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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.