Banking Beyond Climate Commitments: Transforming Client Engagement and Products & Services for a Net-Zero Emissions Future

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob Waslander ◽  
Julie Bos ◽  
Yili Wu
Keyword(s):  
Private Sector ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Business Model ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Mitigation ◽  
Client Engagement ◽  
Net Zero

This paper focuses on answering the following question: how can a private sector bank—one that has already committed to shifting its business model towards net-zero emissions—change its client engagement strategy and update its offerings? This paper analyzes action already taken by banks and identifies additional steps private sector banks should take to align their business model with the Paris Agreement (greenhouse gas mitigation objective) and cater to their clients’ needs in a manner that fosters a net-zero transition.

Towards high-quality net-zero targets

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joeri Rogelj ◽  
Andy Reisinger ◽  
Annette Cowie ◽  
Oliver Geden
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
Emissions Reduction ◽  
Special Report ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
The World ◽  
Global Goal

<p>With the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015 the world has decided that warming should be kept well below 2°C while pursuing a limit of 1.5°C above preindustrial levels. The Paris Agreement also sets a net emissions reduction goal: in the second half of the century, the balance of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and removals should become net zero. Since 2018, in response to the publication of the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C, a flurry of net zero target announcements has ensued. Many countries, cities, regions, companies, or other organisations have come forward with targets to reach net zero, or become carbon or climate neutral. These labels describe a wide variety of targets, and rarely detailed. Lack of transparency renders it impossible to understand their ultimate contribution towards the global goal. Here we present a set of key criteria that high-quality net zero targets should address. These nine criteria cover emissions, removals, timing, fairness and a long-term vision. Unless net zero targets provide clarity on these nine criteria, we may not know until it is too late whether the collective promise of net zero targets is adequate to meet the global goal of the Paris Agreement.</p>

scholarly journals Achieving Carbon Neutrality for A Future Large Greenhouse Gas Emitter in Quebec, Canada: A Case Study

Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 810
Author(s):  
Patrick Faubert ◽  
Sylvie Bouchard ◽  
Rémi Morin Chassé ◽  
Hélène Côté ◽  
Pierre-Luc Dessureault ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
Liquefied Natural Gas ◽  
Potential Solution ◽  
Carbon Neutrality ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Zero Carbon

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.

Does Institutional Proliferation Undermine Cooperation? Theory and Evidence from Climate Change

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam S Rowan
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
General Theory ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Mitigation ◽  
Global Politics ◽  
Institutional Environments ◽  
Slow Pace ◽  
State Participation ◽  
New Institutions

Abstract Global politics has undergone a tremendous institutional proliferation, yet many questions remain about why states join these new institutions and whether they support cooperation. I build on existing work to develop a general theory of state participation in dense institutional environments that also helps to explain cooperative outcomes. I argue that states may be dissatisfied when cooperation proceeds either too slowly or too quickly and that these two types of dissatisfaction motivate opposing participation behaviors. Deepeners are states that are dissatisfied with the slow pace of cooperation and join institutions to support cooperation, while fragmenters are states dissatisfied with the quick pace and join institutions to undermine cooperation. I evaluate my argument using new data on sixty-three climate institutions and states’ greenhouse gas mitigation targets in the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. I find that membership in climate institutions designed to facilitate implementation is associated with more ambitious targets, while membership in general is unrelated to targets.

Climate talks highlight shortcomings in global efforts

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
The Us ◽  
Climate Action ◽  
Trump Administration ◽  
Credibility Gap

Significance Washington has re-joined the Paris agreement and announced new climate commitments, but still faces a credibility gap. It must demonstrate by November’s COP26 summit, how it can meet its new goals. Impacts Private sector companies will face increasing pressure to set net-zero targets. The use of natural gas as a transition fossil fuel will face greater scrutiny as pressure for drastic climate action increases. Fossil fuel subsidy reform is likely to return to G20 priorities after having been neglected during the US Trump administration.

scholarly journals Implications of possible interpretations of ‘greenhouse gas balance’ in the Paris Agreement

2018 ◽  
Vol 376 (2119) ◽  
pp. 20160445 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Fuglestvedt ◽  
J. Rogelj ◽  
R. J. Millar ◽  
M. Allen ◽  
O. Boucher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
Climate Forcing ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Balance ◽  
Social Challenges ◽  
Average Temperature ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Warming World ◽  
Gas Balance

The main goal of the Paris Agreement as stated in Article 2 is ‘holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C’. Article 4 points to this long-term goal and the need to achieve ‘balance between anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases'. This statement on ‘greenhouse gas balance’ is subject to interpretation, and clarifications are needed to make it operational for national and international climate policies. We study possible interpretations from a scientific perspective and analyse their climatic implications. We clarify how the implications for individual gases depend on the metrics used to relate them. We show that the way in which balance is interpreted, achieved and maintained influences temperature outcomes. Achieving and maintaining net-zero CO 2 -equivalent emissions conventionally calculated using GWP 100 (100-year global warming potential) and including substantial positive contributions from short-lived climate-forcing agents such as methane would result in a sustained decline in global temperature. A modified approach to the use of GWP 100 (that equates constant emissions of short-lived climate forcers with zero sustained emission of CO 2 ) results in global temperatures remaining approximately constant once net-zero CO 2 -equivalent emissions are achieved and maintained. Our paper provides policymakers with an overview of issues and choices that are important to determine which approach is most appropriate in the context of the Paris Agreement. This article is part of the theme issue ‘The Paris Agreement: understanding the physical and social challenges for a warming world of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels'.

scholarly journals Wave of net zero greenhouse gas emission targets opens window on meeting the Paris Agreement

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niklas Höhne ◽  
Matthew Gidden ◽  
Michel Elzen ◽  
Frederic Hans ◽  
Claire Fyson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Temperature Increase ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
Gas Emission ◽  
Global Average ◽  
Average Temperature ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Global Emissions

Abstract The wave of national net zero CO2 and greenhouse gas emission targets could, if fully implemented, reduce best estimates of projected global average temperature increase to 2.1–2.4°C by 2100 and could bring achievement of the Paris Agreement within reach. 127 countries are discussing, have announced or have adopted net zero targets, which together cover 63% of global emissions. Together, these net zero targets could significantly lower projected global warming compared to currently implemented policies (2.9 to 3.2°C) or to the pledges submitted to the Paris Agreement (2.6 to 2.9°C).

Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Opportunities in Agricultural Landscapes

10.1596/25171 ◽  
2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ademola K. Braimoh ◽  
Xiaoyue Hou ◽  
Christine Heumesser ◽  
Yuxuan Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Mitigation
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