scholarly journals Carbon Emissions of Hotels: The Case of the Sri Lankan Hotel Industry

Buildings ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Udara Willhelm Abeydeera ◽  
Karunasena

The need to mitigate climate change has become a major global concern, and greenhouse gas emissions are a major cause of global climate change. Therefore, the need to curb greenhouse gas emissions has been well recognized by global researchers, policymakers and academics. Carbon emissions of hotel operations have seized the attention of global researchers. However, carbon emissions of the hotels in developing countries remain to be a less explored domain. Therefore, carbon emissions of Sri Lankan hotels were explored using a case study approach. Five hotels in the Colombo suburb were explored, which revealed that each hotel released more than 7000 tons of carbon annually. Results further indicated the use of purchased electricity as the dominant source of carbon emissions. Emissions caused by transport activities were not included in the calculations due to the unavailability of data. Recommendations were made to overcome the issues identified during data collection as well as to reduce the carbon emissions from hotel operations. Wider adoption of the methodology used in this research will benefit the hotels to keep track of the carbon emissions using a systematic approach.

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 377-391
Author(s):  
Maria Aleksandrovna Liubarskaia ◽  
Viktoria Sergeevna Merkusheva ◽  
Olga Sergeevna Zinovieva

The article analyzes the participation of the Russian Federation in international cooperation on the climate change prevention. Global climate change in terms of its impact on world economy is presented as a catalyst for multidirectional shifts in many sectors of economy. The adoption of international documents such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992), the Kyoto Protocol (1997), the Paris Agreement (2015), and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2015) are viewed as vital steps for regulating international cooperation in this sphere. Analyzing the provisions of the 2020 Climate Doctrine of the Russian Federation (2009), the authors emphasize the aspiration for international political and economic integration and deep economic interest in modernization as main factors, affecting Russian climate policy strategy. One of the mechanisms of implementing state policy in the field of environmental safety is the adoption of state regulation of greenhouse gas emissions and the consideration of these measures in the development of longterm strategies for socio-economic development. The authors urge for creating regional strategies for climate change prevention with necessary adjustment and adaptation to a specific region or constituent entity of the Russian Federation. In presenting the research results, the concept of “global warming potential” and the role of managing this potential in achieving sustainable development goals are disclosed. The authors argue that a significant contribution to the increase in greenhouse gas emissions is made by the production activities of the energy sector. Based on the data of the largest international companies (Chevron, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, BP, PetroChina, Shell, Gazprom, LUKOIL, Rosneft), directions for reducing their negative environmental impact were determined, including the classification of tools for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. International practice analysis forms the necessary ground to elaborate the most promising modern tools for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by Russian oil and gas companies.


2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 219-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miranda A. Schreurs

The Paris Agreement would not have come into being had China, the United States (US), and the European Union (EU), which together contribute more than half of all global greenhouse gas emissions, not signaled their intent to take major steps to reduce their domestic emissions. The EU has been at the forefront of global climate change measures for years having issued binding domestic emission reduction targets for 2020 and 2030. For many years, China refused to announce a target date for when it might begin reducing its greenhouse gas emissions, and the US Congress blocked action on climate change.  In the lead up to the Paris climate negotiations, however, there were major shifts in China’s and the US’s climate positions. This commentary examines the climate policies of the three largest emitters and the factors motivating the positions they took in the Paris negotiations. Given that the commitments made in Paris are most likely insufficient to keep global temperature from rising 2 °C above pre-industrial levels, the commentary also considers what the likelihood is that these three major economies will strengthen their emission reduction targets in the near future.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 20180781 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine E. Lovelock ◽  
Carlos M. Duarte

Blue Carbon is a term coined in 2009 to draw attention to the degradation of marine and coastal ecosystems and the need to conserve and restore them to mitigate climate change and for the other ecosystem services they provide. Blue Carbon has multiple meanings, which we aim to clarify here, which reflect the original descriptions of the concept including (1) all organic matter captured by marine organisms, and (2) how marine ecosystems could be managed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and thereby contribute to climate change mitigation and conservation. The multifaceted nature of the Blue Carbon concept has led to unprecedented collaboration across disciplines, where scientists, conservationists and policy makers have interacted intensely to advance shared goals. Some coastal ecosystems (mangroves, tidal marshes and seagrass) are established Blue Carbon ecosystems as they often have high carbon stocks, support long-term carbon storage, offer the potential to manage greenhouse gas emissions and support other adaptation policies. Some marine ecosystems do not meet key criteria for inclusion within the Blue Carbon framework (e.g. fish, bivalves and coral reefs). Others have gaps in scientific understanding of carbon stocks or greenhouse gas fluxes, or currently there is limited potential for management or accounting for carbon sequestration (macroalgae and phytoplankton), but may be considered Blue Carbon ecosystems in the future, once these gaps are addressed.


Author(s):  
D. Liliana González-Hernández ◽  
Raúl A. Aguirre-Gamboa ◽  
Erik W. Meijles

AbstractManaging and reducing the impacts of climate change depends on efficient actions from all societal scales. Yet, the household component is often missing from climate research, debate, and policies. This is problematic because households have been found to significantly contribute to of global greenhouse gas emissions and therefore have the potential to be part of a solution to climate change by mitigating climate change. This study seeks to understand which factors drive household-level mitigation actions. We conducted a household survey in Nuevo Leon, located in northeastern Mexico, to explore the extent to which climate change perceptions and the sociodemographic characteristics of households influence their reported mitigation performances and their perceived mitigation efforts. Results from linear regression analyses and generalized linear models revealed that sociodemographic characteristics are key drivers of the households’ perceived mitigation efforts and reported mitigation performances and. We also found that climate change perceptions drive a household’s efforts to mitigate climate change. These results could partly explain why despite the efforts households take to mitigate climate change, achieving an effective reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is challenging without further access to resources such as education and financial support. If governments intend to realize substantial reductions in future emission pathways, then household-level mitigation should be addressed with proper support.


2021 ◽  
Vol 64 (12) ◽  
pp. 794-799
Author(s):  
Jae Hwan Kim

Background: Environmental issues and health problems related to global climate change are becoming increasingly serious. An effective eco-friendly strategy is required to reduce medical waste and greenhouse gas emissions caused by anesthesia in hospitals.Current Concepts: Inhalation anesthetics are very strong greenhouse gases in the order of desflurane, isoflurane, nitrous oxide, and sevoflurane. Anesthetics with high global warming potential and long atmospheric lifetimes should be used with caution. Only the minimum required dose of an anesthetic drug with a low persistence bioaccumulation toxicity index is recommended for use. Disposable anesthesia products are known to have a low purchase price and low risk of cross-contamination; however, this may not be the case. By using eco-friendly anesthetic supplies, recycling and reuse, we can avoid wasting money and resources.Discussion and Conclusion: Greenhouse gas emissions from the use of anesthetics are excluded from United Nations regulations due to their necessity. However, while guaranteeing patient safety, anesthesiologists must fulfill their professional ethical obligations by striving to reduce medical waste and greenhouse gas emissions.


2014 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leo Dobes ◽  
Frank Jotzo ◽  
David I. Stern

AbstractWe review the literature on the economics of climate change with a focus on the evolution of the literature from some of the early classic papers to the latest contributions. We divide the paper into three main sections: trends in greenhouse gas emissions, mitigation, and adaptation.


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