Climate TRACE

Catch Nick Wise of Climate TRACE and OceanMind at the London Climate Technology Show on the panel: “The Potential of AI Technologies in Tackling Climate Challenges”. Learn more:  https://lnkd.in/di6svJsh

Last week, we explored the emissions profiles of different steel production methods addressed in our newly released steel insight brief. Now, we’re zooming out to highlight a bigger picture: global emissions trends from all steel production. Including Scope 1 direct emissions and Scope 2 indirect emissions from electricity, annual global steel emissions climbed between 2015 and 2021, but decreased in both 2022 and 2023. On a monthly basis, facility-level data from January 2021 to March 2024 show modest declines in global aggregate steel production and slightly larger declines in associated emissions. The top 10 steel-producing countries represent about 85% of production and are responsible for a similarly large portion of associated emissions. Swipe through to see how the top 10 steel-producing countries compare on emissions. To learn more about the numbers behind these trends, download the full insight brief here: https://lnkd.in/gHYr4zR4

While climate change remains a global issue, the Global South has disproportionately lacked the critical resources needed to realize its own clean energy transition and reap the associated benefits. This report from S&P Global expands on this topic, emphasizing the importance of an equitable energy transition. “Government-to-government collaboration and sharing of technology and best practices can provide a jump start for developing countries on their path to energy transition.” While the path to a just energy transition is multidimensional, access to emissions data can empower governments and corporations to make the most impactful cleantech investments in regions where they’ll matter most. Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gfVMrs8a

We've noticed a popular question circulating LinkedIn lately... How much would the world reduce GHG emissions from shipping if we no longer had to transport fossil fuels around the globe? We looked to the Climate TRACE shipping sector data to explore potential answers. This map shows nearly 11,500 ports around the world. The ships that come in and out of these ports each day — for international and domestic shipping needs — contributed 825 million tonnes of CO2e in 2022 alone. So how much of those emissions would be eliminated with a complete halt to the shipping of fossil fuels? The answer is complex. Climate TRACE data show that LNG, LPG and Oil tankers alone accounted for 20% of all shipping emissions in 2022, and that anywhere between 25%-40% of large shipping vessels are used for the transport of fossil fuels. But these numbers are highly variable. If we assume that the emissions from all of these ships are roughly equal and that those vessels carry only fossil fuels, then emissions reductions from taking those out of transit could be between 258 and 413 MT CO2e annually. Emissions vary greatly between vessels, and many large cargo vessels carry a variety of products. Switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy to meet the global energy demand will require significant increases in the production and transport of materials and the technology needed to create the necessary infrastructure and facilities, so it is not sufficient to estimate the number of vessels currently transporting fossil fuels to understand how shipping emissions would vary in a world powered exclusively by renewable energy. If you would like to conduct your own analysis, vessel emissions data is available by request on our website. To learn more about the current state of shipping sector emissions, check out the Climate TRACE platform, which highlights emissions from the more than 58,000 vessels that visit those ports globally. 🚢 https://lnkd.in/gH-Jm8Eg

While the global steel industry as a whole is responsible for roughly 7-9% of total greenhouse gas emissions, the different methods of steel production have vastly different emissions profiles. The traditional carbon-intensive blast furnace and basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) production method is responsible for more than 95% of scope 1 emissions in the steel industry, yet it makes up less than half of the facilities worldwide. As demand for green steel rises, the less carbon-intensive electric arc furnace (EAF) production method comprises the majority of new steel making capacity, but this method faces supply chain constraints, as it relies on recycled metals. A new breakthrough technology, direct reduced iron (DRI) is being paired with the EAF production method (DRI-EAF) to produce higher grades of steel using natural gas instead of coal, but it could eventually use green hydrogen to significantly reduce the emissions of steel production. Swipe through the slides below to see some highlights from our recent steel emissions insight brief on the different types of steel production methods and their emissions profiles. Download the insight brief to learn more: https://lnkd.in/gHYr4zR4

There are many ways to leverage Climate TRACE data, and we particularly appreciate seeing how users enable real-world emissions reductions with data-driven strategies. Terralytiq is using Climate TRACE data to help their customers better understand their product carbon footprints (PCFs), and reduce them by choosing to work with facilities that emit less carbon. Reducing scope 3 emissions is made easier with access to facility-level supply chain emissions data. Learn more about how Terralytiq is using Climate TRACE data to enable meaningful climate action in their article about PCFs.

JUST RELEASED: Climate TRACE Steel Emissions Insight Brief Steel causes about 7-9% of global emissions, or 2.7 gigatons annually in recent years, making it one of the largest polluters on Earth. According to the IEA’s net zero emissions scenario, the steel and iron industries need to reduce emissions by 90% by 2050, yet steel demand is expected to rise in the years ahead. The good news: The majority of new steelmaking capacity is being built with lower emissions electric arc furnace (EAF) technology. Explore the gigatons of emissions behind the steel industry — and where they’re coming from — in our newly released Steel Emissions Insight Brief: National and facility-level emissions trends and decarbonization opportunities. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/gHYr4zR4

What if the key to fighting climate change lies beyond our planet? From cooling buildings using the cold of outer space to beaming solar power from satellites, these five #TEDTalks explore how tapping into the cosmos could reshape our future on Earth. #ClimateSolutions #SpaceWeek #TEDCountdown cc: Aaswath Raman, Kelly Wanser, Gavin McCormick, Liam Young and Ali Hajimiri

The most polluting industry in the world — the steel sector — also has plenty of opportunities for decarbonization. Global production data are core to charting those decarbonization strategies so that the steel industry and its partners can take action. “Steel plays a vital role in everyday life, with demand projected to continue to increase, at least towards 2030. However, it also is the most polluting, largely due to its reliance on coking coal to generate the energy and heat required to convert iron ore into steel, and is therefore an important sector for decarbonisation with the need for accurate data for tracking progress.” TransitionZero and Global Energy Monitor, both Climate TRACE coalition members, have been using satellite data and machine learning to provide comprehensive and widely accessible access to global steel manufacturing emissions data. Learn more about their work: https://lnkd.in/gK_Bx8WF

Do you know how much the largest oil refinery in the world produces in annual carbon emissions? You can find out by searching “RPL Jamnagar refinery” on the Climate TRACE emissions map. We recently explored the data on this 7,500-acre complex to provide key insights into the emissions profile of the refinery, which has a processing capacity of 1.4 million barrels per day. Learn more in our latest “Views from Above”. https://lnkd.in/gpt9Zq2q