Tag: CO2

A Synthesis Report has been issued, based on the reports of the three Working Groups of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), including relevant Special Reports.  The report provides an integrated view of climate change as the final part of the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report (AR5). Human influence on the climate system is clear, and recent anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases are the highest in history. Recent climate changes have had widespread impacts on human and natural systems. Observed changes in the climate system Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and since the 1950s, many of the observed changes are unprecedented over decades to millennia. The atmosphere and ocean have warmed, the amounts of snow and ice have diminished, and sea level has risen. Over the period 1992 to 2011, the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have been losing mass (high confidence), likely at a larger rate over 2002 to 2011. Glaciers have continued to shrink almost worldwide (high confidence). Northern Hemisphere spring now cover has continued to decrease in extent. There is high confidence that permafrost temperatures have increased in most regions since the early 1980s in response to increased surface temperature and changing snow cover. The annual mean ...

The CMA CGM Group announced 10 of its vessels’ bulbous bows are to be retrofitted in order to continue improving its fleet’s energy efficiency and reducing its environmental footprint. The bulbous bows exchanges that are performed within a week in repair yards’ drydocks reduce significantly the ship’s fuel consumption and cut CO2 emissions. Bulbous bows are the underwater part of the bow. Because of their influence on the vessel’s wave resistance, their design has a major impact on the vessel hydrodynamic efficiency. They were initially designed for 24 knots sailing speed. Following the implementation of the slow steaming, the Group’s vessels now sail at speeds between 16 to 18 knots. Bulbous bows have therefore been redesigned. The bulbous bows new design were shaped in cooperation with Hydrocéan, a French engineering company specialized in hydrodynamics and which performed the hydrodynamic calculations. Those 10 vessels will be added to the list of 15 vessels, whose bulbous bows have been modified in 2013 and 2014. All vessels that have entered the CMA CGM fleet in 2014 are sailing with optimized bulbous bows. With this optimization, the CMA CGM Group reinforces its environmental commitment. Its objective of 50% CO2/TEU-km reduction between 2005 and 2015 ...

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), developed the first unit of a new bulk carrier that offers superlative energy efficiency and environmental performance. The vessel was delivered to Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) of the U.S., following its completion at Oshima Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. of Nagasaki, an MHI licensing partner. The vessel incorporates a wide spectrum of technologies - including MHI's proprietary Mitsubishi Air Lubrication System (MALS), which reduces frictional resistance between the vessel hull and seawater using air bubbles produced at the vessel bottom - has enabled a 27% reduction in CO2 emissions, as verified, compared to conventional bulk carriers, exceeding the target figure of 25%. The newly delivered bulk carrier is the first of three vessels, designed to serve as grain carriers, ordered by ADM in 2011 from Sumitomo Corporation. The vessel was constructed by Oshima Shipbuilding with MHI providing the conceptual design and various green technologies, including MALS. Delivery of the three vessels is scheduled for completion by mid-2015. The carriers are 237 meters (m) in length, 40m in width, and 12.5m in designed draught: deadweight tonnage (DWT) is approximately 95,000 tons. The new vessel also features a new bow shape designed to reduce wave-making resistance. For propulsion, an innovative system ...

Bellona Europa has followed the hectic run-up to the Council’s conclusions on the 2030 Climate and Energy Package on which the 28 EU Member State leaders finally reached an agreement this morning. Bellona stated that it finds encouraging that the EU has set itself clear climate goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% by 2030. By setting this as a minimum target the EU sends a clear message ahead of the UN climate negotiations that the 28 EU Member States are willing to increase this percentage. This is good news for international climate policy, says Jonas Helseth, Director of Bellona Europa in Brussels. Helseth emphases that these are important signals prior to the Paris negotiations next year, as the EU makes clear that the level of ambition will not be lowered. The EU is making an important step towards achieving the Union’s agreed emission reductions of 80-95% in Europe by 2050, says Helseth. EU reaffirms commitment to CO2 Capture and Storage (CCS) When it comes to CO2 Capture and Storage (CCS) Bellona is pleased that the EU’s Climate and Energy Package is clear about the need for this climate mitigation technology. The EU’s plan comes with obligations ...

NYK has been included again in CDP’s Climate Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI). NYK received a score of 99 out of 100 in the CDP's 2014 Climate Change Information Request, ranking in the top 10 percent of Japan’s 500 largest companies for a third consecutive year. The CDP is an international, not-for-profit organization providing the only global system to measure, disclose, manage, and share vital environmental information. The CDP harnesses the power of market forces, including 767 institutional investors with assets of US$92 trillion, to collect information from companies on their greenhouse gas emissions and assessment of climate change and other issues related to the environment. The CDP’s annual information request was sent to the Japan 500 target companies asking the companies to measure and report data and information on climate-change-related issues affecting the companies. In fiscal 2013, NYK gathered environmental performance data from about 354 offices and 800 vessels within the NYK Group. During that time, NYK strengthened its fuel-saving activity, promoted the development of innovative technologies, and successfully reduced negative environmental impacts. In addition, NYK’s collection and disclosure of numerical data on CO2 emissions covered by Scope 1, 2, and 3 of the GHG Protocol were certified as accurate ...

Together with the new European Commission, businesses across Europe want to work to ‘green’ their supply chain. Nik Delmeire, the newly appointed Secretary General of the European Shippers’ Council (ESC), said it is time for businesses to measure, monitor and reduce emissions by freight transport. At the same time, the new European Commission should reduce existing trade barriers in the European Union. "Together these innovations can spur economic growth and create jobs", Delmeire stated. The ESC, representing the freight transport interests (by all modes of transport) of business in Europe, appointed Delmeire as their new Secretary General yesterday at its General Assembly in Brussels. His main goal is to put shippers, who are at the heart of the European supply chain, also at the heart of policy making. To underline this vision, Delmeire made the case for reducing both emissions and trade barriers in order to increase the competitive edge of European trade and industry. Shippers A former Chairman of the Belgian Shippers’ Council and Vice Chairman of the ESC, Delmeire familiarized himself with the (European) political arena. His 20 year career in supply chain makes him understand the needs of ESC’s members. ‘That’s how I know that for shippers ...

In the last two decades, natural gas has become the fuel of choice for power generation, because electricity produced with gas has half the carbon dioxide emissions of coal power. Many see it as a "bridge" to a low-carbon energy future; in 30 countries, it already fuels more than half the electricity. But to the extent that gas isn't burnt for power, but escapes into the atmosphere, it harms the climate. That's because it's mostly methane, one of the most powerful greenhouse gases, 84 times as potent as CO2 over a 20-year period. While the extent of these emissions is not well known - a problem in itself - it is clear that they must be stopped. That is the goal of the new CCAC Oil & Gas Methane Partnership, launched last week at UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Climate Summit. The founding members include some of the world's top oil and gas companies: ENI of Italy, PEMEX of Mexico, PTT of Thailand, and Statoil of Norway, along with BG Group in the UK and Southwestern Energy in the US. "As a significant source of methane emissions, the oil and gas industry must take a leading role in addressing this issue," ...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its fourth year of Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program data, detailing greenhouse gas pollution trends and emissions broken down by industrial sector, geographic region and individual facilities. In 2013, reported emissions from large industrial facilities were 20 million metric tons higher than the prior year, or 0.6 percent, driven largely by an increase in coal use for power generation. “Climate change, fueled by greenhouse gas pollution, is threatening our health, our economy, and our way of life—increasing our risks from intense extreme weather, air pollution, drought and disease,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “EPA is supporting the President’s Climate Action Plan by providing high-quality greenhouse gas data to inform effective climate action.” The Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program is the only program that collects facility-level greenhouse gas data from major industrial sources across the United States, including power plants, oil and gas production and refining, iron and steel mills and landfills. The program also collects data on the increasing production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) predominantly used in refrigeration and air conditioning. Over 8,000 large-emitters reported direct greenhouse gas emissions to the program in 2013, representing approximately 50 percent of total U.S. emissions. The data ...

Offshore carbon dioxide (CO2) pipelines could potentially pose a risk for offshore infrastructures, ships and the marine environment. To demonstrate that CO2 pipelines can be operated safely and to ensure the risks are well understood, industry stakeholders have asked DNV GL to initiate a Joint Industry Project (JIP) "CO2 Subsea Releases - Small Scale Experimental Programme''. Several major operators have already joined the ‘Sub-C-O2' JIP including: National Grid, ENI, and Petrobras, but there is still time for others to join. The number of offshore CO2 pipelines is expected to grow significantly in the future, as Carbon Capture, Utilisation & Storage (CCUS) technology is deployed to mitigate CO2 emissions from power plants or other large industrial sources such as steel or cement factories. "CCUS is again gaining momentum as part of the solution in meeting climate goals while also securing sufficient energy. As fossil based fuels continue to be part of the energy mix in the foreseeable future, CCUS will be critical particularly for redusing emissions from coal fired power plants. With this JIP DNV GL aims to bring together industry players to ensure that this technology can be used safely and with a full understanding of associated risks", says Elisabeth ...