scholarly journals Harmonizing corporate carbon footprints

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lena Klaaßen ◽  
Christian Stoll

AbstractGlobal greenhouse gas emissions need to reach net-zero around mid-century to limit global warming to 1.5 °C. This decarbonization challenge has, inter alia, increased the political and societal pressure on companies to disclose their carbon footprints. As a response, numerous companies announced roadmaps to become carbon neutral or even negative. The first step on the journey towards carbon neutrality, however, is to quantify corporate emissions accurately. Current carbon accounting and reporting practices remain unsystematic and not comparable, particularly for emissions along the value chain (so-called scope 3). Here we present a framework to harmonize scope 3 emissions by accounting for reporting inconsistency, boundary incompleteness, and activity exclusion. In a case study of the tech sector, we find that corporate reports omit half of the total emissions. The framework we present may help companies, investors, and policy makers to identify and close the gaps in corporate carbon footprints.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lena Klaaßen ◽  
Christian Stoll

Abstract Global greenhouse gas emissions need to reach net-zero around mid-century to limit global warming to 1.5°C. This decarbonization challenge has, inter alia, increased the political and societal pressure on companies to disclose their carbon footprints. As a response, numerous companies announced roadmaps to become carbon neutral or even negative. The first step on the journey towards carbon neutrality, however, is to quantify corporate emissions accurately. Current carbon accounting and reporting practices remain unsystematic and incomparable, particularly for emissions along the value chain (scope 3). Here we present a framework to harmonize scope 3 emissions by accounting for reporting inconsistency, boundary incompleteness, and activity exclusion. In a case study of the tech sector, we find that corporate reports omit half of the total emissions. The framework we present may help companies, investors, and policy makers to identify and close the gaps in corporate carbon footprints.


Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 810
Author(s):  
Patrick Faubert ◽  
Sylvie Bouchard ◽  
Rémi Morin Chassé ◽  
Hélène Côté ◽  
Pierre-Luc Dessureault ◽  
...  

To reach the Paris Agreement targets of holding the global temperature increase below 2 °C above the preindustrial levels, every human activity will need to be carbon neutral by 2050. Feasible means for industries to achieve carbon neutrality must be developed and assessed economically. Herein we present a case study on available solutions to achieve net-zero carbon from the get-go for a planned liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in Quebec, which would classify as a large Canadian greenhouse gas (GHG) emitter. From a literature review, available options were prioritized with the promoter. Each prioritized potential solution is discussed in light of its feasibility and the associated economic opportunities and challenges. Although net-zero carbon is feasible from the get-go, results show that the promoter should identify opportunities to reduce as much as possible emissions at source, cooperate with other industries for CO2 capture and utilization, replace natural gas from fossil sources by renewable sources and offset the remaining emissions by planting trees and/or buying offsets on the compliance and voluntary markets. As some of these solutions are still to be developed, to ensure timely net-zero pledge for the lifespan of the LNG plant, a portfolio and progressive approach to combine offsets and other options is preferable.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ntengua S.Y. Mdoe ◽  
Glead I. Mlay

This paper presents the political economy of rice commercialisation in Tanzania. It is based on a review of trade policies, regulations, strategies, and programmes implemented since the 1960s to promote rice commercialisation, and the views of key informants. Key findings that emerge from the review of literature and key informant interviews indicate that the performance of the value chain over time has been negatively affected by the combined effects of the policies, regulations, strategies, and programmes implemented concurrently.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (17) ◽  
pp. 9954
Author(s):  
Ciara O’Flynn ◽  
Valentine Seymour ◽  
James Crawshaw ◽  
Thomas Parrott ◽  
Catriona Reeby ◽  
...  

The need for the world to follow a more carbon-neutral path is clear, with growing evidence highlighting the existential threat posed by unregulated GHG emissions. Responsibility for achieving this does not only lie with policy makers but is shared with all stakeholders including governments, private sectors, charities and civil society as a whole. Several methodological approaches have been developed to set emission reduction targets, including the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). However, it is yet to be widely adopted, and as thought leaders in the field, universities must take a lead in its interpretation and application. This study is reported from the perspective of a UK university, which is adopting climate change considerations to facilitate achieving Czero by 2030 and will act as an exemplar case. We calculate baseline emissions, science-based reduction targets for different carbon emission reduction methods and options in terms of financing emission reduction pathways at present and in the future. The study outcomes show that incorporating a SBTi methodology can serve as insight into other medium-sized organisations and universities wishing to develop a net-zero pathway. These results have been summarised into a series of recommendations.


2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-80
Author(s):  
RICHARD BALTHI MSHELIA ◽  
FUNSHO BABARINDE

This research work focuses on carbon footprinting the operations of a township post office in a developing country. The analysis was carried out in accordance with the Universal Postal Union’s guidelines for carbon accounting. The results showed that for the inventory year, the office’s carbon footprint was 13.3423 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). It was found that for each gram of parcel delivered, 0.0171 kgCO2e was emitted into the atmosphere. Results further showed that 82 % of emission is attributed to delivery of mails while 18 % is as a result of sorting and other minor activities within the facility.


Author(s):  
Carla Konta

The chapter explores the political backgrounds, strategic interests, and diplomatic consequences of Senator J. William Fulbright’s visit to socialist Yugoslavia in November 1964 to chair the signing of the Yugoslav Fulbright agreement. The mission tackled two issues: as a US senator, Fulbright repaired misunderstandings and low points of previous US-Yugoslav bilateral relations; as a politician who was intellectually committed to liberal internationalism, he confirmed his support for Yugoslav independence from the Soviet Union and, by observing the Yugoslav Communist regime, convinced himself of a different solution for Vietnam’s emerging tangle. By examining Fulbright and Yugoslav papers, the chapter argues that Yugoslav experimentation with national communism and its possible bridge function between East and West framed the senator’s politics of dissent over Vietnam on the assumption that Communist movements were not as monolithic as most US policy makers viewed them. America’s soft approach to Yugoslav communism corroborated Fulbright’s convictions and persuaded him that Yugoslavia could serve as a case study for the impasse in Vietnam.


Author(s):  
Ryan Doczy ◽  
Yassir AbdelRazig

For building owners, there are several factors that must be considered when considering whether or not a building has achieved its goals. One such problem building owners facing during a project’s design phase is the creation of a proper balance between reducing immediate costs and increasing the sustainability of a building. Due to the implications these decisions will have on buildings’ owners and occupants, owners need to have decision support tools to be able to assist them in determining how well a building will meet their goals and preferences. The model described by this paper utilizes the Analytical Hierarchy Process and Multiple Attribute Utility Theorem to compare a project’s competing alternatives in terms of their ability to meet the project’s LEED, carbon neutral/Net-Zero, and cost/benefit goals. Utilizing a combination of user preferences and data on an alternative’s anticipated costs and level of sustainability, a score will be generated that allows the user to determine how well the alternative comes to meeting the project’s overall goal. This process will be applied for a case study library building to determine the alternative that best meets the project’s overall goal. The model’s results and validity are discussed.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Amaza ◽  
Sunday Mailumo ◽  
Asenath Silong

The aim of this case study is to understand the underlying political economy dynamics of the maize value chain in Nigeria, with a focus on how this can contribute to comprehending the drivers and constraints of agricultural commercialisation. The study is informed by theories of political settlements, rents, and policy processes. It asks questions around (1) the key actors and interests: who participates and how do they benefit? (2) Rules and policies: who makes the rules, and who wins and loses? And (3), what are the implications across different social groups?


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 171-185
Author(s):  
Joana Almeida ◽  
◽  
Frederico Oliveira ◽  
Jorge Silva ◽  
◽  
...  

Notwithstanding the positive impacts of short-term rentals (STRs), it is often their negative effects that have been raising pressing questions for urban planners and public policy-makers, including changes in housing dynamics, conflicts between residents and visitors, tourism gentrification phenomena, unfair competition practices, and tax evasion, among other externalities. Because of this, short-term rental regulation has become an important item on the political agenda of municipalities that live daily with these issues. In order to contribute to a better understanding of STR regulatory approaches, this paper investigates how Lisbon (Portugal) has been responding to the effects attributed to STRs. It can be concluded that the main negative impact of STR in Lisbon is its effects on the housing prices increase and that the main STR regulation measure is focused on zoning: definition of zones for the application of differentiated STR rules and management.


Author(s):  
Kristina Dietz

The article explores the political effects of popular consultations as a means of direct democracy in struggles over mining. Building on concepts from participatory and materialist democracy theory, it shows the transformative potentials of processes of direct democracy towards democratization and emancipation under, and beyond, capitalist and liberal democratic conditions. Empirically the analysis is based on a case study on the protests against the La Colosa gold mining project in Colombia. The analysis reveals that although processes of direct democracy in conflicts over mining cannot transform existing class inequalities and social power relations fundamentally, they can nevertheless alter elements thereof. These are for example the relationship between local and national governments, changes of the political agenda of mining and the opening of new spaces for political participation, where previously there were none. It is here where it’s emancipatory potential can be found.


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