August 19, 2010 – Two new global protocols, designed to help companies more accurately account for greenhouse gas emissions throughout their products and supply chains, have been developed by the World Resources Institute and WBCSD and have just finished road-testing at more than 60 companies worldwide.
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A recent Facility and Sustainability Data Management Survey suggest that there is broad interest for increased tracking of sustainability metrics from across the organization, but dissatisfaction with the tools available to measure utilities usage.
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Carbon Solutions America, headquartered in Deerfield Beach, Florida was awarded a $64,000 contract by Hillsborough County, FL, to prepare the County’s Climate Action Plan (CAP). Carbon Solutions America will collect greenhouse gas (GHG) emission data and use the information to produce a carbon footprint of Hillsborough County government. This inventory will be used to establish baseline data and assist in developing a CAP for Hillsborough County.
This CAP will summarize energy use and GHG emissions, as well as include suggested projects to help reduce GHG in Hillsborough County, including identifying potential offset projects. The financial impact of such projects will also be projected with a focus towards Hillsborough County government.
“We applaud Hillsborough County’s efforts as they will now be able to not only target and reduce their emissions but also cut their energy use and run their county more efficiently,” said Matt Zirkelbach, Vice President/ Carbon Solutions America.
Carbon Solutions America is s a project development, asset management and climate change engineering and advisory firm which specializes in greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction projects that have the potential to create environmental attributes such as carbon, renewable energy or energy efficiency credits. Carbon Solutions America also specializes in conducting carbon footprints and overseeing the design and implementation of greenhouse gas reduction/sustainability plans.
Carbon Solutions America is partners with the Florida Center of Environmental Studies, the EPA Energy Star program, a founding reporter of The Climate Registry, registered with the World Bank Carbon Finance Unit, a member of the U.S. Green Building Council, the Climate Action Reserve, SWANA, and an EPA Landfill Methane Outreach Partner.
Source: Southeast Green
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing two rules to ensure that businesses planning to build new, large facilities or make major expansions to existing ones will be able to obtain Clean Air Act permits that address their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
In the spring of 2010, EPA finalized the GHG Tailoring Rule, which requires large stationary sources - such as power plants and oil refineries - to obtain permits to emit GHGs under the Clean Air Act.
The approach will be phased in starting in January 2011, when large facilities that are already obtaining Clean Air Act permits for other pollutants will be required to include GHGs if they increase emissions by at least 75,000 metric tons per year.
In July 2011, the rule will cover all new facilities with GHG emissions of at least 100,000 metric tons, and modifications at existing facilities that would increase GHG emissions by at least 75,000 metric tons. The permits must demonstrate the use of best available control technologies to minimize emission increases when facilities are constructed or significantly modified.
The new proposed rules will help ensure that these facilities will be able to get those permits regardless of where they are located in the US.
Under the Clean Air Act, states must develop EPA-approved implementation plans that include requirements for issuing air permits. When federal permitting requirements change, as they did after EPA finalized the GHG Tailoring Rule, states may need to modify these plans.
First proposed rule: 13 states required to modify permitting implementation plans
In the first rule, EPA is proposing to require permitting programs in 13 states to make changes to their implementation plans to ensure that GHG emissions will be covered. The states are: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon and Texas. All other states would be required to review their rules and inform EPA if they feel they would not be able to issue permits for GHGs. More Information.
Second proposed rule: EPA could issue permits
EPA is also proposing a federal implementation plan. This would allow EPA to issue permits for large GHG emitters located in the states that are unable to modify their implementation plans before 2011. This would be a temporary measure that is in place until the state can revise its own plan and resume responsibility for GHG permitting. More Information.
Cost is the perennial barrier to green corporate investments in energy efficiency, whether it is upgrading equipment or replacing the inefficient lighting in a facility.
Although these types of capital expenditures can actually save a company money in the long run, the factor that often determines whether the project will get the green light is its payback period.
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Environmental policy wonks in the new administration of George H.W. Bush - he was called just “George Bush” at that time, when his largely unknown son was pre-occupied with baseball - gather to map out a plan to do something about acid rain.
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In 2007, global manufacturing industries accounted for about 40% of total carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, making manufacturing the single largest source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As a result, carbon management and reduction have become serious issues for manufacturers in practically every country around the world.
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The U.S. government is going to ask its suppliers to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions. It’s not going to require it. It won’t happen right away. But this is a big deal.
BOSTON, United States — The number of environmentally-focused shareholder resolutions filed with public companies continued growing in the 2010 proxy season as investors sought more disclosure and action on risks related to climate change and energy.
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The company is joining forces with the University of California, Berkeley and San Francisco-based Climate Earth to measure the full carbon footprint of products and services in its supply chain. The move makes the Northern California utility the first in its sector to measure these so-called Scope 3 emissions, PG&E said Tuesday in a presentation announcing the research project to its employees.