HSE Insider’s Post

US government to invest $6bn in green construction materials The US government has invested $6bn to transform the nation’s industrial sector, strengthen domestic manufacturing, and to reduce global warming emissions To read more, follow the link to the Cleanroom Technology article #sustainabilty #greeninitaives #globalwarming #designandbuild

The third working group concentrated on mitigation of climate change in its contribution to the sixth assessment report. Notably, we have a rapidly closing window for deep and rapid cuts in emissions by 2030. Emissions should peak by 2025. In 2023, greenhouse gas emissions were the highest ever. Positively, the cost of solar and wind have both fallen spectacularly, making renewable energy attractive economically as well as for climate. I summarized findings of this extensive report, see my article below: #mitigation #climateaction #climatechange #AR6 #sixthassessmentreport #wg3 #wgiii https://lnkd.in/dwnpkKnS

"Climate Plan" United Nations Secretariat Climate Action Plan 2020-2030. There is also potential for "direct economic and sustainable development co-benefits" from the Plan in the form of: 1.     Long-term operational efficiencies for the Secretariat: The transition to climate-smart operations (i.e. climate-friendly infrastructure, clean and affordable energy, other low carbon, and innovative solutions). These may come from lower energy consumption and self-generation of renewable energy after an initial period of significant investment as well as low-cost electricity from third-party renewable grids facilitated under the Plan’s implementation (United Nations Secretariat, 2019). 2.     Improved Integration of UN entity joint operations at the country level: Two of the ongoing and planned solutions to improve coherence, cost-effectiveness and impact are shared facilities and shared services. Transportation, electricity generation and facilities management are services that could be improved through enhanced cooperation (United Nations Secretariat, 2019). 3.     Positive impact on the communities where the UN Secretariat is present:  The Plan aims to serve as a catalyst for increased support to climate-related national efforts. (United Nations Secretariat, 2019)

The third working group concentrated on mitigation of climate change in its contribution to the sixth assessment report. Notably, we have a rapidly closing window for deep and rapid cuts in emissions by 2030. Emissions should peak by 2025. In 2023, greenhouse gas emissions were the highest ever. Positively, the cost of solar and wind have both fallen spectacularly, making renewable energy attractive economically as well as for climate. I summarized findings of this extensive report, see my article below: #mitigation #climateaction #climatechange #AR6 #sixthassessmentreport #wg3 #wgiii https://lnkd.in/dwnpkKnS

As the climate crisis intensifies, the urgency for effective and actionable solutions has never been more critical. ISO standards, particularly ISO 14001 and ISO 50001, stand at the forefront of this battle, offering a robust framework for organizations to enhance their environmental and energy management practices. These standards are more than just guidelines—they are essential tools that can drive significant, lasting change. https://lnkd.in/e6av2r4q #iso14001 #greenwashing #energy #energyindustry #energyefficiency #energysavings #energynews #ems #environmental #environmentalmanagement #green #greenenergy #environmentalconsulting #environnement #isostandard #isocertification #iso #iso #isocertification #isocertified #isoconsultants #isocertificationbody #ukas #isostandards #isoconsultant #isoconsultancy #iso50001 #enms #netzero

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS): A Critical Technology for Climate Mitigation. CCS, or Carbon Capture and Storage, is a group of technologies designed to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from industrial processes like power plants and factories, compress it, and then inject it permanently deep underground in geological formations like saline aquifers or depleted oil and gas reservoirs. This effectively prevents the CO2 from entering the atmosphere and contributing to climate change. Limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius, as set by the Paris Agreement, requires significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, especially CO2. While transitioning to renewable energy sources is crucial, it may not be enough to achieve those targets in the near future. That's where CCS comes in, as it offers a way to mitigate emissions from existing fossil fuel-based infrastructure while we develop and deploy renewable alternatives. The European Commission's perspective: The European Commission recognizes the importance of CCS in achieving their climate goals. They argue that reducing emissions by 30% by 2020 and 60-80% by 2050 in developed countries is impossible without CCS. They are actively discussing legal frameworks to encourage its development and storage regulations. The International Energy Agency's Blue Map scenario highlights the significant role CCS can play. It estimates that achieving a 50% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050 would require 19% of it to be achieved through CCS, compared to 21% by all renewables combined. This underscores the critical need for rapid development and deployment of this technology. Limitations and challenges: While CCS holds immense potential, it's important to acknowledge its limitations and challenges. Capturing and transporting CO2 can be energy-intensive, and ensuring safe and permanent storage requires careful geological monitoring. The technology is also relatively new and requires further cost reduction and optimization. Overall, CCS represents a valuable tool in the fight against climate change. While not a silver bullet, its ability to capture and store emissions from existing infrastructure makes it a key player in transitioning to a low-carbon future.

Planning and climate change guidance: research report issue 3 Research comprising a desk-based study and stakeholder engagement with developers and decision-makers to develop understanding of the approaches currently being used to both assess and minimise lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of development proposals. This research is to inform National Planning Framework 4.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR EMISSIONS Kyoto Protocol in 1997, countries agreed for the first time in history on binding targets and measures for combatting climate change. This agreement was the basis for the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol. First published in 1998, the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol provides a standard framework for measuring and managing greenhouse gas emissions from private and public sector operations. The GHG Protocol Corporate Standard categorises GHG emissions associated with a company’s CCF as scope 1, scope 2, and scope 3 emissions. However, this categorisation does not apply to the product carbon footprint (PCF), which describes the total amount of emissions generated by a product or a service over the different stages of its life cycle. The concept of scopes comes from project management and refers to all the processes and resources needed to complete a project. According to the GHG Protocol, the main idea behind this categorisation is to “help delineate direct and indirect emission sources”, while also ensuring that “two or more companies will not account for emissions in the same scope”. Scope 1 – Direct Emissions: Scope 1 emissions include direct emissions from a company’s owned or controlled sources. This includes on-site energy, such as natural gas and fuel, refrigerants, and emissions from combustion in owned or controlled boilers and furnaces, as well as emissions from fleet vehicles (e.g. cars, vans, trucks, helicopters for hospitals). Scope 1 emissions also encompass process emissions that are released during industrial processes and on-site manufacturing (e.g. factory fumes, chemicals). Scope 2- Emissions – Indirect Emissions- According to the GHG Protocol, scope 2 emissions represent the largest source of global GHG emissions by accounting for at least a third of them. This means that assessing and measuring scope 2 emissions present a significant emissions reduction opportunity. This include indirect emissions from purchased or acquired energy, like electricity, steam, heat, or cooling, that is generated off-site and consumed by the reporting company. For example, electricity purchased from a utility company is generated offsite, so these are considered indirect emissions. Scope 3 – Indirect Value Chain Emissions- Scope 3 includes all indirect emissions that occur in the value chain of a reporting company. To make a clear distinction between the scope 2 and scope 3 categories, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) describes scope 3 emissions as “the result of activities from assets not owned or controlled by the reporting organization, but that the organization indirectly impacts in its value chain.” Even though these emissions are out of the control of the reporting company, they can represent the largest portion of its GHG emissions inventory.

Can Pumping CO2 Into California's Oil Fields Help Stop Global Warming?: America's Environmental Protection Agency "has signed off on a California oil company's plans to permanently store carbon emissions deep underground to combat global warming," reports the Los Angeles Times: California Resources Corp., the state's largest oil and gas company, applied for permission to send 1.46 million metric tons of carbon dioxide each year into the Elk Hills oil field, a depleted oil reservoir about 25 miles outside of downtown Bakersfield. The emissions would be collected from several industrial sources nearby, compressed into a liquid-like state and injected into porous rock more than one mile underground. Although this technique has never been performed on a large scale in California, the state's climate plan calls for these operations to be widely deployed across the Central Valley to reduce carbon emissions from industrial facilities. The EPA issued a draft permit for the California Resources Corp. project, which is poised to be finalized in March following public comments. As California transitions away from oil production, a new business model for fossil fuel companies has emerged: carbon management. Oil companies have heavily invested in transforming their vast network of exhausted oil reservoirs into a long-term storage sites for planet-warming gases, including California Resources Corp., the largest nongovernmental owner of mineral rights in California... [Environmentalists] say that the transportation and injection of CO2 — an asphyxiating gas that displaces oxygen — could lead to dangerous leaks. Nationwide, there have been at least 25 carbon dioxide pipeline leaks between 2002 and 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Perhaps the most notable incident occurred in Satartia, Miss., in 2020 when a CO2 pipeline ruptured following heavy rains. The leak led to the hospitalization of 45 people and the evacuation of 200 residents... Under the EPA draft permit, California Resources Corp. must take a number of steps to mitigate these risks. The company must plug 157 wells to ensure the CO2 remains underground, monitor the injection site for leaks and obtain a $33-million insurance policy. Canadian-based Brookfield Corporation also invested $500 million, according to the article, with California Resources Corp. seeking permits for five projects — more than any company in the nation. "It's kind of reversing the role, if you will," says their chief sustainability officer. "Instead of taking oil and gas out, we're putting carbon in." Meanwhile, there's applications for "about a dozen" more projects in California's Central Valley that could store millions of tons of carbon emissions in old oil and gas fields — and California Resources Corp says greater Los Angeles is also "being evaluated" as a potential storage site. Read more of this story at Slashdot.