Inform Carbon Reduction ELECTRIC WARNING
A new report from the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment says that we need to defossilise our electricity sources if electric vehicles (EV) are to become a key part of emissions reduction.
Indirect Emissions from Electric Vehicles: Emissions from Electricity Generation concludes that the ability of EV’s to reduce greenhouse gas emissions depends on the fuel mix used in electric- ity generation that charges the batteries.
The research found that electricity power sources vary widely amongst and within countries, making indirect
CO2 emissions from EV use equally varied. And the roll out of EV’s should be par- ticularly promoted where energy generation is the least carbon intensive – as it has been done in France owing to its large nuclear power capability.
‘Don’t raise renewable targets’
Watchdog urges Government over energy generation
The UK’s climate change
watchdog has written to the Government telling it not to raise targets for renewable energy generation.
The Committee on Climate Change instead favours a gov- ernment approach on meeting current 2020 targets, rather than raising them. Its
chief executive, David
Kennedy, wants to see the Government press on with its efforts to ensure that the share of renewable energy is increased from the current low levels to 15% by 2020.
The Committee said that the 15% target for 2020 should “nei- ther be reduced nor increase”’ and the current ambition is “desir- able” in that it would make an appropriate contribution towards meeting carbon budgets. On average in the UK only 3% of the energy we use comes from
Current targets should be the focus, says the Committee Climate Change
renewable sources, according to the committee.
“Ensuring more of the energy we use is from renewable sources is vital for meeting carbon budg- ets,” said Kennedy.
“The current target is desir- able, but there are significant risks around achieving it, we do not see any merit in raising this target further.
“Instead, Government should focus its efforts on meeting the current target, in particular by providing
the right incentives
to encourage investment in renewable energy projects in the UK.”
Chris Huhne, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, had asked the committee for the advice earlier this year.
Global giants prioritise carbon initiatives
Climate change a competitive driver for most big companies
Carbon management is becoming a strategic business priority and a competitive driver for the larg- est global companies, despite the lack of a worldwide agreement on climate change.
This is the main finding of the 2010 Global 500 report and leader- ship index released by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). Around 85% of the big- gest global companies surveyed said they have board or senior executive level responsibility for climate change and nearly half (48%) are now embedding cli- mate change initiatives into the overall business strategy.
Despite regulatory uncertainty, nine out of ten companies sur- veyed identified significant com- mercial opportunity arising from climate change, separating the companies driven by risk-factors, from those companies identifying and seizing competitive advan- tages and cost-benefits.
The top five Global 500 leaders for 2010 are: Siemens, Deutsche Post, BASF, Bayer and Samsung Electronics.
These CORPORATE DATA compa-
nies feature in the new Carbon Performance Leadership Index (CPLI) and scored highest in the Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI). Despite the increase
in buy-in from the
boardroom and 65% of Global 500 respondents implementing
The Carbon Disclosure Project holds the largest database of corporate cli- mate change information in the world. Around 2,500 firms now measure and disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate change strategies through CDP, in order that they can set reduction targets and make performance improvements.
emissions reduction targets, just 19% of them are showing signifi- cant emissions reductions. North America significant- ly lags Europe in disclosure
and performance, with 21% of European respondents are in the CPLI, compared to 6% of North American respondents. “Fuelled by opportunities
to
reduce energy costs, secure energy supply, protect the business from climate change risk and reputa- tional damage, generate revenue and remain competitive, carbon management continues to rise as a strategic priority for many businesses,” said Paul Dickinson, CEO of CDP.
“Companies globally are seiz- ing commercial carbon opportu- nities, often acting ahead of any policy requirements. More com- panies than ever are reporting through CDP and measuring and reporting their emissions.”
BRIEFS VEOLIA HAS LAUNCHED THE UK’S LARGEST FLEET OF BIOMETHANE GAS-POWERED WASTE COLLECTION TRUCKS IN SHEFFIELD Sustainable Business | October 2010 | 7
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