University leadership in climate mitigation: reducing emissions from waste through carbon pricing

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suyeon Lee ◽  
Seyeon Lee
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Emission Reduction ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Past Century ◽  
Emission Data ◽  
Carbon Pricing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Carbon Neutrality ◽  
Sustained Reduction

Purpose This paper aims to investigate potential impact of internal carbon pricing in emission reduction in Higher education institutions (HEIs). Over the past century, human activities have increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the atmosphere. If GHG emissions continue their upward trend, this will disturb the natural balance and trigger abrupt changes in all components of the climate system. Limiting climate change would require a substantial and sustained reduction in GHG emissions from all sectors. HEIs, as major emitters, indeed need to respond to the demand to become more sustainable by making practical changes to the way their institution is run. Design/methodology/approach Using emission data associated with campus waste, this study describes how HEIs can take the lead on emission reduction through the implementation of carbon pricing. Findings Specifically, this study estimates the cost of emissions from campus waste to illustrate the primary benefits of internal carbon pricing for scaling up campus carbon neutrality initiatives and describes practical implications for enhancing sustainable waste management in a university setting. This study will contribute to identifying the potential for emissions reduction through waste management using a carbon pricing mechanism in university settings. Originality/value While carbon pricing has long been regarded as an alternative approach to tackling carbon pollution, it has not been thoroughly explored with regard to waste management.

scholarly journals Can Universities be a Platform for Climate Mitigation? Exploring the Impacts of Carbon Pricing in the University Setting

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suyeon Lee ◽  
Seyeon Lee
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Academic Community ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Carbon Pricing ◽  
Carbon Reduction ◽  
Reduction Potentials ◽  
The World ◽  
The University

Abstract Climate Change is one of the most important threats in the world today and it is driven by the human-induced build-up of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere. Despite worldwide policy efforts from the Kyoto Protocol to the Paris Agreement, global emissions of GHG have continued to steadily increase over the past decade. Against this backdrop, many higher education institutions (HEIs) around the world began to engage in sustainable practices implementing green initiatives on their campuses. Using the waste disposal and the associated GHG emissions data from the academic community, this study describes how HEIs can assume a leadership role in climate mitigation through the implementation of a carbon pricing initiative. Specifically, this study estimates the economic costs of carbon emissions from waste and conceptualizes how revenues generated from carbon pricing can be rechanneled to support carbon reduction efforts in HEIs. By this approach, HEIs not only create incentives for campus users such as students and employees to choose cleaner options but also be able to understand their own carbon footprint and adjust strategy accordingly. While carbon pricing has long been regarded as an alternative approach to tackle carbon pollution, it has not been much discussed in the area of waste management. In this regard, this study attempted to fill this research gap by finding emission reduction potentials in waste management using carbon pricing as a mechanism.

Evaluating the Landscape of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Mitigation Goals of the Global Food and Beverage Sector

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan Reavis ◽  
Jenny Ahlen ◽  
Joe Rudek ◽  
Kusum Naithani
Keyword(s):  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Past Century ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Food Engineering ◽  
The Past ◽  
Beverage Industry ◽  
Food And Beverage Industry ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Global Food

Abstract The dramatic increase of emitted greenhouse gases (GHGs) by humans over the past century and a half has created an urgency for monitoring, reporting, and verifying GHG emissions as a first step towards mitigating the effects of climate change. Fifteen percent of global GHG emissions come from agriculture, and companies in the food and beverage industry are starting to set climate goals. We evaluated the GHG emissions reporting practices and climate goals of the top 100 global food and beverage companies and determined whether or not their goals are aligned with the science of reducing climate warming to less than 2 °C. We found that two thirds of the top 100 (as ranked by Food Engineering) global food and beverage companies are setting some sort of climate goals, but fewer than half included scope 3 emissions in their goals. Only four companies have goals that are aligned with the goal of the 3% Solution: a 4.3% annual emission reduction until 2050. While an increasing number of companies are disclosing and setting targets that include scope 3 emissions, many still do not disclose or report any of their emissions. Our results highlight an urgent need to develop protocols for monitoring, reporting, and verifying GHG emissions and to provide transparent information on climate goals and targets.

scholarly journals Evaluating Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Mitigation Goals of the Global Food and Beverage Sector

2022 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan Reavis ◽  
Jenny Ahlen ◽  
Joe Rudek ◽  
Kusum Naithani
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Past Century ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Food Engineering ◽  
Beverage Industry ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Global Food

The dramatic increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by humans over the past century and a half has created an urgency for monitoring, reporting, and verifying GHG emissions as a first step toward mitigating the effects of climate change. Fifteen percent of global GHG emissions come from agriculture, and companies in the food and beverage industry are starting to set climate goals. We examined the GHG emissions reporting practices and climate goals of the top 100 global food and beverage companies (as ranked by Food Engineering) and determined whether their goals are aligned with the science of keeping climate warming well below a 2°C increase. Using publicly disclosed data in CDP Climate reports and company sustainability reports, we found that about two thirds of the top 100 global food and beverage companies disclose at least part of their total company emissions and set some sort of climate goal that includes scope 1 and 2 emissions. However, only about half have measured, disclosed, and set goals for scope 3 emissions, which often encompass about 88% of a company's emissions across the entire value chain on average. We also determined that companies, despite setting scope 1, 2, and 3 emission goals, may be missing the mark on whether their goals are significantly reducing global emissions. Our results present the current disclosure and emission goals of the top 100 global food and beverage companies and highlight an urgent need to begin and continue to set truly ambitious, science-aligned climate goals.

scholarly journals Sustainability in Maritime Sector: Waste Management Alternatives Evaluated in a Circular Carbon Economy Perspective

Resources ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michela Gallo ◽  
Luca Moreschi ◽  
Michela Mazzoccoli ◽  
Veronica Marotta ◽  
Adriana Del Borghi
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Emission Reduction ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Waste To Energy ◽  
Ghg Emission ◽  
Combined System ◽  
Management Alternatives ◽  
Carbon Economy

Sustainability and waste management on board are key issues that need to be addressed by the maritime sector also in terms of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). With the aim of evaluating waste management alternatives in a circular economy perspective, the study examines a combined system for the optimisation of ship waste management and assesses its possible use for energy purposes. Different systems are analysed in relation to their GHG emission reduction potential regardless of routes and ports of destination. A SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis was carried out on waste management alternatives in order to preliminary identify their potential in terms of GHG emissions reduction, cost, environmental sustainability, methodological coherence, feasibility and replicability. Following this analysis, two case studies of particular interest were identified: (1) the thermo-chemical treatment of waste oils and sludge to obtain fuel oils; (2) the installation of a waste-to-energy plant and subsequent energy recovery on board. UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) methodologies were applied to these two case studies to calculate GHG emission reduction resulting from their implementation. The obtained results are presented with the aim of supporting sustainable waste management strategies on board in a circular carbon economy perspective.

scholarly journals Carbon Neutrality Pathways Effects on Air Pollutant Emissions: The Portuguese Case

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 324
Author(s):  
Joana Monjardino ◽  
Luís Dias ◽  
Patrícia Fortes ◽  
Hugo Tente ◽  
Francisco Ferreira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Air Pollutant ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Pollutant Emissions ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Carbon Neutrality ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
End Use

Air pollution and climate change are closely interlinked, once both share common emission sources, which mainly arise from fuel combustion and industrial processes. Climate mitigation actions bring co-benefits on air quality and human health. However, specific solutions can provide negative trade-offs for one side. The Portuguese Carbon Neutrality Roadmap was developed to assess conceivable cost-effective pathways to achieve zero net carbon emissions by 2050. Assessing its impacts, on air pollutant emissions, is the main focus of the present work. The bottom-up linear optimization energy system the integrated MARKAL-EFOM system (TIMES) model was selected as a modeling tool for the decarbonization scenarios assessment. The estimation of air pollutant emissions was performed exogenously to the TIMES model. Results show that reaching net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is possible, and technologically feasible, in Portugal, by 2050. The crucial and most cost-effective vector for decarbonizing the national economy is the end-use energy consumption electrification, renewable based, across all end-use sectors. Decarbonization efforts were found to have strong co-benefits for reducing air pollutant emissions in Portugal. Transport and power generation are the sectors with the greatest potential to reduce GHG emissions, providing likewise the most significant reductions of air pollutant emissions. Despite the overall positive effects, there are antagonistic effects, such as the use of biomass, mainly in industry and residential sectors, which translates into increases in particulate matter emissions. This is relevant for medium term projections, since results show that, by 2030, PM2.5 emissions are unlikely to meet the emission reduction commitments set at the European level, if no additional control measures are considered.

Net Zero Facilities – A Tenet for Survival or a Pipedream

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Dyson ◽  
James Varney ◽  
Vaseem Khan ◽  
Chris Dartnell
Keyword(s):  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Decision Quality ◽  
Facility Design ◽  
Carbon Taxes ◽  
Reference Case ◽  
Carbon Pricing ◽  
Carbon Neutrality ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Carbon Neutral

Abstract To meet global climate targets, it is critical that the oil and gas industry address greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions attributable to its operations. According to the IEA, 15% of global energy-related GHG emissions arise from the process of hydrocarbon extraction and distribution. Production facilities built today may operate for 20-30 years, by which time industries, governments and countries have committed to significant reductions in emissions. If facilities are not designed with carbon neutrality in mind, there is a risk that carbon pricing may cause projects to become uneconomic before their planned end-of-life - an expensive folly. To meet GHG emission targets and de-risk projects it is essential that operators design and construct facilities with carbon neutrality in mind. This will future-proof their operations, ensuring that operators are active participants in a carbon neutral future. In fact, this is a tenet for survival in a world with pressure to decarbonise from shareholders, financial institutions, and society itself. This paper presents a pathway to the carbon neutral upstream facility. A methodology to achieve net-zero emissions for an offshore compression platform is proposed. The project team used a Decision Quality framework to identify methods for achieving carbon neutrality, including: Power import and electrification Renewable micro-grids Integration with hydrogen networks Reduction of fugitive emissions Flare system removal Facility demanning and access method Engineered offsetting methods (excluding nature-based offsetting) Digital Transformation of design and operations - remote operation and monitoring. Design concepts were created to test carbon neutral facilities feasibility. Expertise gained from demanning projects, along with specialist Electrical & Instrumentation experience were used, to perform a techno-economic assessment. Class 5 CAPEX and OPEX estimates were prepared and compared against a Reference Case "traditional" facility design. Traditional approaches to facility design were challenged at every level and an optimal, carbon neutral design was identified based on the above assessments integrating the latest techniques and technology. The study team determined the facilities lifecycle cost, identifying breakeven carbon pricing required to ensure cost-competitiveness. This paper demonstrates what is achievable with current technology, and opportunities for further technology development. Breakeven carbon pricing for carbon neutral facilities is presented within a range of economic scenarios. A hierarchy of technologies show those which have the biggest impact per dollar spent. This will allow operators to make informed decisions on areas that present the biggest targets for emissions reduction. The methodology can be adapted to any geographical region, considering local infrastructure and carbon pricing. The approach presented can be applied across many industries. Long lifespan, capital intensive projects with large GHG footprints are particularly vulnerable to carbon taxes. These projects have much to gain from adopting carbon neutrality early in system design.

Financial, governance and environmental determinants of corporate social responsible disclosure

2014 ◽  
Vol 52 (10) ◽  
pp. 1928-1951 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grigoris Giannarakis ◽  
George Konteos ◽  
Nikolaos Sariannidis
Keyword(s):  
Risk Premium ◽  
Emission Reduction ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Variable Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Financial Governance ◽  
Csr Disclosure ◽  
Corporate Social

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the vital determinants on the extent of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure in a US context. The selected variables are CEO duality, the presence of women in the board, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, emission reduction initiatives, company's risk premium, financial leverage and industry's profile. Design/methodology/approach – The environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure score is used as a proxy for the extent of CSR disclosure calculated by Bloomberg. The influence of plausible variables on the ESG disclosure score and its sub-categories was examined by using the least squares dummy variable model (LSDV) incorporating 100 companies listed on Standard & Poor's 500 Index for the period 2009-2012. Findings – The results show that the emission reduction initiatives and GHG emissions influence positively the extent of ESG score. In addition, slight differences exist concerning the determinants of different types of disclosures. Furthermore, it is illustrated that a company's industrial profile seems to have differences among the extent of the different types of disclosure. Research limitations/implications – The sample of companies is based on the US companies incorporating only large-sized ones. Originality/value – The study extends previous studies with the inclusion of both traditional and innovative determinants of the CSR disclosure in USA taking into account four years of corporate data. A third party rating approach was adopted in order to calculate the extent of CSR disclosure. Finally, both the shareholders’ and the investors’ attitudes in relation to CSR disclosure are presented.

Costs and Benefits of the Transition to Low-carbon Economyin Russia: Perspectives up to 2050

2014 ◽  
pp. 70-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Bashmakov ◽  
A. Myshak
Keyword(s):  
Emission Reduction ◽  
High Probability ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Ghg Emission ◽  
Research Groups ◽  
Emissions Mitigation ◽  
Very High

This paper investigates costs and benefits associated with low-carbon economic development pathways realization to the mid XXI century. 30 scenarios covering practically all “visions of the future” were developed by several research groups based on scenario assumptions agreed upon in advance. It is shown that with a very high probability Russian energy-related GHG emissions will reach the peak before 2050, which will be at least 11% below the 1990 emission level. The height of the peak depends on portfolio of GHG emissions mitigation measures. Efforts to keep 2050 GHG emissions 25-30% below the 1990 level bring no GDP losses. GDP impact of deep GHG emission reduction - by 50% of the 1990 level - varies from plus 4% to minus 9%. Finally, very deep GHG emission reduction - by 80% - may bring GDP losses of over 10%.

scholarly journals Efficiency stagnation in global steel production urges joint supply- and demand-side mitigation efforts

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng Wang ◽  
Morten Ryberg ◽  
Yi Yang ◽  
Kuishuang Feng ◽  
Sami Kara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Flow Analysis ◽  
Steel Production ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Process Efficiency ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Carbon Intensity ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Past Century ◽  
Demand Side

AbstractSteel production is a difficult-to-mitigate sector that challenges climate mitigation commitments. Efforts for future decarbonization can benefit from understanding its progress to date. Here we report on greenhouse gas emissions from global steel production over the past century (1900-2015) by combining material flow analysis and life cycle assessment. We find that ~45 Gt steel was produced in this period leading to emissions of ~147 Gt CO2-eq. Significant improvement in process efficiency (~67%) was achieved, but was offset by a 44-fold increase in annual steel production, resulting in a 17-fold net increase in annual emissions. Despite some regional technical improvements, the industry’s decarbonization progress at the global scale has largely stagnated since 1995 mainly due to expanded production in emerging countries with high carbon intensity. Our analysis of future scenarios indicates that the expected demand expansion in these countries may jeopardize steel industry’s prospects for following 1.5 °C emission reduction pathways. To achieve the Paris climate goals, there is an urgent need for rapid implementation of joint supply- and demand-side mitigation measures around the world in consideration of regional conditions.

scholarly journals Enhancement of Food Waste Management and Its Environmental Consequences

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 1790
Author(s):  
Jan den Boer ◽  
Gudrun Obersteiner ◽  
Sebastian Gollnow ◽  
Emilia den Boer ◽  
Renata Bodnárné Sándor
Keyword(s):  
Anaerobic Digestion ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Environmental Effects ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Biological Pretreatment ◽  
Environmental Benefit ◽  
Kitchen Waste ◽  
Considerable Saving ◽  
Positive Effects

This paper assesses the potential environmental effects of the optimization of the kitchen waste management in Opole. The separate collection of kitchen waste is improved by distribution of separate collection kits consisting of an in-home bin and 10 L biodegradable bags. The surplus of collected kitchen waste is diverted from treatment in a mechanical-biological pretreatment (MBP) along with the residual waste to anaerobic digestion (AD) with the biowaste. This has positive effects on European and Polish goals, ambitions, and targets, such as (i) increasing the level of renewables in the primary energy supply, (ii) decreasing the level of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, (iii) increasing the level of preparation for reuse and recycling of municipal waste. The environmental effects of 1 ton additionally separately collected and treated kitchen waste are determined by using life cycle assessment. It was shown that in all selected impact categories (global warming potential, marine eutrophication potential, acidification potential, and ozone depletion potential) a clear environmental benefit can be achieved. These benefits are mainly caused by the avoided emissions of electricity and heat from the Polish production mix, which are substituted by energy generation from biogas combustion. Optimization of the waste management system by diversion of kitchen waste from mechanical-biological pretreatment to anaerobic digestion can lead to considerable saving of 448 kg CO2-eq/t of waste diverted. With an estimated optimization potential for the demonstration site of 40 kg/inh·year for the city of Opole, this would lead to 680,000 t CO2-eq savings per year for the whole of Poland. The sensitivity analysis showed that with a choice for cleaner energy sources the results would, albeit lower, show a significant savings potential.

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