Download Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Students

Committee: Environment Committee
Question of: Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Students Officer: Piraye Hatemi
Introduction:
Greenhouse gases are the gases that trap heat in the atmosphere. This heat causes the
planet to get warmer. Human activities are responsible for almost all of the increase in greenhouse
gases in the atmosphere over the last 150 years. The largest source of greenhouse gas emissions
from human activities is usually from burning fossil fuels for electricity, heat, and transportation.
Carbon dioxide, Methane, Nitrous oxide and Fluorinated gases (Hydrofluorocarbons,
perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride, nitrogen trifluoride) are the main factors of Greenhouse
gas emissions. Carbon dioxide, Methane and Nitrous oxide is emitted during the production and
transport of coal, natural gas, and oil. Carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere when it is
absorbed by plants as part of the biological carbon cycle. Each of these gases can remain in the
atmosphere for different amounts of time, ranging from a few years to thousands of years. All of
these gases remain in the atmosphere long enough to become well mixed, meaning that the
amount that is measured in the atmosphere is roughly the same all over the world, regardless of
the source of the emissions. The impact these gases have to global temperature is different. Gases
with a higher Global Warming Potential (GWP) absorb more energy, per pound, than gases with a
lower GWP, and thus contribute more to warming Earth.
The Issue:
Greenhouse gases are caused by
a lot of daily activities. Such as using
electricity, heating, and driving. These
greenhouse gases don't just stay in one
place after they're added to the
atmosphere. As air moves around the
world, greenhouse gases become globally
mixed, which means the concentration of
a greenhouse gas like carbon dioxide is
roughly the same no matter where you
measure it. Even though some countries
produce more greenhouse gases than
others, emissions from every country
contribute to the problem. That's one
reason why climate change requires
global action. The graph above shows how the world's total greenhouse gas emissions are
continuing to increase every year.
Electricity production generates the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions.
Approximately 67 percent of our electricity comes from burning fossil fuels, mostly coal and
natural gas. Greenhouse gas emissions from transportation primarily come from burning fossil
fuel for our cars, trucks, ships, trains, and planes. Over 90 percent of the fuel used for
transportation is petroleum based, which includes gasoline and diesel. Industry has a big role as
well. They primarily come from burning fossil fuels for energy, as well as greenhouse gas
emissions from certain chemical reactions necessary to produce goods from raw materials.
Agricultural soils, rice production and livestock that is used in agriculture causes the greenhouse
gas emissions as well.
In 2011, the top carbon dioxide (CO2) emitters were China, the United States, the
European Union, India, the Russian Federation, Japan, and Canada. These data include
CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion, as well as cement manufacturing and gas flaring.
Together, these sources represent a large proportion of total global CO2 emissions. Emissions and
sinks related to changes in land use are not included in these estimates. However, changes in land
use can be important: estimates indicate that net global greenhouse gas emissions from
agriculture, forestry, and other land use were over 8 billion metric tons of CO2 equivalent, or
about 24% of total global greenhouse gas emissions. In areas such as the United States and
Europe, changes in land use associated with human activities have the net effect of absorbing
CO2, partially offsetting the emissions from deforestation in other regions.
The impacts of climate change due to the Greenhouse gas emissions include warming
temperatures, changes in precipitation, increases in the frequency or intensity of some extreme
weather events, and rising sea levels. These impacts threaten the health of many people by
affecting the food they eat, the water they can access or the air they breathe. The severity of these
health risks will depend on the ability of public health and safety systems to address or prepare
for these changing threats, as well as factors such as an individual's behavior, age, gender, and
economic status. Impacts will vary based on a where a person lives, how sensitive they are to
health threats, how much they are exposed to climate change impacts, and how well they and
their community are able to adapt to change.
People in developing countries may be the most vulnerable to health risks globally, but
climate change poses significant threats to health even in wealthy nations. Certain populations,
such as children, pregnant women, older adults, and people with low incomes, face increased
risks.
Key Events
The Kyoto Protocol
February 16, 2005 - Japan
It is a plan created by the U.N that tries to
reduce the effects of climate change, such
as global warming. The plan says
that countries that adopt the Kyoto Protocol
have to try to reduce how much GHG they
release into the air.
G r e e n h o u s e G a s R e d u c t i o n G o a l In 2008, Harvard set a short-term goal to
2008-2016
reduce greenhouse gas emissions 30% by
2016, which they achieved their goal, which
they achieved.
N a t i o n a l A c t i o n P l a n F o r R e d u c i n g Started in Indonesia and concluding LEDS.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
It’s purpose is to design activities to reduce the
January 2010 - January 2020
GHG emissions. This shall be done at national
and regional levels within the framework of
sustainable development.
Paris Agreement
October-November 2016
Agreement’s central aim is to strengthen the
global response to the threat of climate change
by keeping a global temperature rise this
century well below 2 degrees Celsius above
pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to
limit the temperature increase even further to
1.5 degrees Celsius.
In 2018, Parties will take stock of the
collective efforts in relation to progress
towards the goal set in the Paris Agreement
and to inform the preparation of NDCs
(Nationally determined contributions).
Previous Attempts to Solve the Issue
United Nations
As it attempts to lead the world toward a more sustainable future, the United Nations has
set a policy to move "towards a zero carbon future." In a report that was released in 2012, the
agency admitted that despite a campaign under way since October 2007, "much still remains to be
done." Overall, according to the 30-page document issued by the U.N. Environment Programme
(UNEP), its annual emissions are climbing. The agency's latest data, from 2010, shows that it
emitted 1.8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent global warming gases. In 2009, the
emissions were 1.7 million metric tons, indicating that its carbon footprint grew larger. The report
adds, however, that its measuring system is still evolving, so totals for the two years are
"comparable up to a point."
The United Nations, which is inviting world diplomats to a conference on sustainability
in Rio de Janeiro in June, reports that its biggest problem is its ballooning air travel budget. It
produced 51 percent of total 2010 emissions, up from 48 percent in 2008.
According to the report, the United Nations is trying to create a downward trend by encouraging
train journeys over air travel, promoting e-conferencing and even providing bicycles for staff
members to ride to work, along with free bike repair workshops and also bike-sharing programs.
Among the improvements cited in the report was a high-technology venture, a new UNEP office
in Nairobi, Kenya. It features 6,000 square meters of solar panels. The new offices are "energy
neutral," according to the report, meaning they generate as much power as they consume over a
year.
There are low-tech projects, as well. Last October, the U.N. branch in Geneva encouraged
hundreds of sheep to graze the grasslands surrounding its ornate offices in the Palais des Nations.
"The sheep cut the grass in an ecologically sustainable manner," the report notes, "whilst
providing natural fertilizer for the grass and flowers to grow in spring."
The United Nations, which has 54 agencies around the world and more than 200,000 employees,
is on a learning curve. Achim Steiner, undersecretary-general and executive director of UNEP, put
it this way in the report: "The process of moving the U.N. towards climate neutrality gives us
direct experience of the complexities associated with preparing a large international organization
for a green economy."
Sustainable Development Goals
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), otherwise known as the Global Goals, are a
universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace
and prosperity. There are 17 Goals build on the successes of the Millennium Development Goals,
while including new areas such as climate change, economic inequality, innovation, sustainable
consumption, peace and justice, among other priorities. The goals are interconnected – often the
key to success on one will involve tackling issues more commonly associated with another. The
SDGs work in the spirit of partnership and pragmatism to make the right choices now to improve
life, in a sustainable way, for future generations. They provide clear guidelines and targets for all
countries to adopt in accordance with their own priorities and the environmental challenges of the
world at large.
The 13th goal so called “Climate Action” touches to the Greenhouse Gas emissions issue.
Every country in the world has started to experience first-hand the drastic effects of climate
change. Greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, and are now more than 50 percent higher than
their 1990 level. Further, global warming is causing long-lasting changes to our climate system,
which threatens irreversible consequences if there won’t be any action on this. Helping more
vulnerable regions, such as land locked countries and island states, adapt to climate change must
go hand in hand with efforts to integrate disaster risk measures into national strategies. It is still
possible, with the political will and a wide array of technological measures, to limit the increase
in global mean temperature to two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. This requires
urgent collective action.
Possible Solutions
•
Increasing the usage of renewable resources; geo-engineering; and carbon sequestration both natural sequestration by trees and the oceans, and artificial sequestration such as
geo-sequestration.
•
Reducing the world CO2 emissions constantly to stabilize the concentration of
atmospheric CO2 at 550ppm.
•
Educating the society about recycling and reusing properly, using more energy-efficient
products. More detailed explanations should be made to the public in order to raise
awareness about the climate change and it’s effects.
Bibliography
•
"Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d.
Web. 12 Dec. 2016.
•
Fialka, John J., and ClimateWire. "U.N. Struggles to Reduce Greenhouse Gas
Emissions." Scientific American. N.p., 25 Apr. 2012. Web. 10 Dec. 2016.
•
"Greenhouse Gases." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2016.
•
"National Action Plan for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions (RAN-GRK)." National
Action Plan for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions (RAN-GRK) | International
Partnership on Mitigation and MRV. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2016.
•
@GreenHarvard. "Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goal." Sustainability at Harvard. N.p., 09
Dec. 2016. Web. 12 Dec. 2016.
•
"National Action Plan for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions (RAN-GRK)." National
Action Plan for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions (RAN-GRK) | International
Partnership on Mitigation and MRV. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2016.
•
"Sustainable Development Goals." UNDP. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Dec. 2016.
•
"Goal 13: Climate Action." UNDP. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Dec. 2016.
•
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. "Status of Ratification." The
Paris Agreement - Main Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Dec. 2016.
•
"Climate Impacts on Human Health." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web.
24 Dec. 2016.