, Ohio, and West Virginia showing the most improvement.

As explained in the ACEEE Scorecard report, states are continuing to use energy efficiency as a key strategy to generate cost-savings, promote technological innovation, and stimulate growth. A total of twenty six states have adopted and adequately funded an energy efficiency resource standard (EERS), which sets long term energy savings targets and drives investments in utility sector energy efficiency programs.

Ranked number two by the ACEEE Scorecard, California is one of the best examples of state level energy efficiency efforts. However, action at the municipal level is proving to be another important factor driving energy efficiency. This is particularly true of Minneapolis, Chicago, Boston, Atlantic City, and Dallas.

Business

Driven by cost concerns, the business community has been leading energy efficiency efforts. A growing number of corporations are getting onboard the efficiency train and putting pressure up and down their supply chains to produce economy wide impacts.

According to an article in Greentech Media (GTM), in 2013, energy efficiency became “cooler, sexier and cheaper than ever before — driven largely by innovations in intelligent efficiency such as energy management software, virtual audits and better data crunching abilities.”

GTM solicited the perspectives of efficiency executives in response to the question “What was the most important technology or market development for efficiency in 2013?” These executives indicated that a growing number of large corporations are getting serious about energy efficiency, they also talked about the importance of data, reporting and technology. Here is a summary of their responses:

Clay Nesler, VP of global energy and sustainability Johnson Controls, shared the results of their 2013 global survey of 3,000 facility and energy management executives. Their study showed that 73 percent of organizations surveyed had made internal or public goals to reduce energy consumption, of those, 50 percent implemented more efficiency measures in 2013.

Stephen Cowell, CEO, Conservation Services Group, said that smart devices provided multiple benefits by combining technologies to control equipment, engage customer behavior and link both demand response and efficiency.

Paul Baier, vice president of sustainability at Groom Energy indicated that the widespread acceptance of energy efficiency among senior management was driven by three trends: 1) Execution to achieve publicly stated greenhouse gas reduction goals. 2) Pressure from top customers like Wal-Mart. 3) Increased funding from utilities for behavior change (through demand response) and retrofits (through incentives).

Chuck McKinney, VP of marketing at Aircuity suggested that the availability of building energy consumption information helped to drive the efficiency market in 2013. Swapnil Shah, CEO at FirstFuel, said that in 2013, utilities demonstrated some innovative thinking in energy efficiency. He further indicated that energy efficiency oriented pilot programs were a defining feature of 2013.

Buildings and energy efficiency

Buildings account for 40 percent of all U.S. energy requirements, and a report by the Rhodium Group and United Technologies, entitled “Unlocking American Efficiency: The Economic and Commercial Power of Investing in Energy Efficient Buildings,” indicates that this translates to costs of almost half a trillion dollars per year. ($432 billion in 2011).

Building efficiency not only saves costs and benefits investors, it actually boosts the economy. Improving energy efficiency in buildings by 30 percent can create a $275 billion market for advanced technology, engineering and design services, and construction activity.

As reviewed in the 2013 State Energy Scorecard, a total of seven states adopted building energy codes in 2013, which require large commercial buildings to benchmark and report on their energy use.

Building efficiency is good business that offers outstanding ROI. It not only increases the productivity of existing assets, it also protects against volatile energy costs. According to the Rhodium Group report, the return on investment is exceptional. As explained by John Mandyck, Chief Sustainability Officer for United Technologies Climate, Controls & Security in an Energy Manager Today article,

“[I]nvesting…30% improvement in building energy efficiency would have an internal rate of return (IRR) of 28.6% over a 10-year period. An IRR of 28.6% is four times better than average corporate bond yields or average equity performance, and more than double the returns even high-performing venture capital firms.”

As reviewed in the Rhodium Group report, with a five percent penetration rate, U.S. government and utility sponsored programs are just starting to impact on the efficiency finance opportunity.

The financing barrier

Despite the fact that energy efficiency is a valuable investment for almost all companies, a lack of capital and difficulties associted with financing continue to represent challenging obstacles. In addition to addressing the issue of up-front costs, financing can make energy efficiency cash flow positive by spreading out payments over time so that the cost is actually less than the savings cash flow. For qualifying companies there are also a number of utility rebates, tax refunds, credits, and other sources of free money that will improve a project’s financial return.

However, as pointed out by Clay Nesler of Johnson Controls, funding is a perennial barrier to investment in energy efficiency. The specific barriers cited by Nesler include lack of internal capital, competition from other investments and lack of competitive third-party financing options.

Swapnil Shah, of FirstFuel, concurs, reiterating the point that fostering private investment is the most serious hurdle for commercial building efficiency. He sees the absence of standard assessment metrics in energy efficiency as the major problem.

Despite these financing problems, the increasing focus on energy efficiency/productivity in 2013 represents important progress in the evolution of the green economy.

Source: Global Warming is Real

Related Articles
GMO's Top Sustainability and Green Economy Stories of 2013
GMO's Top Energy Stories of 2013
GMOs Top Political Stories of 2013
GMO's Top Communications Stories of 2013
GMO's Top Climate Change Stories of 2013
GMO's Top Green School Stories of 2013
The Growth of US Renewable Energy in 2013
Examples of Renewable Energy Innovations in 2013
What We Learned about Climate Change in 2013
Climate Villains of 2013
Global Extreme Weather in 2013
Ethical Corporations Top Anayses of 2013
Green Economy and Trade Opportunties (2013 - 2014)
Andrew Winston's Top 10 Sustainable Business Stories for 2013
EcoWatch's Top Seven EcoBusiness Stories of 2013
EcoWatch's Five Realities of Climate Change in 2013
WWF's Top Global Success Stories of 2013
Top Five Positive Climate Stories for 2013 from Grist
Environmental Defense Canada 2013 Achievements
EDF's Top Stories of 2013
Top Climate Reality Stories of 2013
Greenpeace: Top Stories of 2013
Top Canadian Environmental Defense Issues in 2013
The David Suzuki Foundation Reflects on 2013 and Raises the Bar
Video - NRDC Environmental Victories in 2013
Video - A Satellite View of Weather in 2013]
Infographic - Review of US Solar in 2013
Infographic: Global Solar Energy 2007 - 2014
Obama Found the Courage to Act on Climate Change
Video - What Obama is Doing to Combat Climate Change

The David Suzuki Foundation Reflects on 2013 and Raises the Bar for 2014

January 10, 2014 Add Comment Edit

David Suzuki and the foundation that he created have been one of Canada's leading champions of the environment. Here is their review of 2013 and their hopes for 2014.

It's been a strange year. From the never-ending carnival of calamity at Toronto City Hall to the scandalous subterfuge on Parliament Hill, from horrific attacks by the Syrian government on its own citizenry to disasters inflicted by extreme weather on the people of the Philippines, 2013 recalls Queen Elizabeth's description of 1992 as an annus horribilis.

It got tiring and demoralizing watching Toronto Mayor Rob Ford sink to new depths daily, the scandals in the Prime Minister's Office and Senate grow deeper and wider, and disasters of war and weather increase in frequency and intensity. On top of it all, those of us who have taken on the often thankless task of trying to encourage people to care for the air, water, soil and diversity of plants and animals that keep us alive came under increasingly vituperative attacks from the media and even our own government.

Much of the corresponding commentary and analysis has become so stultifyingly stupid that people rely on late-night comedy shows for some semblance of insight to make sense of it all. It's as if the standards of discussion and debate, political discourse and leadership, have been diminished to the point of absurdity.

It hasn't been all bad, of course. When government focuses on the interests of the fossil fuel industry instead of the citizens it was elected to represent - spying on, demonizing and auditing citizens and organizations devoted to environmental protection, and spending taxpayers' money to promote pipeline and oil-extraction projects, as well as subsidizing the fossil fuel industry - people notice.

When media personalities and outlets throw their support behind the fossil fuel industry and launch malicious and unfounded attacks against anyone who dares call for rational discussion of energy and resource policies, they lose credibility and audience share.

Those who refuse to let disillusionment immobilize us are pushing back. Many who have become tired of media and governments ignoring our interests are joining the growing number of rallies and movements challenging Canada's becoming a petro-state, from opposition to Enbridge's Northern Gateway Pipeline project to November's Defend Our Climate, Defend Our Communities National Day of Action. And it's not just environmentalists showing up and speaking out. First Nations, organized labour, students and youth groups, business people and tens of thousands of citizens from all walks of life are coming together to call for a country and world governed for people, not corporations, where clean air, water, soil and biodiversity are protected for the benefit of us all and for our children and grandchildren to come. That's not an attack on corporations; many are ethically run. It's just recognition that the planet and its inhabitants come first.

Many people are trying to raise the bar, to promote rational dialogue and solutions, from individuals to online media outlets to business leaders and even some politicians. None of that rules out criticism and scrutiny; in fact, it demands it. We must all hold ourselves to higher standards and learn from others, acknowledge when we're wrong and change our views if new information calls for it. But we can't sink to the constant personal attacks and lies so often employed to deliberately sow doubt and confusion around critical, life-threatening issues like pollution, climate change and environmental degradation.

We're seeing more evidence every day of the damage we're doing to our only home, the Earth, with our unbridled pursuit of profit and endless growth, and our mad rush to extract all the planet's precious fossil fuels so that we can burn them as quickly as possible to make money while the market's hot. We're seeing increasing instances of the kinds of extreme weather events predicted by climate scientists, from flooding in Calgary and Toronto to typhoons and cyclones in the Philippines, Italy and India to tornados in the U.S. We're seeing mounting evidence of the consequences of our actions in the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report.

We're also seeing where solutions lie. There's still time to turn around, but we need everyone to raise the bar on discussion and action - in politics, the media and our own lives. Let's make the coming year a better one.

By David Suzuki with contributions from Ian Hanington, Senior Editor

Source: The David Suzuki Foundation

Related Articles
GMO's Top Sustainability and Green Economy Stories of 2013
GMO's Top Energy Stories of 2013
GMOs Top Political Stories of 2013
GMO's Top Communications Stories of 2013
GMO's Top Climate Change Stories of 2013
GMO's Top Green School Stories of 2013
The Growth of US Renewable Energy in 2013
Examples of Renewable Energy Innovations in 2013
US Energy Efficiency in 2013: Success Stories and Barriers
What We Learned about Climate Change in 2013
Climate Villains of 2013
Global Extreme Weather in 2013
Ethical Corporations Top Anayses of 2013
Green Economy and Trade Opportunties (2013 - 2014)
Andrew Winston's Top 10 Sustainable Business Stories for 2013
EcoWatch's Top Seven EcoBusiness Stories of 2013
EcoWatch's Five Realities of Climate Change in 2013
WWF's Top Global Success Stories of 2013
Top Five Positive Climate Stories for 2013 from Grist
Environmental Defense Canada 2013 Achievements
EDF's Top Stories of 2013
Top Climate Reality Stories of 2013
Greenpeace: Top Stories of 2013
Top Canadian Environmental Defense Issues in 2013
Video - NRDC Environmental Victories in 2013
Video - A Satellite View of Weather in 2013]
Infographic - Review of US Solar in 2013
Infographic: Global Solar Energy 2007 - 2014
Obama Found the Courage to Act on Climate Change
Video - What Obama is Doing to Combat Climate Change