Paul Brannen’s Post

Wood and wood-based products have a huge role to play in the transition to a low-emission economy. Current structures in climate policy make it difficult to appreciate and enhance this role. This is about to change. A new international ISO standard aims to lay out how to calculate the overall greenhouse gas dynamics of wood and wood-based products. https://lnkd.in/dY3rr5i8 This includes: - carbon storage developments both in the forest and in products - GHG emissions in the wood value chain - emissions that are prevented as need for fossil-based products and concrete is reduced. The main purpose is to enhance how corporations in the forest-based sector report their climate impact. This can lead to better understanding of advantages of wood-based products in other sectors. It can also support investments and innovation towards even more climate-smart products. The standard is on public review until 7 July. Experts from 14 countries around the world have worked for two years to tease out the details in the standard. Following the review, comments will be worked into the documents and the standard will be up for approval by ISO member countries. On 30 May Swedish Institute for Standards, SIS hosted a seminar, informing about the upcoming standard, inviting to discussion and commenting https://lnkd.in/dqKq3vgQ The seminar started with a keynote by Paul Brannen highlighting the need - and surge - for more wood in the built environment. The standard itself was presented by myself and Eva Gustafsson, with an example from SCA by Susanne Rutqvist. Tomas Thuresson and Maximilian Schulte provided reflections on the significance of the standard. The topic is complex and some caution is warranted: - Measuring carbon dynamics of forests is not trivial. As wood is harvested from well managed growing forests, the remaining carbon stock still increases steadily. Sophisticated forest inventory and growth measurements are required to verify the development. - Wood-based products prevent massive quantities of GHG emissions - fossils stay in the ground where they belong. Quantifying those prevented emissions is a challenge and requires detailed knowledge about alternative products. Further, our society and markets may or may not be ready to make use of this massive potential for climate change mitigation. Understanding and reporting the full climate benefits of wood and wood-based products is important in several ways. On a policy level we may see an enhanced focus on promoting wood solutions for the transition, although this is as such not a focus for the standard. Conclusively, the new ISO standard, will help enhance the role of forests and wood in the necessary transition to a low-emission society. The take-home message is: - Don't get stuck in the forest! The main climate contribution of trees is outside the forest through wood-based products.

Australia’s soil to become net carbon emitter and threat to climate goals, report says. Modelling points to ‘huge’ soil emissions in interior rangelands, which are more sensitive to a warming climate. Intensifying extreme heat and drought due to the climate crisis will make Australia’s soil a net emitter of carbon dioxide, impeding the country from reaching its climate goals, new analysis has found. Soil carbon sequestration has been identified as a way to help Australia meet its greenhouse gas emission reduction targets of 43% by 2030 and net zero by 2050. But a study published in the Nature Portfolio Journal has estimated that median annual emissions from Australian soils will range from about 30 to 100 megatons of C02 over the next 80 years. The modelling is based on the prevailing “middle-of-the-road” global emissions reduction scenario. The report found net median soil carbon emissions during 2020-45 would be equivalent to 14% of the country’s total 2022 emissions, or 82% of agriculture emissions. The report’s lead author, Prof Raphael Viscarra Rossel, said the “concerning” findings showed the substantial threat soil carbon losses posed to Australia’s emissions reduction targets. “If Australia wants to achieve its emissions reductions targets … that’s a significant amount of emissions that we’re not accounting for,” he said. Soil carbon stocks fluctuate naturally with rainfall patterns but are also affected by land management practices. Drier and hotter conditions are associated with more soil carbon escaping into the atmosphere and lower rates of sequestration. Based on today’s land management practices, the report predicted agricultural areas would accrue as much as 0.19 tonnes of CO2 a hectare each year between 2020 and 2045. But by 2070-2100, the modelling found these gains would slow significantly because of rising average temperatures, and would not be enough to counteract “huge” soil carbon losses in Australia’s vast interior – known as rangelands – which are more sensitive to a warming climate. Viscarra Rossel said the projected release of soil carbon into the atmosphere would contribute to climate feedback loops by causing additional global heating, which would exacerbate soil carbon losses. “If we don’t do anything about soil [carbon losses] things are going to get warmer, and then we’ll lose even more carbon,” he said. “It’s dire. We need to do whatever we can … to try and minimise that [carbon] loss from soil.” Government incentives for landowners to sequester and store carbon in their soil has driven burgeoning interest in soil carbon projects but Australia’s leading soil scientists have called for flaws in the scheme to be urgently addressed. https://lnkd.in/g43P3FC4

Recent reports highlight significant challenges in the fight against climate change.  To align with the 1.5°C limit set by the Paris Agreement, it is estimated that 7 to 9 billion tons of CO₂ need to be removed from the atmosphere annually by mid-century.  Currently, only about 2 billion tons per year are being removed, primarily through traditional methods like tree planting.  Novel Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) methods, such as biochar, enhanced rock weathering, direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCS), and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), contribute a mere 1.3 million tons per year.  The report underscores the necessity of scaling up a diverse portfolio of CDR methods to meet these ambitious targets. It also calls for increased investment in CDR technologies and the implementation of policies that will boost demand for carbon removals, such as integrating CDR policies into countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions.   The Paris Agreement is a landmark international treaty on climate change, adopted by 196 parties at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, France, on 12th December 2015.  It entered into force on 4th November 2016.  The agreement aims to limit the increase in global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5°C. Each country must submit national climate action plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).  These plans outline the actions countries will take to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. The Paris Agreement works on a five-year cycle of increasingly ambitious climate action carried out by countries.  Each successive NDC is expected to reflect a higher degree of ambition than the previous one. Countries are invited to formulate and submit long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies (LT-LEDS), providing a vision and direction for future development. The agreement provides a framework for financial, technical, and capacity-building support to countries that need it. To achieve the temperature goals, greenhouse gas emissions must peak before 2025 and decline by 43% by 2030.  The aim is to reach net-zero emissions by the middle of the 21st century. The Paris Agreement is significant because it is the first binding agreement that brings all nations together to combat climate change and adapt to its effects.  It is based on the best available science and requires economic and social transformation.   We are failing at addressing climate change. What we are facing is not climate change, but a climate crisis. Until all stakeholders start to take these agreements more seriously, we will face the massive consequences of anthropogenic climate change. Terence Nunis Terence K. J. Nunis, Consultant President, Red Sycamore Global

Recent reports highlight significant challenges in the fight against climate change.  To align with the 1.5°C limit set by the Paris Agreement, it is estimated that 7 to 9 billion tons of CO₂ need to be removed from the atmosphere annually by mid-century.  Currently, only about 2 billion tons per year are being removed, primarily through traditional methods like tree planting.  Novel Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) methods, such as biochar, enhanced rock weathering, direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCS), and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), contribute a mere 1.3 million tons per year.  The report underscores the necessity of scaling up a diverse portfolio of CDR methods to meet these ambitious targets. It also calls for increased investment in CDR technologies and the implementation of policies that will boost demand for carbon removals, such as integrating CDR policies into countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions.   The Paris Agreement is a landmark international treaty on climate change, adopted by 196 parties at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, France, on 12th December 2015.  It entered into force on 4th November 2016.  The agreement aims to limit the increase in global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5°C. Each country must submit national climate action plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).  These plans outline the actions countries will take to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. The Paris Agreement works on a five-year cycle of increasingly ambitious climate action carried out by countries.  Each successive NDC is expected to reflect a higher degree of ambition than the previous one. Countries are invited to formulate and submit long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies (LT-LEDS), providing a vision and direction for future development. The agreement provides a framework for financial, technical, and capacity-building support to countries that need it. To achieve the temperature goals, greenhouse gas emissions must peak before 2025 and decline by 43% by 2030.  The aim is to reach net-zero emissions by the middle of the 21st century. The Paris Agreement is significant because it is the first binding agreement that brings all nations together to combat climate change and adapt to its effects.  It is based on the best available science and requires economic and social transformation.   We are failing at addressing climate change. What we are facing is not climate change, but a climate crisis. Until all stakeholders start to take these agreements more seriously, we will face the massive consequences of anthropogenic climate change. Terence Nunis Terence K. J. Nunis, Consultant President, Red Sycamore Global

“At least 118 countries are relying on natural carbon sinks to meet climate targets. Now, through a combination of human destruction and the climate crisis itself, some are teetering and beginning to see declines in the amount of carbon that they take in. ’We cannot achieve carbon neutrality if the land sector is a source of emissions. They have to be sinks because all emissions can’t be decreased to zero in other sectors.’” “Drought, climate-related outbreaks of bark beetle, wildfire and tree mortality from extreme heat are ravaging Europe’s woodlands on top of pressure from forestry. Across the EU, the amount of carbon absorbed by its land each year fell by about a third between 2010 and 2022, according to the latest research, endangering the continent’s climate target.” “Studies indicate that across boreal ecosystems, the forest is losing its ability to absorb and store as much carbon.” “Finland, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, Sweden and Estonia are among those that have seen significant declines in their land sinks.” Finland’s has committed to be carbon neutral by 2035, 15 years earlier than many of its EU counterparts. With nearly 70% covered by forests and peatlands, “many assumed the plan would not be a problem. For decades, the country’s forests and peatlands had reliably removed more carbon from the atmosphere than they released.” But “its forest sink has declined about 90% from 2009 to 2022, with the rest of the decline fueled by increased emissions from soil and peat. In 2021-22, Finland’s land sector was a net contributor to global heating”. “The impact on Finland’s overall climate progress is dramatic: despite cutting emissions by 43% across all other sectors, its net emissions are at about the same level as the early 1990s. It is as if nothing has happened for 30 years.” “The reasons behind these changes are complicated and not fully understood, say researchers. Burning peatland for energy – more polluting than coal – remains common. Commercial logging of forests – including rare primeval ecosystems formed since the last ice age – has increased from an already relentless pace”. “But there are also indications that the climate crisis has become a driver of the decline. The number of dying trees also increased in recent years as forests are stressed by drought and high temperatures.” For communities that have always lived in the Arctic Circle, including Sami reindeer herders, the changes are already clear. “If the dry spell holds, there will not be mushrooms for the reindeer, they will starve.”   An instructive article in The Guardian - food for thought while working on ESRS E1, E4 and S3: https://lnkd.in/giSKUNde #getCSRDready, #CSRD, #ESRS, #CSDDD, #ESG, #Strategy, #Governance, #SustainabilityReporting, #Digitalisation, #CleeritESG

Waikato Regional Council has adopted a plan to use nature-based solutions to achieve carbon neutrality. It will be using nature-based solutions to offset hard-to-reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Last week, following endorsement by the Climate Action Committee, council adopted Te Āki Tūroa │ Nature+ Framework and Plan, which outlines a pathway to reduce and offset its residual greenhouse gas emissions by restoring indigenous biodiversity and promoting resilience to climate change. This is a really positive and impressive step. It’s a practical approach that aligns with business as usual and will benefit the local environment. WRC is continuing to work towards reducing its direct emissions, for example by introducing solar and an entire electric fleet, but Te Āki Tūroa is a framework for offsetting the hard to reduce emissions, such as from natural gas or diesel. Te Āki Tūroa focuses on the planting of native trees and shrubs on regional council-owned land to generate carbon credits, while providing habitat for native species and improving water quality and resilience to climate change. There is also potential to generate income through the Emissions Trading Scheme and eventually a biodiversity credit scheme. Climate Action Committee chair Jennifer Nickel said the intention was that the council’s inhouse corporate emissions would be offset using its land, but the plan also provided for potential partnerships with landowners and suppliers to support them through a similar process to offset their hard-to-reduce emissions. “By changing our own land use and improving biodiversity, it’s even achievable to reach nature positive carbon neutrality for this region’s public transport emissions, so the bus networks and Te Huia train.” Although public transport, along with land drainage, are council services, they are not considered part of the council’s direct corporate emissions. It has been estimated that planting up to 1.4 per cent of the council’s 2507 hectares of suitable land in native species (between 22ha and 34ha) will be sufficient for it to achieve carbon neutrality for corporate emissions. Including public transport emissions would require planting 9.6 per cent of its land (between 140ha and 240ha) by 2050. The largest source of the council’s indirect emissions comes from land drained by council flood management infrastructure and would require around 31 times the area of suitable land the council owns (approximately 80,000ha) to be planted over 20 years. Cr Nickel said the council intended to support the entities and landowners who are the direct sources of these emissions to work towards reducing them where practical. “We’ve developed case studies to highlight the costs, benefits, opportunities and challenges of using nature-based solutions to offset our own emissions alongside providing local environmental and community benefit. We’re walking the talk on the land we own.”

Investigations, future enablement and hopium. New Zealand’s second emissions reduction plan. Released today. To me the document reads like some of the Labour initiatives of the last government term, when policy seemed to comprise primarily of forming committees to investigate solutions.   But I won’t say more.   My own commentary is going to take a different tack.   Here is an alternative set of climate actions, proposed by The Green Party. Released to little fanfare, on Sunday. But a real list of actions:   ·   Phase out free allocation of units in the ETS and introduce a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. ·   Ensure overall unit supply in the ETS is based on gross emissions targets. ·   Reinstate and improve the GIDI scheme. ·   Include agriculture in the ETS. ·   Invest directly in new renewable energy infrastructure ·   Finance solar panels on public buildings ·   Scale up support for active and public transport options. ·   Reintroduce the clean car discount. ·   Expand rail freight and coastal shipping. ·   Reinstate the oil and gas ban ·   Invest in wood pellet production for industry and electricity generation ·   Reset the role of forestry, ending forestry registrations in the ETS from 2026. ·   Require native forest transition plans for non-harvest exotic forests. ·   Support native afforestation through a Biodiversity Regeneration Fund. ·   Introduce a sinking lid on the use of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser ·   Prioritise low emissions urban form ·   Use green infrastructure and water sensitive design for climate resilience. ·   Ensure new buildings are energy efficient through stronger building standards ·   Address methane emissions from organic waste   You may or may not agree with them all, but at least it is action. And The Greens have estimated, their list, if enacted from today, would have around 4 times the current reduction impact in the 2031-2035 period of the govt plan. That I commend.   But two misses Greens.   1.  You should have noted you fully endorse and would support with appropriate regulation the Cool-Safe product stewardship scheme for fluorinated gases. The government has announced it is proceeding with a regulated scheme from 2025. And with govt support, Cool-Safe has a target of eliminating 90% of the current 1.6 MtCO2eq per annum of NZ global warming impact from F-gases by 2035.   2.  You could have also said you intend to introduce a Company Environment Act, obliging all companies to assess and address their environmental harms, where practicable. With such legislation in place, it would be expected all larger companies would develop and implement an emissions reduction plan, greatly speeding up decarbonisation.   Just two of my suggestions, some might say biases, that you might include in the next print?       The Greens policy statement is here: https://lnkd.in/gdsj9Dt8

10/15/2024 Climate & Energy Sustainable Markets Deforestation Climate Change Climate Solutions Brazil state to consult Indigenous people on carbon credits sale October 15, 20246:09 PM GMT+2Updated 12 min ago BRASILIA, Oct 15 - The government of the Brazilian state of Para in the Amazon will consult Indigenous communities on how they will benefit from the future sale of carbon offset credits that U.S. companies have agreed to buy to try to protect the rainforest. In a statement received by Reuters on Monday, the Para government's environmental secretariat Semas said it "will begin a new phase of dialogue" with Indigenous peoples and other traditional communities in the rainforest. Scientists say preserving the Amazon rainforest is vital to combating global warming. Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O), and a group of companies agreed last month in New York to buy carbon credits in a deal valued at $180 million through the LEAF Coalition conservation initiative, which it helped set up in 2021 with other firms and governments, including the United States and United Kingdom. At the time, Para Governor Helder Barbalho said the deal had the participation of Indigenous peoples and other traditional communities. But last week, 38 Indigenous and community organizations signed a public letter saying they had not been consulted properly. "The transaction with the LEAF Coalition will be finalized in 2025, after the conclusion of this collective construction process," the Para government statement said. A series of high-profile controversies has shaken confidence in the market for carbon offsets, with several large companies that buy carbon credits retreating from it after studies found that large forest protection projects failed to deliver their promised emission reductions. Emergent, the non-profit coordinator of the LEAF Coalition, said consultations had yet to begin in Para on the LEAF agreement, which involves a forward purchase and no credits will be transacted until after the consultation process. "We have full confidence that Para is developing a REDD+ system with the active participation of a wide variety of communities and beneficiaries that play an active role in reducing deforestation," a spokesperson for Emergent said. Page 1 continue A view of a deforested area in the middle of the Amazon forest, near the BR-230 highway, known as Transamazonica, in the municipality of Uruara, Para, Brazil, July 14, 2021

EPA Issues Final Rule on HFC Reclamation: A Key Step Forward for Climate Week 2024 As Climate Week 2024 kicks off, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has made a monumental announcement by issuing the final rule under the AIM (American Innovation and Manufacturing) Act, focusing on the reclamation of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). This rule marks a significant step in addressing the environmental impacts of HFCs, which are potent greenhouse gases contributing to global warming. Why This Rule Matters HFCs have been widely used in refrigeration, air conditioning, and other sectors as replacements for ozone-depleting substances. However, their global warming potential (GWP) is thousands of times higher than carbon dioxide, making them a critical target in the fight against climate change. The final AIM Act rule prioritizes the recovery, recycling, and reclamation of HFCs, promoting a circular economy approach that reduces emissions while supporting the HVACR industry in its transition to more sustainable refrigerants. By regulating HFC reclamation, the EPA is pushing for a more robust system where recovered refrigerants are cleaned and reintroduced into the market, reducing the need for virgin HFCs. This rule encourages reclaimers and industry stakeholders to adopt innovative technologies, ensuring that high-quality reclaimed refrigerants meet or exceed purity standards, bolstering both environmental and economic benefits. What This Means for Climate Action The timing of this announcement during Climate Week is significant. The reclamation of HFCs not only addresses immediate environmental concerns but also aligns with broader global climate goals, such as those outlined in the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol. By reducing the environmental footprint of HFCs, the U.S. is demonstrating its commitment to phasing down these high-GWP substances and paving the way for the adoption of climate-friendlier alternatives. Reclamation offers a clear path for industries to actively participate in emissions reduction while maintaining operational efficiency. Looking Ahead As this rule goes into effect, the focus will now shift to its implementation and how industry leaders will adapt. The success of this initiative will depend on collaboration between the EPA, reclaimers, manufacturers, and consumers to ensure compliance and drive further innovations in the reclamation process. The path ahead is clear: reclaim, recycle, and reduce. Through this final rule, the EPA has set the stage for meaningful change in the HVACR and refrigerant industries. It’s time for all stakeholders to play their part in building a more sustainable future. #ClimateAction #HFCReclamation #AIMAct #Sustainability #EPA #CircularEconomy

There are few new policies to reduce #greenhousegasemissions in the Government’s proposed climate change plan, released on Wednesday morning. The consultation document for the second Emissions Reduction Plan, which lays out how the Government will meet the #carbonbudget covering the years 2026 to 2030, holds no surprises for those who have reviewed the coalition agreements. In line with rhetoric from senior ministers on the campaign trail and since coming to power, the plan represents a major shift away from Labour’s more heavy-handed approach to #climatepolicy. Instead, it takes a light touch, putting emphasis on the Emissions Trading Scheme carbon market and deregulation to help meet #climatetargets. Failing to hit net zero According to the document, however, this new approach means #NewZealand is no longer on track to meet its 2050 net zero emissions target, nor the third emissions budget in 2031 to 2035. That’s a marked change from the final projections released under #Labour, which showed the country’s non-methane emissions falling below zero in 2041 and all three carbon budgets being achieved. The 2050 #methane reduction target is also not on track to be met, although this was also the case under Labour. A technical annex released alongside the consultation shows the difference is partly due to differences in how the models were run for last year’s projections versus this year’s. But the Government’s scrapping of key climate policies like the Clean Car Discount and Government Investing in #Decarbonising Industry Fund makes up about a third of the difference. Another fifth was due to the announcement that the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter will remain open for at least two more decades. The approach sketched out by Climate Change Minister Simon Watts in his consultation document is a “least-cost” and “net-based” strategy. The Government is hoping that a market-led climate policy will ensure New Zealand meets its targets at the lowest cost to society. As part of this, it has abandoned its predecessor’s plans to prioritise the reduction of #climatepollution over offsetting through carbon removals from forestry and new technologies. The Government is now mostly agnostic as to whether emissions fall because pollution falls or because more trees are being planted. The sole exception to this is on high-producing agricultural land, where restrictions will be introduced to prevent farms being converted to pine forestry. The technical annex reveals there would be a three-year moratorium on whole-farm conversions to exotic forests on land use classes 1 to 5 and a 15,000 hectare per year limit for land use class 6. Lower land use class numbers indicate more productive land.