Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Carbon offset markets key to $100bn climate finance target – World Bank

Removing fossil fuel subsidies, pricing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions at $25 a tonne and a thriving carbon offset market are key to providing the developing world with $100 billion a year in climate finance, according to a leaked World Bank report.

The target for industrialised countries to provide developing countries with climate finance of $100 billion a year by 2020 was set out at the Copenhagen climate conference in 2009.

Reducing emissions through carbon trading

If you are in a position to implement change where you work, or perhaps you own your own business, then there are many ways in which you can reduce your carbon emissions. You don’t have to be a carbon expert to work out how to do it either; in many cases it’s simply down to common sense.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Boeing’s ‘greener’ 787 is finally delivered to first customer

The first delivery of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, which promises to cut fuel consumption by 20 per cent, will take place this week, three years behind schedule.

Investing in Carbon

It may not seem like the most obvious choice when it comes to making an investment, but the global carbon trading market is now worth around $144 billion. This figure is testament to just how powerful this market is, and you don’t have to be in any particular industry or be particularly rich to get involved.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Carbon-Expert news: South African miner registers carbon credit project

South African miner Gold Fields' innovative methane capture project at its Beatrix mine in Welkom has been registered as a Clean Development Mechanism project with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), allowing the company to earn carbon credits.

Five steps to drive business towards a low carbon economy

 

by Alan Brown for The Guardian

It is one thing to see climate change science becoming increasingly accepted, or even to have reached a tipping point in public and political opinion; it is quite another to expect that we will somehow meet the ambitious goals necessary to see greenhouse gas concentrations peak at a reasonable level.

Carbon Offsetting: Multinationals threaten to axe firms that fail to cut carbon

Research reveals 40 per cent of large companies are taking action to cut indirect emissions and will choose suppliers accordingly

While almost all multinational companies are now addressing their own greenhouse gas emissions, two in every five are also taking steps to reduce the carbon output of their supply chain, according to a major new report released recently.

Carbon credits to be claimed on 34 projects in Pakistan

Pakistan is preparing to claim carbon credits on 34 hydropower projects under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change (UNFCCC).

According to sources, the government has already forwarded the cases of 17 major projects to the UNFCCC, validating consultancy reports that these schemes will be helpful in significantly reducing greenhouse gases and hence can qualify for the carbon credits.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Carbon Credit News |Giving carbon credit where it's due

 

IN the next 24 hours, deforestation will release as much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as 137 million people flying from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore.

People often blame the aviation industry for the rise in carbon emissions.
But deputy under-secretary for environmental conservation at the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, Dr Gary Theseira, said the main increase in carbon dioxide emission came from natural causes, volcanic eruptions, decomposition of plant life and forest fires.

Carbon is emitted when fossil fuels are burnt and forests depleted so that there are fewer trees to absorb the same amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

This is where carbon credit trading fits in. With the emissions trading approach, a value is assigned to a reduction or offset of greenhouse gases.
Under the Kyoto Protocol, each country is given a quota or allowance of gases and this is entered into its registry.

Under its clean development mechanism scheme, for example, when an oil palm plantation company in Malaysia cuts carbon emission by 10 tonnes, it can sell the unused credits to other developed countries. As of last month, 83 Malaysian companies had participated in the programme.
Theseira said: "There is so much potential for companies to do their bit for the environment and if more companies participated in the CDM programme, there would be a difference."
Another method of carbon credit trading is carbon offset, which is done on a voluntary basis by commercial and individual customers.

Although aviation makes up only three per cent of the total global emission of heat-trapping gases, the national airline is taking the issue seriously.
Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has a fly green programme for its passengers, which raised about RM150,000.

It channelled the proceeds to United Nations-sanctioned programmes to protect rainforests in Malaysia, said Capt Dr Ooi Teong Siew, general manager of corporate safety, security, health and environment. MAS also aims to have more environmentally-friendly and fuel-efficient aircraft in the region within the next five months.

"This target is achievable as aircraft manufacturers are constantly improving their engines as well as airframe designs to produce aircraft that emit fewer greenhouse gases than previous models." At the other end of the scale are the high levels of methane released by landfills.
Cypark Resources, a solid waste management company, said 17,000 tonnes of waste were generated in Malaysia daily.

Its group chief executive officer, Daud Ahmad, told the New Straits Times during a recent media visit to a landfill in Pajam, Nilai, that the acceptable amount of methane in the air was about five per cent.

"But the level of methane at this landfill is about 50 per cent, 10 times the recommended amount."

His company's leachate evaporation system uses methane, breaking it down in the process.
Daud said methane was 21 times more damaging than carbon dioxide.
That's why each time methane is broken down, the carbon credit "developer" (the operator of the landfill) gets 21 credits, compared with carbon dioxide, which gets one credit.
So proper management of landfills can reduce greenhouses gases in the country.

Source: http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/13gree/Article/


Carbon Expert enable our clients to purchase verified carbon credits and participate in an established globally recognised carbon trading platform.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Carbon Credit News | What Are Carbon Credits?

A Carbon Credit is a new financial commodity equivalent to one metric ton of Carbon Dioxide. Credits are awarded to countries, groups or businesses that have reduced their green house gases below their emission quota. Carbon credits can be traded in the international market at their current market price.

Carbon credits are a key component of national and international attempts to reduce global warming by mitigating the growth in concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs). There are two distinct types of Carbon credits: Carbon Offset Credits (COC's) and Carbon Reduction Credits (CRC's). Carbon Offset Credits consist of clean forms of energy production (wind, solar, hydro) and bio-fuels. Carbon Reduction Credits consists of the gathering and storage of Carbon from the atmosphere through reforestation, forestation, ocean and soil collection and storage efforts. Both methods are effective ways to reduce the Global Carbon Emissions.

There are many companies that sell carbon credits to commercial and individual customers who are interested in lowering their carbon footprint on a voluntary basis. These carbon off-setters purchase the credits from an investment fund or a carbon development company that has combined the credits from individual projects. The quality and value of the credits is based in part on the integrity and validation process of the fund or development company that acted as the sponsor to the carbon project.

Source: www.sellingcarboncredits101.com


Carbon Expert enable our clients to purchase verified carbon credits and participate in an established globally recognised carbon trading platform.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Carbon-Expert news: Oslo Airport to recycle two-thirds of aircraft de-icer

A new recycling plant for aircraft de-icer was inaugurated last week at Norway’s Oslo International Airport. In the coming 2011-12 winter, it is expected that the unit will reprocess 60-70% of the aircraft de-icer fluid (ADF) used in Oslo. The recycled product – mono propylene glycol (MPG) – will substitute an estimated 700 metric tonnes per year of virgin material in de-icing and heat transfer applications.

Carbon Expert – Government hints at green stimulus plans

Business secretary Vince Cable praises efforts to promote investment in energy efficiency and clean energy

Vince Cable has hinted that the government is planning to step up support for the UK's low carbon economy, hailing the successful launch of the Green Investment Bank and promising that a green economic stimulus package remains a top priority for the Liberal Democrats.

Carbon Expert News | What Are Emission Credits?

 

Emission credits, also called carbon credits or offset credits, are part of an economic strategy for lowering greenhouse gas emissions through carbon trading. In carbon trading, a government or other law-making body puts a price on carbon emissions and requires industries to pay for their emissions, creating an economic incentive to cut back on pollution. To allow some flexibility, the government also puts a cap, or limit, on the amount of emissions that can be produced without paying, so that a company can either operate freely beneath the cap or pay to produce more carbon. If a company reduces emissions to below the cap, the company receives emission credits for each ton of carbon not produced. These credits may be sold or banked.

The problem of carbon emissions is on environmental agendas worldwide. When fossil fuels, such as coal, gas, or oil, are burned to create energy, they release carbon in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2). Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, or a gas that traps heat within the atmosphere and contributes to global warming. Climate change has wide ranging negative impacts on humans and the environment.

To stem this problem, the United States National Air Pollution Control Administration began working on a carbon emissions trading program in the 1960s, which it began implementing in the Clean Air Act of 1977. Emissions trading continued to spread, being more fully incorporated into U.S. environmental policy and added to environmental policies in the European Union. In addition to the nations that use emission trading and credits, coverage has also expanded. Coverage refers to the types of industries that must comply with emission trading programs’ standards and procedures.

Monitoring systems are also put in place to ensure that emission sources are correctly reporting emissions, and operating below the cap. When a company reduces emissions beneath the cap and receives emission credits for carbon not produced, it has several options on how to use the credits. The company may choose to bank its emission credits, storing them to be used later, at a time when the company may have to produce more greenhouse gases. The company can also sell the credits to another participating company that wants to produce more greenhouse gases than allowed by the cap.

This model of trading emission credits strives for a decrease in collective emissions, rather than individual reductions. Consider a hypothetical example in which there is an emissions limit of ten tons of carbon per source of emissions in a given industry, such as a textile industry. Textile factory A reduces its emissions to eight tons of carbon, earning two emission credits. To save money, textile factory B also reduces its emissions, but is still producing twelve tons of carbon, forcing it to buy two of factory A’s emission credits. While factory B is still operating above the cap, the industry as a whole has reduced its emissions to meet the cap.

Less commonly, a baseline and credit carbon trading program may also use economic incentive and emission credits as a means of reducing greenhouse gas output. Unlike cap and trade, baseline and credit programs do not charge sources for operating above a maximum limit on emissions. Instead, sources are rewarded with emission credits for reducing gas output to below a baseline level. The objective, however, remains the same: to reduce collective, rather than individual, emissions. Critics complain that trading emission credits redirects motives away from conservation, toward profit drive.

Source: www.wisegeek.com


Carbon Expert enable our clients to purchase verified carbon credits and participate in an established globally recognised carbon trading platform.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Carbon Expert News | Purchase Carbon Offsets

Carbon trading is a market-based mechanism for helping mitigate the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. A carbon trading system allows the development of a market through which carbon or carbon equivalents can be traded between participants, whether with countries or companies. Through carbon trading, individuals or entities can either buy or purchase carbon offsets. These offsets or credits go towards projects that either remove greenhouse gases from the environment, or support technology to reduce greenhouse gases.

Carbon credits are like certificates that represent a reduction of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. They are measured in tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tons CO2e), and they may represent six primary categories of greenhouse gases. Carbon sequestration credits or offsets are calculated by the amount of carbon emissions that would have been emitted if a diesel or other traditional polluting electric generator was used to produce the same amount of electricity. The four types of carbon credits include EUAs (European Union Allowances), CERs (Certified Emission Reductions), ERUs (Emission Reduction Units), and VERs (Verified Emission Reductions).

In order to earn these credits, you should support projects such as those that prevent the generation of greenhouse gases or those that remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Again, these credits can be bought from and sold to other businesses and individuals to offset the emissions they create. People can buy the credits to make up for the greenhouse gases they produce while driving to work, buying groceries, or watching television.

But aside from the credits that individuals or companies can voluntarily purchase, there are also carbon credits that they must purchase so they comply with legal requirements. Environmental legislature, stemming from the Kyoto Protocol has made sure of this.
Again, carbon trading is the process by which individuals or entities buy or purchase carbon offsets under standardized rules of trade.

Source: www.offsetmyco2.com


Carbon Expert enable our clients to purchase verified carbon credits and participate in an established globally recognised carbon trading platform.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Carbon Expert News | EU To Act On Carbon Credit Fraud And Theft

The Climate Change Committee will block the holes that let thieves take £5 billion from the carbon exchange.

A long-overdue clampdown on security in the carbon trading exchange has been promised by the European Commission’s Climate Change Committee (CCC) yesterday.

Connie Hedegaard, European commissioner for climate action, said: “The commission has identified a range of actions member states can already take in the short term to further improve security. For example, by regularly reviewing security plans, by reinforcing registry account policies and identity checks, by training registry users, etcetera.”

The commission meeting on February 23 was called following the forced closure of the Emissions Trading System for two weeks on January 19. The CCC outlined the actions to strengthen the integrity of carbon market trading following cyber-thefts from several registries over a period of more than 12 months.

Selected local exchanges had been closed a year earlier, following carbon permit thefts amounting to over £2.6 million, but trading continued on the European Emissions Exchange. This followed closely on a December 2009 report that claimed £4.5 billion had been taken out of the system.

The January 2011 closure was forced after the discovery of a further £6 million theft  over a period of several months.

Securing the Exchange has been an expensive exercise  but the CC believes that its recommended remedial actions will seal the numerous holes in the system but execution still seems to lack a tone of urgency.

Hedegaaard said, “For the medium and long term, we reinforce efforts to identify solutions in co-operation both with member states and through a regular dialogue with stakeholders.”

There is also the issue of VAT fraud to be tackled. Hedegaard suggested that better use of options in existing EU legislation would prevent this. Although enabling legislation at EU level has been in force since September 2009, not all member states have succeeded in implementing it.

Source: www.eweekeurope.co.uk


We have a commitment to the alternative green market sector, and are a leading international broker of carbon credits. In a market now worth approximately US$144 billion, the carbon market is set to eclipse all preceeding markets. Carbon is having a major impact on energy markets and prices. Its effects are impacting upon energy producers, utilities and increasing numbers of manufacturers.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Carbon Expert news: Hydro-power projects in Chile to create carbon credits

Up to eight small hydropower schemes with a total capacity of 160MW in Chile are to benefit from an investment of $5M from the Multilateral Investment fund (MIF), part of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group.

Carbon Expert news: Scotland cuts CO2 emissions

Greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland have fallen by 28.9 per cent since 1990, according to latest official statistics published recently.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Carbon Expert offer Carbon Credits within SIPPs

SIPP Investments

A SIPP ( self-invested pension plan) allows the individual to consolidate their investments and pensions portfolio and “wrap them up” within a SIPP taking advantage of the TAX relief available.

Carbon Expert - Manasi River Hydropower project

Carbon Expert are among the leading brokers in emissions spot trading within the voluntary carbon credit market. Our aim is to help companies and individuals offset their CO2 emissions and help mitigate the harmful effects of climate change worldwide.