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Friday 11 March 2011

GHG Mitigation Analysis Workgroup

. Call for Experts: GHG Mitigation Analysis Workgroup

Under the support of a U.S. EPA grant GHGMI has begun development on a new course focused on facility-level GHG mitigation analysis. To ensure the course draws on the full range of available resources and practitioner expertise available on this topic, the Institute will be convening an expert workgroup to inform course development.

This workgroup is expected to give feedback on course design and development, and contribute to mitigation analysis research. Specifically, the workgroup will be called upon to provide comments on preliminary course materials (e.g., tables of contents, outlines, etc.) and identify additional best practice guidance materials that may be applicable to course development. The workgroup will be convened by a combination of facilitated teleconference and online contributions. Total time commitment is estimated to be less than 20 hours for the duration of course development (through 2011). While this mitigation analysis course is being designed to support facility-level mitigation analysis in the U.S., to ensure the course draws on global subject matter expertise interested international parties are encouraged to apply.

If you are interested in participating in this workgroup please email Tim Stumhofer tim.stumhofer@ghginstitute.org.

The Greenhouse Gas Management Institute actively addresses climate change by training and developing a global community of experts with the highest standards of professional practice in measuring, accounting, auditing and managing greenhouse gas emissions; meeting the needs of governments, corporations and organizations large and small.

Send an e-mail to learn more: info@ghginstitute.org


This blog,GHG Management, is not affiliated with GHGMI, but we want to help get the message out.

Monday 22 February 2010

Google Becomes and Energy Company

Apparently, Google is getting into the energy business. On December 16, 2010, a subsidiary based in Delaware called Google Energy was newly formed. It appears that part of the reason Google has done this move is so that it can become “carbon neutral,” such that it will use a lot of renewable energy for its own energy needs. In its efforts, Google is also going to invest in companies that develop clean energy technology, and it’s also going to invest millions of dollars in R&D for renewable energy itself.

As stated previously, one of its main goals in this is for Google to base its own energy usage in “green energy” renewable sources; that’s because Google itself is a major consumer of electricity. By also promoting the broad adoption of green energy by licensing technology on those terms (and perhaps by selling electricity from renewable sources as well), Google will bring its own vision of renewable energy in line with established “green energy” sources.

Google “green energy” goals

Specifically, Google hopes to produce one gigawatt of electricity from renewable energy sources at a faster pace than can currently be done at today’s levels of green energy technological development. (One gigawatt, by the way, is enough to give power to the entire city of San Francisco.)

Google wants to show that that amount of green energy can be produced more cheaply than can be done from coal — and that it can be done now. This is something that has been a hindrance to “green energy” resource development, because thus far, production of that energy has still been more expensive overall than staying with established fossil fuel sources, despite the obvious benefit green energy development provides over the long term.

Green energy Google will be investing in

Specifically, Google is going to invest in wind, solar thermal, and geothermal technologies. The ultimate and hoped-for result is that these energy sources will have lower prices than coal power generation, as low as 2.5 cents per kilowatt-hour. Google is currently working with a solar thermal company called eSolar and has invested in a company called Manaki Power, which focuses on harnessing wind at high altitudes to generate electricity.

Further, it’s also going to hire some 20 to 30 experts in the energy field, to be part of its clean energy division within the next year. As more projects develop, more investments will follow, according to Google green energy “czar,” Bill Weihl.

Google’s efforts may be significant not so much in their initial impact directly, but as a role model for how future corporations will begin to address energy needs and their impact on global warming for the future.

The executive director of Google.org, Larry Brilliant, has said that this is part of Google.org’s mission to alleviate poverty and improve human health. However, venturing into the energy business is also part of a strategic plan to expand into new business areas, according to Google cofounder Sergey Brin.

The Rest @ Choose Energy

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Lee Royal
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Thursday 3 December 2009


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Trinity Green Services

Environmental Law Changing

Environmental law has expanded rapidly over the past four decades and now encompasses concerns ranging from air and water quality to the decontamination of hazardous waste sites and the protection of biodiversity. One of the most recent specialties to be studied in law schools is climate change, a complex field that many schools are now starting to explore.

There are two principal difficulties, says Professor Michael B. Gerrard, Director of the Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School: “First, an extraordinarily large number of different areas of law are involved.

“Second, developments are occurring so quickly at the administrative, legislative and judicial branches that it is challenging to keep up with them all and to integrate them in a unified picture of what is happening.”

The scope and complexity of the climate change debate makes it very challenging to design a curriculum around it, said Patrick Parenteau, Professor of Law at the Vermont Law School.

“It is multi-disciplinary, demanding a solid grasp of science, economics, technology, land use, ethics, domestic law, international law and many other subjects. There is a huge volume of literature to digest,” Professor Parenteau said. “There are still huge uncertainties in the science regarding the speed with which changes are happening and the consequences of climate change at various spatial scales.

“The law is still emerging so there is a huge amount of uncertainty about the shape that it will ultimately take.”

Climate change will require massive transformations of every economic sector, led by energy and transportation. “That in turn requires an understanding of how laws in these sectors currently work and how they must be changed. On top of all this are the domestic political considerations and the trade and equity issues between developed and developing worlds,” Mr. Parenteau added.

Students of climate change law are facing a steep learning curve as they familiarize themselves with climate science. To understand the laws and policy they must first achieve some carbon literacy — an understanding of the sources and effects of the main greenhouse gases. This takes both time and critical thinking, said Professor Michael P. Vandenbergh, director of an interdisciplinary climate change research network at Vanderbilt University, in Nashville, Tennessee.

“For example, stating that a company or country aims to achieve 20 percent emissions’ reductions by 2020 tells us very little about their actual commitment,” Professor Vandenbergh said in a written commentary. “We need to know whether the emissions are for just CO2 or CO2 equivalent (all six leading greenhouse gases); what the baseline year is (1990, 2000, 2005), since emissions have been going up each year and a later baseline year implies less stringent cuts; and what the business-as-usual emissions would have been in the absence of cuts.”

European universities have been leading the charge to teach this new specialty. “E.U. universities are ahead of U.S. institutions simply because the E.U. has been dealing with the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, while we have been on the sidelines looking on,” said Mr. Parenteau.

Still, some U.S. law schools are now engaging with climate change: Pace Law School in New York started this year to offer a climate change track in its environmental law masters program, the first U.S. university to do so.

The Pace program features six specially developed courses: Climate adaptive management; climate and insurance; climate and corporate practice; climate change practice; disaster law and emergency preparedness; and state and regional climate initiatives.

It also offers students a chance to participate in one of the school’s signature programs — the Environmental Diplomacy Externship at the United Nations, in which students work two days a week at the United Nations with delegations and environmental agencies providing legal and policy support on climate change and sustainability issues.

The Rest @ The New York Times



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Friday 30 October 2009

Mandatory Green House Gas Reporting Rule Effective December 29, 2009.

The Mandatory Reporting of Green House Gas Rule by theEPA is published on 30 OCtober, 2009.  Here it is.

Categoires are the same as drafts:

Facilities operating boilers, process heaters, incinerators, turbines, and internal
combustion engines:

211 Extractors of crude petroleum and natural gas.
321 Manufacturers of lumber and wood products.
322 Pulp and paper mills.
325 Chemical manufacturers.
324 Petroleum refineries, and manufacturers of coal products.
316, 326, 339 Manufacturers of rubber and miscellaneous plastic products.
331 Steel works, blast furnaces.
332 Electroplating, plating, polishing, anodizing, and coloring.
336 Manufacturers of motor vehicle parts and accessories.
221 Electric, gas, and sanitary services.
622 Health services.
611 Educational services.
Electricity Generation ................................ 221112 Fossil-fuel fired electric generating units, including units owned by Federal and municipal
governments and units located in Indian Country.
Adipic Acid Production .............................. 325199 Adipic acid manufacturing facilities.
Aluminum Production ................................ 331312 Primary Aluminum production facilities.
Ammonia Manufacturing ........................... 325311 Anhydrous and aqueous ammonia manufacturing facilities.
Cement Production ................................... 327310 Portland Cement manufacturing plants.
Ferroalloy Production ................................ 331112 Ferroalloys manufacturing facilities.
Glass Production ...................................... 327211 Flat glass manufacturing facilities.
327213 Glass container manufacturing facilities.
327212 Other pressed and blown glass and glassware manufacturing facilities.
HCFC–22 Production and HFC–23 Destruction.
325120 Chlorodifluoromethane manufacturing facilities.
Hydrogen Production ................................ 325120 Hydrogen manufacturing facilities.
Iron and Steel Production ......................... 331111 Integrated iron and steel mills, steel companies, sinter plants, blast furnaces, basic
oxygen process furnace shops.
Lead Production ........................................ 331419 Primary lead smelting and refining facilities.
331492 Secondary lead smelting and refining facilities.
Lime Production ........................................ 327410 Calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, dolomitic hydrates manufacturing facilities.
Nitric Acid Production ............................... 325311 Nitric acid manufacturing facilities.
Petrochemical Production ......................... 32511 Ethylene dichloride manufacturing facilities.
325199 Acrylonitrile, ethylene oxide, methanol manufacturing facilities.
325110 Ethylene manufacturing facilities
325182 Carbon black manufacturing facilities.
Petroleum Refineries ................................ 324110 Petroleum refineries.
Phosphoric Acid Production ..................... 325312 Phosphoric acid manufacturing facilities.
Pulp and Paper Manufacturing ................. 322110 Pulp mills.
322121 Paper mills.
322130 Paperboard mills.
Silicon Carbide Production ....................... 327910 Silicon carbide abrasives manufacturing facilities.
Soda Ash Manufacturing .......................... 325181 Alkalies and chlorine manufacturing facilities.
212391 Soda ash, natural, mining and/or beneficiation.
Titanium Dioxide Production ..................... 325188 Titanium dioxide manufacturing facilities.
Zinc Production ......................................... 331419 Primary zinc refining facilities.
331492 Zinc dust reclaiming facilities, recovering from scrap and/or alloying purchased metals.
Municipal Solid Waste Landfills ................ 562212 Solid waste landfills.
221320 Sewage treatment facilities.
Manure Management ................................ 112111 Beef cattle feedlots.
112120 Dairy cattle and milk production facilities.
112210 Hog and pig farms.
112310 Chicken egg production facilities.
112330 Turkey Production.
112320 Broilers and Other Meat type Chicken Production.
Suppliers of Coal Based Liquids Fuels .... 211111 Coal liquefaction at mine sites.
Suppliers of Petroleum Products .............. 324110 Petroleum refineries.
Suppliers of Natural Gas and NGLs ......... 221210 Natural gas distribution facilities.
211112 Natural gas liquid extraction facilities.
Suppliers of Industrial GHGs .................... 325120 Industrial gas manufacturing facilities.
Suppliers of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) .......... 325120 Industrial gas manufacturing facilities.
Mobile Sources ......................................... 333618 Heavy-duty, non-road, aircraft, locomotive, and marine diesel engine manufacturing.
336120 Heavy-duty vehicle manufacturing facilities.
336312 Small non-road, and marine spark-ignition engine manufacturing facilities.
336999 Personal watercraft manufacturing facilities.
336991 Motorcycle manufacturing facilities.

-Editor, GHG Management

More @ the EPA


Friday 23 October 2009

Close but No Cigar - Enterprise Software Makers Try to Embrace Climate Change Compliance

Carbon Planning Advocates need to understand how medium to large businesses mange their Business Process in order to see if business behavior and compliance is adpating.


Over twenty years ago most large businesses embraced automation of their businesses processes. This was generally done by IT people, and they used a method called Business Process Engineering. When complete, a busines had bent their busines processes to a new kind of Software called Enterprise Management Software (EMS), or bent the software to their existing process, depending on how much money they were willing to spend.

In the end, almost every step in their business, Operations, Business Intelligence, Accounting, Human Resources, was now managed by an integrated software application. By this time they had invested so much money, time, internal IT Hardware to this process that it was a core function. As the enterpise grows, new "modules" are incorporated into the EMS application. Leaders routinely analyze data generated by the application to support  almost all their decisions.

Why is that important to Climate Change Management policy makers, regulators, academics and professional?

Because when enterpise management software companies begin to write new software modules which  integrate green house gas, energy management tracking, reporting and planning processes into to overall enterpise management software systems, and when when these modules start to sell, corporate behavior is begining to change for the long haul....

 
Using this yardstick as a measure of organizational behavior change, the change is just begining.

Enterprise Software makers are getting into the green business in reposne to the EPAs 40 CFR rule part 98 Mandatory reporting of green house gas which goes into effect in January on 1/1/2010, and even in anticipation of possible Cap and Trade legislation. Though the Clean air Act CAA has been in- place for sometime,and even regional emissions caps such as the Acid Rain reporting Program, software companies are launching into the market.
There are software companies creating separate apps for the "Green" compliance, like Intelex but when all the needs are incorporated, the applications will become massive,costly additional applications comepting with Entprprise Mangement Software dollars in the IT budget.

The Specialists and Enterprise Generalists are gearing up for battle, but the market is so large that they will both carve a nice niche from their current client lists. The Specailists have much better applications right now, but eventually, over the next three or so years, the Enterpise software people will cathup with features that better integrate sustainability processes into the companies' operations.
Here is is an example of  th behavior change: SAP is hiring
-Sustain ability Software - that is what SAP is calling their new new sales grouping of modules.

As you can see in the Job advertisemenet below it includes energy management, saftey and maintenanace, Green House Gas Reporting, etc. I am sure they will eventually include Climate Change Management, Carbon Planning, perhaps even energy efficiceny modeling.


SAP is Hiring a sustainability Software Sales Director

Location(s): California - Palo Alto
Industries:

Computer – Software Application

Functions:

Sales – Business Development

Job Type: Fulltime
Compensation:
Description

As the world's leading provider of business software, SAP delivers products and services that help accelerate business innovation for our customers. We believe that doing so will unleash growth and create significant new value – for our customers, SAP, and ultimately, entire industries and the economy at large. Today, more than 46,100 customers in more than 120 countries run SAP applications – from distinct solutions addressing the needs of small businesses and midsize companies to suite offerings for global organizations.




PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

The Sustainability Specialists will work independently with the Americas Field Sales organization to execute on SAP's sustainability sales strategy. While also working in conjunction with the Sustainability team, this person will drive field-level sales engagements.




(NOTE: Sustainability is defined as applications and processes related to 5 topic areas:
  •  worker health & safety (EH &;S),
  • greenhouse gas/emissions management,
  • energy management,
  • product safety  & Stewardship,
  • and sustainability performance management

The position is expected to be a high performer who is flexible and can use initiative and innovation to address this rapidly developing topic area. The individual will work as a field support sales person in support of all sustainability sales activities. Topics can include but are not limited to:
-- Sustainability Sales and Revenue targets
-- Regional targets for Customer Sat and Profitability
-- New product launch support

The Rest @ 6figurejobs.com





-Lee Royal

Carbon Accounting Software - a 7 - $Billion Market

Published, 2 OCtober, 2009. (WSJ)

NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--A recent move by U.S. regulators means more paperwork for companies emitting greenhouse gases. That's a boon for the emerging environmental-software industry.

Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency finalized a rule that will require annual reporting from 10,000 facilities that account for 85% of the emissions that contribute to potentially catastrophic climate change. The first such reports detailing types of emissions and volumes are due to the EPA on March 31, 2011.

Ripple effects from the U.S.'s shift toward addressing global warming under the administration of President Barack Obama are now being felt beyond industries such as power generation and crude-oil refining that are directly affected. Software start-ups as well as software giants SAP AG (SAP) and Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) have taken note and rolled out products.

The EPA rule was a "tectonic shift" for the niche industry, said Lawrence Goldenhersh, founder and chief executive of Enviance, a provider of Web-based greenhouse-gas emissions solutions.

The global market for carbon accounting, collecting data and consulting services is expected to balloon from $510 million in 2009 to $7 billion-$9 billion in two to three years, said Paul Baier, vice president of consulting firm Groom Energy Solutions. SAP, which acquired Clear Standards earlier this year for an undisclosed sum to enter the market, estimates that the untapped potential is $15 billion worldwide.

Even if Congress fails to pass wide-ranging climate change legislation, demand for such services will continue to grow due to shareholder and consumer demands for information, Baier said.

Enviance's software-as-a-service model is one of the most efficient ways to manage carbon data, according to Verdantix, an independent research firm. The Carlsbad, Calif.-based company boasts 12,000 customers - half of which are Fortune 1000 firms - that subscribe to software that helps them manage compliance with thousands of local and federal environmental, health and safety codes. That client base represents a huge opportunity for Enviance if they sign on for services to help them adhere to the new EPA rule, Goldenhersh said.

Major customers include American Electric Power Co. Inc. (AEP), Chevron Corp. (CVX), E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co. (DD), PG&E Corp. (PCG) and the U.S. Army.

Enviance's core software, customized for every facility, sends alerts when there is a chemical leak or ahead of compliance deadlines. Designed by emissions experts, the software accurately measures carbon output based on the type of greenhouse gas emitted, whether its carbon dioxide, methane or another compound.

An Internet-based dashboard lets managers view emissions for specific plant processes or on a company-wide level.

This year, the company turned profitable for the first time and is expected to generate $20 million in sales. Enviance has raised $31 million in venture capital money since it was founded a decade ago. Enviance's revenues could grow 30% annually over the next three to five years as more companies look to comply with the EPA rule, said Dan Miklovic, research vice president for Gartner, a technology research firm.

There's also a profit motive. Tweaking consumption patterns can reduce energy costs by at least 5%-8%. The environmental-compliance software typically saves customers $500,000 annually per facility and frees up employees who were inputting data on spreadsheets for other tasks, Goldenhersh said.

So, it's no surprise that software giants are starting to latch onto the trend. SAP is one of Enviance's biggest threats, but Gartner's Milcovic said that their system "is based more on breadth than depth." SAP, though, is making a big push in this industry and is using its entire salesforce to get its base of 90,000 customers to adopt its own web-based carbon-management software.

The pipeline of Clear Standards' new projects has quadrupled since the acquisition was announced in May, said Anirban Chakrabarti, vice president of SAP Carbon Impact and former CEO of Clear Standards. Last week, SAP announced it is teaming up with Microsoft and Accenture Plc (ACN) to develop analytical carbon-reporting tools.

While acknowledging that Enviance may have an edge for their environmental-compliance solutions at local plants, Chakrabarti said, "we believe in the next 12 months we are going to be so far ahead."

The key difference, he noted, is that Enviance is building its base through various corporate departments while SAP's has cemented its relationships "on the board level."

Still, SAP's pursuit of snagging carbon-management business with large corporations leaves plenty of room for niche firms to thrive. Enviance's combination of environmental-compliance software and carbon-management solutions could make it a prime takeover target. CEO Goldenhersh said the company has been receiving offers but has no imminent plans to merge or go public.

The Rest @ The Wall Street Journal



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