Research Theme I: The low carbon emissions economy
$523 million voluntary carbon market helps companies go clean and green
May 30 2013. Ecosystem Marketplace’s annual report on the State of the Voluntary Carbon Markets finds that demand for voluntary carbon offsets grew in 2012, with buyers committing more than $523 million to offset 101 million tonnes
of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Whether in North America or Europe, data shows that an offset buyer’s motivation comes from a desire to demonstrate climate leadership by purchasing offsets from project categories most related to the buyer’s business sector. Carbon offsets coming from forestry conservation, rainforest preservation and biodiversity projects based in developing countries experienced a surge in demand over this past year. United States-based corporations, ranging from The Walt Disney Corporation to Chevrolet, offset more emissions than buyers in any other single country at 28.7 million tonnes. Offset suppliers predict the market value could reach $1.6 - $2.3 billion in 2020, if market actors can effectively communicate the relevance of offsetting and carbon market infrastructure to private sector actors, the international donor community and governments
seeking to incentivize climate action.
Of those US buyers purchasing offsets, a little over a third of the offsets were obtained for future use in California’s emerging cap-and-trade program. In April this year, California approved the linkage of the state’s carbon market with Quebec’s system. This linkage allows the two partners to hold joint auctions of carbon emission allowances, which can be used for compliance in either jurisdiction. The first joint auction is expected in spring 2014. Both jurisdictions are actively seeking new partners
in the United States and Canada to join their cap-and-trade system. Quebec and California see potential for states and provinces that have been observers to the Western Climate Initiative (WCI), a program that coordinates state and provincial carbon markets, as viable partners in an expanded market. British Columbia (BC) has been an observer to the WCI since 2007.
Two other carbon markets related reports were released this week. The Environmental Defense Fund partnered with the International Emissions Trading Association to produce A Case Study Guide to Emissions Trading, and the World Bank reported that currently more than 40 national and 20 sub-national government jurisdictions have either implemented or are considering carbon pricing mechanisms in Mapping Carbon Pricing Initiatives: Developments and Prospects.
Research Theme II: Sustainable communities
Green infrastructure offers big benefits
May 6, 2013. According to the European Union (EU), everything from treating wastewater to cooling buildings and preventing erosion can be approached from the perspective of Green Infrastructure (GI). A tool that uses nature as a guide to provide ecological, economic, and social benefits, GI includes ecosystem services as well as other design principles such as green roofs and walls. The EU has recently adopted a
Green Infrastructure Strategy, 'to promote the deployment of green infrastructure in the EU in urban and rural areas'. For instance, a GI solution such as allowing a natural wetland to absorb the excess water from heavy rain, could be used instead of building flood protection infrastructure. The study covers policy areas as varied as agriculture, regional and cohesion policy, disaster prevention and land use policies. It is designed to promote the adoption of green infrastructure, strengthen the knowledge base, and improve access to finance for green infrastructure projects through the European Investment Bank.
The contribution of ecosystem services to human wellbeing is often overlooked in favour of land-use with a direct economic value, such as forestry and agriculture, thereby putting ecosystem services at risk of degradation. A contributing factor behind this is that Green Infrastructure definitions vary. A transmission line through Northern BC was recently funded by the
National Green Infrastructure fund, for example, and will yield energy savings of upwards of 2080 tonnes of CO2 per year due to the displacement of diesel generated power. But while saving on GHG emissions, the focus of the line was technological change rather than protecting natural capital. On the other hand, research on the value of ecosystem services in BC is growing as researchers at SFU and UBC
in particular investigate opportunities. Initiatives like the Darkwoods Carbon Pilot Project harness the ability of a forested region to sequester carbon and earn tax credits that can be sold to fund conservation. But carbon is only part of the story. The challenge is how to monetize the other benefits the forest provides, such as water filtration and recreational space for hiking and fishing. The Green Infrastructure Partnership strengthens capacity by sharing experiences, approaches and lessons from green infrastructure policies and practices around BC.
Research Theme III: Resilient ecosystems
How resilient is BC’s agricultural sector?
May 30, 2013. Researchers from the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS) have released a new report on the ability of the already struggling BC agricultural sector to adapt to the effects of climate change. Agriculture in BC is unique, with many small, family-owned farms, high crop diversity, and a limited land base. The report is a follow-up study to the 2012 BC Agriculture Climate Change Adaptation
Risk & Opportunity Assessment, and offers recommendations for government policy-makers. “Certainly if things are not addressed, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that we could end up in a crisis,”
said Erica Crawford, one of the authors. The report states that climate change will not necessarily benefit agriculture at higher latitudes, as is often assumed. Rather, the effects will cumulatively challenge the resilience of the industry. Changes to temperature and precipitation regimes will be inconsistent and extreme, and will affect the production and quality of crops, as well as farmers’ schedules for planting, harvesting, and spraying. In summary, “the past is no longer a sufficient guide to the future.”
The authors stress the importance of government policy-makers acting to account for future conditions, and offers nine recommendations. These focus on improving resilience, not only in terms of crop production, but also by enabling new farmers to enter the industry, assisting farmers with financial instability, conducting collaborative and applied research, and implementing climate-smart water infrastructure improvements. Current governance structures also come under the spotlight, with a recommendation to better connect policy-makers with what’s happening on the ground. The authors assert that the groundwork must be laid for large-scale transitions in the mid- to long-term, as systems are pushed past thresholds and fundamentally changed. The report concludes with the position that: “above all, the public and elected officials in this province are faced with a fundamental
question: is a thriving and resilient agriculture system a priority for BC and, if so, what are we willing to do to ensure that its viability is maintained now and in the future?”
Research Theme IV: Social mobilization
American businesses demand action - will Canadians follow suit?
May 29, 2013. Public pressure is mounting on US politicians to do more to address climate change. Through a “Climate Declaration”, more than 40 leading US businesses have called upon the American government to take leadership in this area. The declaration, which includes signatories such as Nike, IKEA and Ebay, recognizes climate change as “one of America’s greatest economic opportunities of the 21st century”, and calls for a “coordinated effort to combat climate change - with America taking the lead here at home”. The declaration was bolstered on May 29th when
108 ski areas signed on, recognizing that “the success of ski business operations depends greatly on the climate”. The US ski industry has annual revenues of approximately $12.2 billion, and employs over 160,000 people. The calls for action come at a time when President Obama is quietly indicating he may begin to take more of a leadership role on the issue. At a fundraiser on June 5, the president stated
he “doesn’t have much patience for people who deny climate change” and on June 2nd, US media outlets reported that the US and China may be working to achieve a deal to address the challenge.
The business community can be a powerful interest lobby and the collective pressure of many businesses can drive legislative changes. In British Columbia, there has been measured support from some members of the business community about the province’s climate change policies. In 2011, 85 BC businesses signed an open letter
which called on the BC government to renew its commitment to climate action, calling the BC Carbon tax “one of the best tools we have at our disposal to fight climate change”. More recently, polling across the country suggests that Canadians in general are becoming more supportive of a carbon tax that uses a model similar to the one implemented in BC. The Globe and Mail reports that Canadian businesses are
endorsing a carbon pricing model, noting that oil companies are building shadow carbon pricing into economic forecasts. Further, the report indicates that the Canadian Council of Chief Executives has endorsed carbon pricing, in principle. However endorsement in principle is far from a declaration of support. To see real movement on the issue of climate change in Canada, the Canadian business community must begin to lobby government to implement an explicit price on carbon.
Research Theme V: Carbon management in BC forests
To save coral reefs, look to the trees
June 4, 2013. Scientists have found
that by conserving forests, land managers can also help save coral reefs threatened by ocean warming and the ongoing acidification of the upper ocean as carbon dioxide dissolves into the sea. Sediment that washes down from tree-depleted land can cloud the water around reefs, reducing the penetration of sunlight. And when that sediment finally sinks, it can smoother corals, forcing them to use extra energy just to stay alive. This increases the risk of coral reefs “bleaching”, or dying out. Working in Madagascar, the scientists found that human activity has increased river sediment fivefold over natural levels. By restoring natural forests, sediment volume could be decreased by 19 to 68 percent, depending on the level of reforestation.
The relationship between oceans and forests is complex and important, and in BC there are thousands of kilometres of coastline. Fortunately, the regulatory environment in BC is stronger than Madagascar, and logging companies are required to respect riparian zones around streams and rivers, reducing the amount of run-off entering the ocean. Nonetheless, the negative effect of sediment on ocean health is another reason to sensibly manage forested land. Not only do trees store carbon, provide recreational opportunities, offer habit to species, and clean drinking water, they help coral reefs survive in increasingly warm and acidic oceans.
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Chasing down fugitive emissions
Solving the climate change vulnerabilities jigsaw
