Climate Change

The Emissions Gap 2020 – a call for action at COP26

Certitude Climate Change

The UN Emissions Gap Report provides an annual review of the difference between where greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are predicted to be in 2030 and where they should be to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

The 2020 report has now been published and despite showing a reduction in GHG emission from the COVID-19 global pandemic and resultant slowdown in economic activity, this has made no significant difference to climate change and we are still heading for a catastrophic temperature rise above 3°C this century.

The time for action is now. We can no longer continue operating without Net-Zero targets for all organisations and governments. As the world looks to COP26 next week, we desperately need action from our leaders to help turn the tide on global temperature rise. We sit in hopeful anticipation……

Read the Emissions Gap Report here https://www.unep.org/interactive/emissions-gap-report/2020/

Are you ready for CORSIA?

Certitude Climate Change

On 27 June 2018, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Council adopted Annex 16, Volume IV – Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) – Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs). CORSIA is operative from 1 January 2019, and for the first 2 years of the scheme, aeroplane operators will be required to monitor and report CO2 emissions from all international flights. Domestic flights are not included.

CORSIA will apply to you if you produce annual CO2 emissions greater than 10,000 Tonnes from international flights using an aeroplane(s) with a maximum certificated take-off mass greater than 5,700 kg.

You can assess whether you exceed the emissions threshold using your own annual fuel use data, or the ICAO CORSIA CO2 Estimation and Reporting Tool (CERT). Which is available here.

If you exceed the 10,000T CO2 emissions threshold, you will be regulated by the UK under the CORSIA if:

  • You have an ICAO Designator and the UK is the Notifying State in ICAO 8585;
  • You do not have an ICAO designator, but you hold a valid Air Operator Certificate (AOC) issued by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) or a CAA of an Overseas Territory or Crown Dependency;
  • You do not have an ICAO designator or a valid AOC, but you or your operation is registered as a juridical person in the UK, or in a UK Overseas Territory or Crown Dependency.

If you are an Aeroplane Operator attributed to the UK, you will need to have an approved CORSIA emissions monitoring plan (EMP) in place for the start of the 2019 baseline monitoring year. To achieve this you must submit your application for a CORSIA EMP to the EA by 30 September 2018, using the online application and reporting system, ETSWAP.

If you currently have an approved EU ETS EMP and will also be regulated by the UK under CORSIA, you must initiate a variation to your current EU ETS EMP.

Further guidance and SARPs are available here.

If you need any help with your preparations for CORSIA, please don’t hesitate to contact us.  We have a wealth of experience with international and domestic airlines from and environmental management and CO2 emissions monitoring, reporting and verification perspective.

EU MRV Regulation for Shipping – Time to Get Ready

Certitude Climate Change, EMS, Sustainability

On 1st July 2015 Regulation (EU) 2015/757 on the monitoring, reporting and verification of CO2 emissions from shipping came into force, the aim of which is to gather reliable information on such emissions from the sector within the EU.

The regulation applies to ships greater than 5,000 GT undertaking one or more commercial voyages into, out of, or between EU ports regardless of a ship’s flag. It requires per-voyage monitoring of emissions and annual disclosure of aggregated data on a ship basis.

Each Company must produce a monitoring plan by 31 August 2017. The monitoring plan must be reviewed and approved before the monitoring period commences on 1st January 2018.

Following the completion of each calendar year, each company must submit their emissions report for verification.

Companies therefore need to start considering the methodology that they will follow to fulfil their monitoring, reporting and verification obligations, and adapt their existing procedures to ensure they have a robust system for collecting and reporting their emissions.

Need help preparing your monitoring plan? Your monitoring and reporting procedures? Or preparations for verification? Contact us.

New York Climate Week – What happened?

Certitude Climate Change, New York Climate Week, Policy, Sustainability

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With Climate Week NY and the news of man and celebs taking to the streets now fading away, you might be wondering what – if anything- was achieved. Were any decisions or commitments made?

The answer is a resounding ‘yes’, and here they are summarised in eight key areas:

Food Security – the establishment of a Global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture, to improve people’s food and nutrition security.

Cities – Amongst other things, more than 200 cities committed to reducing emissions by 454 Megatonnes by 2020.

Energy – The launch of a public-private partnership to double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency.

Finance – pledges of public and private financing for low carbon and climate resilient pathways.

Pricing Carbon – A call on companies to apply the Business Leadership Criteria on Carbon Pricing.

Forests – the NY declaration on Forests, pledging to end the loss of forests by 2030.

Oil & Gas – Commitments from industry and government to cut methane emissions.

Resilience – A variety of initiatives to support the worlds most vulnerable countries.

Transportation – The launch of four global alliances to scale up proven low-carbon transport tech.

Full details of all announcements can be found here. For what they ultimately will achieve – follow this blog 🙂

UN roadmap to address global climate change

Certitude Climate Change, Policy ,

The UN was presented on Tuesday with a report describing the acti0ns required by the world’s 15 largest economies in order keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius.  The report, written by the Deep Decarbonisation Pathways Project (DDPP), sets out a range of strategies relating to electricity supply, transport and shipping, and building codes in each country, with the aim of directing government officials and independent institutions to work on the technologies that would actually produce reductions in emissions. It makes for a very interesting read. For example in the UK by 2050 it prescribes the need for a large expansion in nuclear, gas with CCS and wind power generation. Whereas in Japan, it prescribes the need for renewable energy to reach approximately 59% of total electricity generation, and natural gas (equipped with CCS) to reach approximately one third in 2050.

The full report can be accessed here  http://bit.ly/1pwFMLs

DDPP Report