The Way Forward on US Emissions Reductions

On February 6, 2013, the World Resources Institute (WRI) released a report that examines ways of moving forward on climate action. The WRI report is titled, “Can the U.S. Get There From Here?” it explores strategies for reducing carbon pollution through a combination of existing federal laws and state action.

This new report indicates that with leadership from federal and state governments the US can cut its carbon emissions 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020.

According to the report, to advance climate mitigation efforts we need to see the federal government act in four key areas:

1. Power: Rigorous federal carbon pollution standards for power plants and cleaner electricity.
2. Hydrofluorocarbons: Eliminating use and emissions of hydrofluorocarbons.
3. Methane: Regulation that stops methane leaks in oil and gas extraction and transport processes.
4. Efficiency: Improving the energy efficiency of our economy.

States will also need to get involved though initiatives that cut emissions and investments that support the growth of clean energy and efficiency.

However, if we are to achieve the levels of carbon reduction recommended by climate scientists, the report indicates that existing laws are inadequate and new legislation will be required.

As we await new climate legislation the report recommends modernizing US energy infrastructure and developing clean energy.

The WRI report shows that with sufficient political will we can turn back the tide of climate change. While the report charts the way forward it highlights the importance of political and policy ambition as the keys to progress on climate action.

© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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The Importance of Urgently Addressing SLCPs and GHGs

While we need to reduce all greenhouse gases (GHGs), cutting short lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) alone can reduce the rate of global warming in half. Cutting SLCPs could save millions of lives per year and prevent billions of dollars in agricultural losses and reduce Artic warming by two-thirds. As reported in an ENN article, a new World Bank report warns that we must act quickly to cut SLCP. This is the finding of a report titled "Turn Down the Heat: Why a 4C Warmer World Must be Avoided."

“This report should be a wakeup call to the world that we must work harder and faster to combat climate change,” said Durwood Zaelke, President of the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development. “Rapid cuts in CO2 emissions are necessary to stabilize long-term temperatures, but in the near-term, aggressively addressing short-lived climate pollutants such as black carbon, methane, tropospheric ozone, and HFCs can provide rapid climate, health, and food security benefits, particularly in the critical vulnerable regions that are already suffering some of the worst impacts of climate change.”

Maintaining a global temperature at or below 2°C above preindustrial levels through the end of the century is essential if we are to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Acting now is essential if we are to slow already accelerating extreme weather events. In addition to reducing GHGs like carbon dioxide, we need to urgently engage quick response strategies to reduce SLCPs.

“Reducing emissions of these short-lived climate forcers is critical for protecting the world’s vulnerable peoples and vulnerable ecosystems,” said Zaelke. “When we talk about sustainable development,” Zaelke added, “this is precisely what we mean. These measures reduce climate change, save lives, provide access to clean energy, and improve food security all at once.”

There is an increasing amount of interest being shown in SLCP, however excluding GHGs from the discussion is ill advised. As NASA's Drew Shindell writes:

"We are concerned about the effect of methane and black carbon primarily because they are exacerbating the threats posed by carbon dioxide...If we eliminated emissions of methane and black carbon, but did nothing about carbon dioxide we would have delayed but not significantly reduce long-term threats posed by climate change. In contrast, if we eliminated carbon dioxide emissions but did nothing about methane and black carbon emissions, threats posed by long-term climate change would be markedly reduced."

As Stanford's Ken Caldeira concludes, we cannot choose SLCPs over GHGs

"...there is no scientific basis on which to decide which impacts of climate change are most important, and we can only conclude that both controls are worthwhile."

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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The Effectiveness of Cool Roofs in Hot and Cold Climates

A relatively simple idea like light reflective roofing material can help reduce global warming. Research shows that cool roofs can provide significant benefits in hot climates, but there is some controversy as to whether cool roofs make sense in colder climates. In places where there are more hot days than cold days, cool roofs may not provide a net benefit in terms of cash savings or emissions. In northern countries like Canada this may seem intuitively obvious, but in the US the situation is not so straightforward. According to the US Energy Information Administration's, 2003 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey, heating accounts for 36% of commercial buildings' annual energy consumption, while air conditioning only accounts for only 8%. However, according to the Cool Roofs Rating Council (CRRC), "The roof is an insignificant source for heat gain in winter. While cool roof owners may pay slightly more to heat their homes, this amount is usually insignificant compared to the cooling energy savings during the summer".

Energy calculators often show a yearly net savings for dark-colored roof systems in cool climates.  Additionally, higher R values for insulating materials in the roof assembly and snow covering on roofs can lessen the impact of roof surface color.

In a 2001 federal study, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) measured and calculated the reduction in peak energy demand associated with a cool roof’s surface reflectance. LBNL found that, compared to the original black rubber roofing membrane on the Texas retail building studied, a retrofitted vinyl membrane delivered an average decrease of 24 °C (43 °F) in surface temperature, an 11% decrease in aggregate air conditioning energy consumption, and a corresponding 14% drop in peak hour demand.

The average daily summertime temperature of the black roof surface was 75 °C (167 °F), but once retrofitted with a white reflective surface, it measured 52 °C (126 °F). Without considering any tax benefits or other utility charges, annual energy expenditures were reduced by $7,200 or $0.07/square feet.

Concordia Univeristy's Hashem Akbari is an engineering professor whose research indicates that in addition to driving down cooling costs, cool roofs can potentially delay the effects of global warming.  Before joining Concordia, Akbari spent 26 years at the Environmental Energy Technologies Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) at the University of California, Berkeley. Akbari is also a founding member of the board of the Oakland-based Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC).

Akbari reports that dark roofs absorb 80 to 90% of sunlight trapping heat in the city. Those same surfaces covered with his reflective materials (white for roofs, lighter colours for pavements) will absorb only 30 to 65%. By decreasing absorption of roofs by 25% and pavements by 15%, the overall temperature of a city can be reduced by two to three degrees Celsius.

Together, pavements and roofs comprise over 60% of urban surfaces. Akbari states 10 sq m of white roof replacing a dark roof can offset one tonne of CO2. In other words, the temperature reduction due to radiation not being absorbed by the earth is equal to the increase in temperature caused by one tonne of CO2 in the atmosphere, effectively balancing any change.

Akbari's research indicates that if a city like Montreal resurfaced 60 percent of the 500 sq km of pavements and roofs with reflective materials, the city alone could offset over 12 million tonnes of CO2.

However, Akbari admits cool roofs may be more useful in hot regions, but he insists that even the coldest climates could positively contribute to the overall effect. “If major cities around the world adopt the technology, we’d be well on our way to making a very significant dent in rising temperatures,” he says.

Akbari estimates that permanently retrofitting urban roofs and pavements in the tropical and temperate regions of the world would create a one-time offset of 44 billion tonnes of emitted CO2.

US Secretary of Energy and former LBNL director Steven Chu, strongly supports cool roof technology.

For more information on Akbari's research click here.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Toronto Greenhouse - Green Cars Event

On July 24, 2012,Toronto Greenhouse will present a Green Cars event in Toronto, Ontario. This event will answer questions like: How sustainable is your vehicle? Should everyone drive electric? Is fuel efficiency the answer? The discussion will be focused on green cars and will include representatives from General Motors, smart Canada (Mercedes-Benz) and Plug'nDrive Ontario.

The panel will be composed of Dan Mepham, Product Manager - Chevrolet Volt - General Motors Canada, Richard Trevisan, Director - smart Canada, a division of Mercedes Benz Canada Inc., Cara Clairman, President and CEO at Plug'nDrive

Ontario Toronto Greenhouse’s mission is to foster the growth of the environmentally-friendly business community. Our signature event is a monthly networking session and speaker series which launched in 2009.

This event brings together green companies and friends of the sector. With over 3000 event attendees, we are the leading environmental business forum in Toronto. Over 90 percent of attendees are business professionals with an interest in sustainability. The majority are sr. within their company.

Tickets are $25 (Early Bird) $35 (Full Price) & processing in advance (Online ticket sales end 3 hours before the event, or sell-out) or $40 at the door (if available).

For more information click here.

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New Partners of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Term Climate Pollutants

Here are some quotes from new partners that recently joined the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Term Climate Pollutants. These quotes come from the nations of Columbia, Nigeria and Norway as well as the World Bank.

Colombia

Frank Pearl, the Colombian Minister of the Environment and Sustainable Development, said:” “Colombia has recognized for some time the urgency of acting on these short lived climate pollutants including the impacts of black carbon on public health and the accelerated melting of glaciers the high mountain areas of Latin America”.

“Colombia is among several countries in our region to act on soot particles from vehicles and other contaminating sources as well as emissions that are triggering tropospheric or ground level ozone—another short lived climate pollutants,” he said.

“In joining the Coalition we see not only potential national and global benefits but Colombia plans to act as a regional hub, reaching out to other countries in Latin America in order to generate regional opportunities for sustainable development,” said Mr Pearl.

Nigeria

Mrs Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafia , Nigerian Minister of the Environment said: "Nigeria is delighted to be a new member of the Coalition. It is estimated that 95,000 women in my country die each year prematurely because of black carbon emissions from source such as inefficient cook stoves--this is a conservative estimate. Meanwhile there are enormous opportunities for reducing methane emissions from sources such as the oil and gas industry and landfills that can benefit Nigeria and its people and the wider regional and global ambitions to combat climate change in a cost effective and economic way".

"We look to encourage more countries within Africa and beyond to join this inspiring initiative so that fast action can be federated everywhere in order to save lives, improve food security and tackle climate change which challenges the future of the poor and the vulnerable exponentially," she added.

Norway

Bård Vegar Solhjell, the Norwegian Minister of the Environment, said: “Norway is delighted to join the Coalition. It unites our country’s interest in achieving national sustainability with international responsibilities in the areas of health, food security, climate and development”.

“There are many international initiatives addressing these short term pollutants, and Norway is participating in several of them. In this Coalition the United Nations Environment Program participates, both as partner and as Secretariat for the Coalition. This is a very wise decision, which provides credibility and leverage and increases the value of the Coalition´s work”, he added.

“Finally it echoes to Norway’s interest in the Green Economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication—a key issue  for the upcoming Rio+20 Summit in June—in which well-targeted policy and financial interventions can catalyze benefits across multiple fronts,” said Mr Solhjell.

World Bank

"From multi-billion dollar investments in clean energy each year to climate smart solutions for agriculture and cities, the Bank already targets short-term environmental pollutants in developing countries through our lending, data and evidence based knowledge sharing and technical assistance. But, we can achieve even more by working as a coalition," said Rachel Kyte, World Bank Vice President for Sustainable Development.

"This is the most important decade for action on climate change", Kyte said. "But with a global treaty that will speed the curbing of carbon dioxide many years off, the climate and clean air coalition puts a practical new deal on the table - one that helps slow global warming while reducing the soot and smog that is damaging food crops and health worldwide, undermining growth and development."

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Six Initiatives from the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Term Climate Pollutants

On April 24, six initiatives aimed at accelerating and scaling-up action against the short-lived pollutants were approved by the Ministers meeting in Stockholm. Here are excerpts of UNEP’s press release from the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Term Climate Pollutants meeting in Stockholm:

Assessment and Go-Ahead for Scaled-up Initiatives 

The meeting assessed around a dozen initiatives proposed by developed and developing countries for fast and federated action on short lived climate pollutants including many happening already at the national level. Delegates took forward five to be approved for rapid implementation by ministers on the final day.

Those given the green light include:

1. Fast action on diesel emissions including from heavy duty vehicles and engines Studies show that reductions are possible by addressing emissions from the freight transportation supply chain, through city action plans, and adoption of a range of measures for reducing sulphur in fuels and vehicle emissions

2. Upgrading old inefficient brick kilns which are a significant source of black carbon emissions Mexico has for example [20,000] small and medium-sized brick kilns and the design of many of the [6,000] in Bangladesh hark back to the 1900s.

3. Accelerating the reduction of methane emissions from landfills World-wide the waste management sector contributes about 11% of global methane emissions, and the coalition will work with cities to reduce methane emissions from landfills by improving strategic municipal solid waste planning and providing technical assistance.

4. Speeding up cuts in methane and other emissions from the oil and gas industry Natural gas venting and leakage from the oil and gas industry accounts for over one fifth of global man-made emissions of methane: Flaring at oil installations generate both methane and black carbon emissions. An estimated one third of leaks and venting can be cut using existing technologies at low cost.

5. Accelerating alternatives to HFCs HFCs are being rapidly introduced as replacements to chemicals that can damage the ozone layer—the Earth’s protective shield that filters out hazardous ultra violet light.  The Coalition aims to fast track more environmentally-friendly and cost effective alternatives and technologies to avoid HFC growth.

6. Additional initiatives – including a proposal by Ghana on agricultural/forest open burning and a proposal by Bangladesh on cookstoves – would be further developed over the coming weeks.

Trust Fund Established To support the Coalition’s Efforts

A new Trust Fund managed by a UNEP-hosted secretariat was agreed today. Initial financing pledges for the Coalition now amount to some $16.7 million with significantly more funds expected over the coming 12 months. Science 

Advisory Panel

Sound science has underpinned the formation of the Coalition and will guide its work into the future. Ministers today asked three luminaries involved in short lived climate pollutant work to advise them on the formation of a dedicated world-class Science Advisory Panel to provide scientific advice to the Coalition. The advice will be provided by Drew Shindell of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Mario Molina, the distinguished Mexican chemist and 1995 Nobel Prize co-winner and Veerabhadran Ramanathan, chair of the UNEP Atmospheric Brown Cloud project based at the University of California San Diego.
 
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The Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Term Climate Pollutants

The Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Term Climate Pollutants was launched in Washington DC on 17 February 2012. The Coalition is one of the most important developments to combat climate change in over a decade. The coalition is focused on fast-action climate mitigation which has the potential to reduce a major part of climate pollution and build the momentum to successfully manage carbon dioxide from energy production.

 Aims of the Coalition

• To catalyze the speed and the scale of action on short lived climate pollutants
• Enhance existing and develop new national actions to address mitigation gaps
• Encourage existing and new regional actions
• Reinforce and track existing efforts to reduce these pollutants, promoting opportunities for greater international coordination and developing and improving inventories
• Identify barriers to action and seeking to surmount them
• Promote best practices or available technologies and showcase successful efforts to address short lived climate forcers
• Improve understanding of and review scientific progress on short lived climate pollutants, their impacts and benefits of mitigation and dissemination of knowledge; and
• Mobilize targeted support for those developing countries that require resources to develop their capacity and to implement actions consistent with national strategies to support sustainable development

The war against climate change just got major reinforcements in the effort to reduce black carbon (soot), methane, and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), collectively known as short-lived climate pollutants because they remain in the air to warm the Earth for only a few days to a decade and a half.

Reducing them can cut the rate of global warming by half or more for the next 30 to 40 years, providing critical protection for the Arctic, Himalayas, and other vulnerable regions, while saving millions of lives a year and reducing crop damage, providing a substantial boost for development.

The European Union, Norway, Japan, Nigeria, Colombia, and the World Bank announced today that they have joined the Coalition for Climate and Clean Air to Reduce Short-lived Climate Pollutants, launched in February by three developing (Mexico, Ghana, and Bangladesh) and three developed countries (Sweden, US, and Canada), along with the United Nations Environment Programme.

The Coalition concluded its inaugural Ministerial meeting today in Stockholm. Many other countries are poised to join shortly. Initial funding for the Coalition has been provided by the US and Canada. Sweden and Norway announced today that they would contribute as well. The World Bank announced they have $12 billion in their portfolio that can contribute to the Coalition goals, and noted the need for urgent action to reduce the short-lived climate pollutants.

Durwood Zaelke, President of the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development, who attended the inaugural meeting in Stockholm, stated, 

“The Coalition may be the single most important development for climate protection in the past ten years. It focuses on fast-action climate mitigation that can be done today with existing technologies by willing partners.  It has the potential not only to reduce a major part of climate pollution, but to build the momentum and confidence we need to successfully manage carbon dioxide from energy production, which is essential for keeping the Planet’s long term temperature increase to an acceptable level.”

Many scientists calculate that global temperature cannot increase more than 2°C above pre-Industrial levels without risking major and perhaps catastrophic climate impacts, including devastating sea-level rise and punishing storm surges, as well as droughts, floods, and other extreme weather events. Major cuts in carbon dioxide are essential to stay below 2°C in the longer term, along with cuts to the short-lived climate pollutants.

 Zaelke said,

“To win the climate war, we need to cut both the short-lived climate pollutants and long-lived carbon dioxide, the most damaging gas. Fortunately, we’re gaining allies quickly in the second front of the fight against black carbon, methane, and HFCs. A victory on this front will build the confidence we need to win the war.” 

The short-lived climate pollutants are responsible for 40 to 45% of all warming, with carbon dioxide, a substantial portion of which remains in the air for millennia, responsible for the other 55-60%.

To see the Coalition's reports on HFCs click here,  on black carbon click here.  For More Information Contact Nick Nuttall, Acting Director UNEP Division of Communications and Public Information/UNEP Spokesperson, on Tel: +254 733 632755, E-mail: nick.nuttall@unep.org 

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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