Environmental Science

LESSON 38. REDUCTION IN GREENHOUSE GASES

UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE:

There are 165 nations signed the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at Rio de Janeiro. The Convention divides countries into two main groups - Annex I & Non-Annex I Countries. Annex I (developed countries) agreed to reduce their Green House Gases by 5.2 % below 1990 levels in 1^st commitment period 2008 – 2012.

KYOTO PROTOCOL:

The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which commits its Parties by setting internationally binding emission reduction targets. The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, on 11 December 1997 and entered into force on 16 February 2005. The Kyoto Protocol is only binding 'industrialized' or 'developed‘ countries. The protocol commits developed countries to specific targets for reducing their green house emissions. Each country has a prescribed number of 'emission units' which make up the target emission. The Kyoto Protocol provides mechanisms for countries to meet their emission targets. Countries of the European Union, Japan and Canada have committed to reduce their emissions of six GHGs by about 7.5 % under Kyoto Protocol compared to their 1990 levels.

To encourage the participation of Non-Annex I in emission reduction process a mechanism known as Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) has been provided. The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is an arrangement under the Kyoto Protocol allowing industrialized countries with a greenhouse gas reduction commitment (called Annex 1 countries) to invest in projects that reduce emissions in developing countries as an alternative to more expensive emission reductions in their own countries. A crucial feature of an approved CDM carbon project is that it has established that the planned reductions would not occur without the additional incentive provided by emission reductions credits, a concept known as "additionality". Annex I countries agree to reduce their emissions (particularly carbon dioxide) to target levels below their 1990 emissions levels. If they cannot do so, they must buy emission credits or invest in conservation. Annex I countries (industrialized countries) include: Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America and (40 countries and separately the European Union).

 

 

CARBON CREDITS:

A CER or Carbon Credit is defined as the unit related to reduction of 1 tonne of CO₂ emission from the baseline of the project activity.

 

CARBON EMISSION REDUCTION MECHANISM

Clean development mechanisms (CDM) projects:

Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol defines the clean development mechanism. “The purpose of the clean development mechanism shall be to assist Parties1 not included in Annex I in achieving sustainable development and in contributing to the ultimate objective of the Convention, and to assist Parties included in Annex I in achieving compliance with their quantified emission limitation and reduction commitments under article 3”.  Type of projects, which are being applied for CDM and which can be of valuable potential, are:

• Energy efficiency projects

The energy intensity of an economy is one measure of how efficiently energy is being used by an economy. The Indian economy’s energy intensity has declined steadily since the earlyl 1990s. For every one percent increase of the country’s economy, energy use has increased by 0.9 per cent. Since energy use accounts for more than 80 % of carbon dioxide emissions worldwide, it is indeed good news that economic growth has been achieved while holding down the growth of carbon dioxide emissions. Carbon emissions of an economy depend both on how efficiently energy is used by the economy, and on the mix of fuels that constitute energy supply. Standard coal is almost twice as carbon intensive, per unit of energy as natural gas, and oil falls somehow in between. A common measure to reduce carbon emissions is thus to use natural gas in place of coal and oil, and oil products in place of coal.

Some more steps to be taken are:

– Increasing building efficiency (Concept of Green Building/LEED Rating), eg. Technopolis Building Kolkata

– Increasing commercial/industrial energy efficiency (Renovation & Modernization of old power plants)

– Fuel switching from more carbon intensive fuels to less carbon intensive fuels; and

– Also includes re-powering, upgrading instrumentation, controls, and/or equipment

 

• Transport

 

– Improvements in vehicle fuel efficiency by the introduction of new technologies

– Changes in vehicles and/or fuel type, for example, switch to electric cars or fuel cell vehicles (CNG/Bio fuels)

– Switch of transport mode, e.g. changing to less carbon intensive means of transport like trains (Metro in Delhi); and

– Reducing the frequency of the transport activity

 

• Methane recovery

 

Animal waste methane recovery & utilization : Methane generated from animal waste is a far more potent green house gas than carbon dioxide. It can however provide cooking gas (biogas) for rural households. This has multiple benefits. A gas which might have caused global warming and climate change is efficiently transformed into useful domestic energy for the rural households. Installing an anaerobic digester will be useful in utilizing methane to produce energy.

 

 Coal mine methane recovery

• Collection & utilization of fugitive methane from coal mining;

 

– Capture of biogas

• Landfill methane recovery and utilization

 

– Capture & utilization of fugitive gas from gas pipelines;

– Methane collection and utilization from sewage/industrial waste treatment facilities

 

• Industrial process changes

 

Any industrial process change resulting in the reduction of any category greenhouse gas emissions

 

• Cogeneration

 

Use of waste heat from electric generation, such as exhaust from gas turbines, for industrial purposes or heating (e.g. Distillery-Molasses/ bagasse)

 

• Agricultural sector

The development of agriculture during the past centuries and particularly in last decades has entailed depletion of soil carbon stocks created through long-term evolution. Agricultural soils are among the planet's largest reservoirs of carbon and hold potential for expanded carbon sequestration (CS), and thus provide a prospective way of mitigating the increasing atmospheric concentration of CO2. Soils can sequester around 20 Pg C in 25 years, more than 10 % of the anthropogenic emissions. At the same time, this process provides other important benefits for soil, crop and environment quality, prevention of erosion and desertification and for the enhancement of bio-diversity.

 

The principal benefits of sustainable soil carbon management at various spatial scales are summarized below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carbon sequestration holds the promise of win-win options and introducing new benefits into dryland farming communities. Some of these benefits concern the farmer and the soil quality, others the protection of the soil and water resources and the environment. Most important are the economic benefits.

Climate change is one of the most serious long term challenges facing farmers and livestock owners around the globe today. Energy efficiency improvements or switching to less carbon intensive energy sources for water pumps (irrigation)

– Methane reductions in rice cultivation .

– Reducing animal waste or using produced animal waste for energy generation (see also under methane recovery) and using livestock for traction and draft animal power reduces the need for fossil fuels. If livestock are effectively integrated into ecological agricultural systems, the benefits are many: by way of returning the valuable biomass back into the soil system will help in improving the water holding capacity and reduces the risk of sudden droughts.

– Any other changes in an agricultural practices resulting in reduction of any category of greenhouse gas emissions.