CARBON IN THE NEWS
WEEK 18 2012
The Sauber F1 Team goes greenhouse gas neutral
The Sauber F1 Team is forging ahead with its commitment to the environment. After ISO 14001 certification was awarded to the company’s environmental management system in early April, the next step is in place: with immediate effect, the Swiss team operates greenhouse gas neutral. This is the result of a new promotional partnership with Carbon Neutral Investments (CNI), one of the world’s leading companies for carbon offset schemes. The greenhouse gas emissions of the Sauber F1 Team were assessed by a specialist company and verified by a third party. The analysis not only covered all activities at the plant but also took into account the transportation of freight to race venues as well as travel by staff. Offsetting carbon involves companies financing or part-financing projects that save the equivalent amount of carbon generated by the company. The Sauber F1 Team has opted for 30 per cent excess. The key factor in this offset scheme is the judicious choice and monitoring of high-quality projects. To read this article in full click here
McLaren take silver medal at Edison Awards
McLaren’s commitment to carbon reduction and environmental efficiency has received further recognition with a silver medal at the 2012 Edison Awards, held at a glittering ceremony in New York last week. McLaren, who have already earned official carbon-neutral status after achieving annual savings of over 1,500 tonnes of CO2 emissions, were nominated in the prestigious Green Implementation category. “I’m delighted that our on-going efforts to manage and improve our carbon efficiency have been recognised by the Edison Awards judging panel,” commented team principal Martin Whitmarsh. “This is a fantastic achievement for the whole team.”Celebrating innovation and excellence for 25 years, the Edison Awards build on the founding principles of the great American inventor Thomas Edison, and champion ground-breaking scientific achievement. To read this article in full click here
Carbon price check, business gets ready to pay up
GIANT steel and aluminium makers will be among almost 250 companies paying the carbon price from July, along with electricity distributers and even a NSW regional council. They will have to pay $23 for each tonne of their carbon pollution and will keep paying until they reduce their emissions. The Government today released the names of the 248 “entities'' (see full list here) who will be liable for the carbon penalty because they are responsible for 70 per cent of the nation's emissions. The names on the Liable Entities Public Information Database (LEPID) includes a roll call of major coal projects - from Anglo Coal to Yarrabee Coal. And they include car maker Toyota, paper maker Visy, the South Australian Water Company, the Teys Meat Group, Snowy Hydro Ltd and the Wagga Wagga City Council. And it seems high rollers are big polluters too with Crown Casino also on the list. Other companies will be added to the list and it is expected to total just under 500 by July. To read this article in full click here
South Korea approves emissions trading scheme
South Korea's parliament has approved a long-delayed bill to start trading carbon dioxide emissions in 2015, joining the vanguard of countries battling climate change. The legislation approved late Wednesday means it will become one of the first Asian countries to implement a nationwide cap-and-trade system. Such a scheme limits industry emissions of carbon dioxide, but allows companies to buy credits if they want to emit more, or to sell credits if they can cut emissions. Annual greenhouse gas emissions by South Korea have doubled in the past two decades to about 600 million tons from about 300 million tons in 1990, a government official said.
The limits will apply to companies that discharge 125,000 tons or more of carbon dioxide annually or workplaces emit at least 25,000 tons a year. The bill was first submitted to parliament in April last year but faced strong opposition from the Federation of Korean Industries which represents big conglomerates. They said it would hurt export competitiveness. To read this article in full click here
DHL “carbon neutral” service grows by 1.9bn shipments
Deutsche Post DHL expanded its “carbon neutral” shipping service GoGreen by 1.9bn shipments across the world last year, it revealed today. The German logistics giant issued its annual Corporate Responsibility Report showing that its initiative has now provided carbon offsets to cover shipments representing more than 270,000 tons of climate change causing carbon emissions since 2006. Carbon offsets allow a company to fund environmental improvement projects that theoretically reduce carbon emissions equivalent to the amount generated by shipments being “offset”. Last year was the biggest year yet for the GoGreen initiative, with 2011 alone seeing 134,000 tons of carbon emissions offset. The year saw the GoGreen service expanded considerably around the world, including new availability in India for shippers paying a premium fee, while in Germany domestic DHL parcel services went carbon neutral free of charge.
Deutsche Post DHL is aiming to improve its overall carbon efficiency by 30% by 2020, and has already reached its interim target, originally set for 2012, two years early. To read this article in full click here
$238500 of carbon credits
The Marlborough District Council has bought $238,500 of carbon credits in advance of becoming liable for greenhouse gas emissions from its Bluegums landfill. Landfill operators have to have carbon credits to match their emissions from January 1 next year under the Government's Emissions Trading Scheme. The scheme is aimed at reducing the amount of greenhouse gases New Zealand produces, under an international agreement called the Kyoto Protocol. With its account on the New Zealand Emissions Unit Register, the council can buy or sell carbon credits known as New Zealand Units, or NZUs, to match their requirements. Council solid waste manager Alec McNeil said the council hoped to minimise the liability by earning a modified emission factor, because of the methane gas extraction and capture mechanism used at the Bluegums landfill. He said estimates were that the landfill emitted about 34,000 tonnes of methane each year. One unit equalled a tonne of emissions. To read this article in full click here
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