Capital 3 Flashcards
What is the share of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in global GHG emissions, and what are its primary sources?
CO₂: 75% of global GHG emissions.
Sources:
- Burning fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, coal).
- Burning solid waste.
- Burning trees and wood products.
What is methane’s share in GHG emissions, its potency, and primary sources?
CH₄: 17% of global GHG emissions.
Potency: 80x more potent than CO₂ over 20 years (shorter-lived).
Sources:
- Agriculture (e.g., cows burping, ~40%).
- Fossil fuel production and use (~40%).
- Waste decay (e.g., landfills, ~20%).
What is nitrous oxide’s contribution to GHG emissions, its potency, and primary sources?
N₂O: 6% of global GHG emissions.
Potency: ~270x more potent than CO₂, lasts ~100 years in the atmosphere.
Sources:
- Fertilizer use in agriculture (~75% of N₂O emissions in the US).
- Other industrial or waste processes.
What does “Carbon Neutral” mean in the context of climate commitments?
- Climater impact
- Mitigation approach
- Activity scope
- Emissions timeframe
-
Climate impact:
Focuses on carbon only. -
Mititgation appraoch:
Includes all mitigation efforts to balance emissions. - Activity Scope:
Applies to the total footprint of emissions and Scope 1,2 or 3 - Emissions timeframe:
Relevant to annual emissions over a short or long-term target. - Example company: Delta.
How is “Climate Neutral” defined, and how does it differ from “Carbon Neutral”?
- Climater impact
- Mitigation approach
- Activity scope
- Emissions timeframe
-
Climate impact:
Includes Kyoto gases and other impacts, not just carbon -
Mitigation approach:
Covers all mitigations like offsets and reductions -
Activity scope:
Applies to the total footprint of emissions and Scope 1,2 or 3 -
Emissions timeframe:
Relevant to annual emissions over a short or long-term target.
What does “Absolute Zero” entail as a climate goal?
-
Climate impact:
Includes Kyoto gases and other impacts, not just carbon -
Mitigation approach:
Focuses only on abatement (direct reduction of emissions, no offsets) -
Activity scope:
Applies to the total footprint of emissions and Scope 1,2 or 3 -
Emissions timeframe:
Relevant to annual emissions over a short or long-term target.
What is “Net Zero,” and how is it achieved?
-
Climate impact:
Includes Kyoto gases and other impacts, not just carbon -
Mitigation approach:
Combines abatement and removal strategies -
Activity scope:
Aims to neutralize emissions for the total footprint and can apply to scope 1,2 and 3 emissions -
Emissions timeframe:
Relevant to annual emissions over a short or long-term target.
What does “Climate Positive” imply for a company’s climate strategy?
-
Climate impact:
Includes Kyoto gases and other impacts, not just carbon -
Mitigation approach:
Combines abatement and removal strategies -
Activity scope:
Goes beyond neutralization, removing more emissions than produced and can apply to scope 1,2 or 3 -
Emissions timeframe:
Relevant to annual emissions over a short or long-term target.
What does “Carbon Negative” mean?
-
Climate impact:
Includes Kyoto gases and other impacts, not just carbon -
Mitigation approach:
Combines abatement and removal strategies -
Activity scope:
Aims to neutralize emissions for the total footprint and can apply to scope 1,2 and 3 emissions -
Emissions timeframe:
Historic emissions
What are the four leading sustainabile insitutions that collaborate together for SBTi?
- World Resources Institute
- WWF
- United Nations: Global Compact
- CDP
When are targets considered “science-based?
- if they are in line with what the latest climate science says is necessary to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement
- to limit global warming to well-below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C
How is Net Zero emmissions different from Carbon Neutral?
SBTi defintions?
Net Zero (SBTi Definition):
Focuses on addressing residual emissions after decarbonization using neutralization levers only
Carbon Neutral:
Addresses CO₂ footprint using a mix of compensation and neutralization strategies.
What is the SBTi definition for Climate neutral? (Matrix]
Addressing all climate impact through a mix of compensation and neutralizations
What are the two axes of distinction of the different climate terms?
1.Scope of Impact: Covers either
- CO₂ only,
- all GHGs, or
- all climate forcers.
2.Mitigation Approach: Involves
- abatement,
- compensation, and
- neutralization strategies.
What terms have as mitigation approach: Abatement ?
- Zero Carbon: Focuses on CO₂ only and abatement
- Zero Emissions: Includes all GHGs. by Abatement
What is included in Scope 1 emissions?
Scope 1 refers to direct emissions from a company’s own sources, such as:
- Company facilities
- Company vehicles (owned or controlled).
WhWhat is included in Scope 2 emissions?
= refers to indirect emissions from the consumption of the companies purchased energy, including:
- Electricity
- Steam, heating,
and cooling used by the company
Can you name examples of Scope 3 upstream activities?
- Purchased goods and services
- Capital goods
- Transportation and distribution
- Employee commuting
- Fuel & Energy related activities
- Business travel
- Leased assets
What is included in Scope 3 emissions?
= refers to indirect emissions across the entire value chain:
- Upstream (e.g., purchased goods, transportation, employee commuting)
- Downstream (e.g., use of sold products, end-of-life treatment, franchises)
Can you name examples of Scope 3 downstream activities?
- Use of sold products
- End-of-life treatment of sold products
- Franchises
- Investments
- Leased assets
What are abatement approaches?
- Circularity/Recycling
- Material & process efficiency
- Renewable power
- Renewable heat
- Fuel switch
- New processes
- Nature based solutions
- Carbon capture (CCUS)
- Activity reduction
How does circularity and recycling contribute to emissions abatement?
By reducing the use of material and primary feedstock through recycling and circular economy practices
What role does material and process efficiency play in reducing emissions?
It involves improving energy efficiency using state-of-the-art technologies to lower emissions
How does renewable power help achieve net-zero emissions? (abatement approaches)
By substituting conventional fossil-energy-based power generation with renewable energy sources like wind or solar.
What is renewable heat in the context of emissions abatement?
It refers to substituting conventionalfossil-based heat generation with heat from renewable energy sources.
