Carbon Basics

Question 1

Define the terms:
1) Carbon Neutrality
2) Zero Carbon Energy
3) Carbon
4) Carbon Cycle
5) Black and Brown Carbon
6) Blue and Green Carbon
7) Carbon Credits
8) Carbon Trading
9) Cap-and-Trade System
10) Carbon Offset

Answer 1

1) Carbon Neutrality: Involves reducing carbon emissions and offsetting the remaining emissions through carbon sequestration or capture. Includes concepts like carbon credits, net-zero, and renewable energy sources.

2) Zero Carbon Energy: Differentiates between zero-carbon energy and renewable energy. Highlights various renewable energy sources like solar, wind, hydro, bioenergy, geothermal, tidal, and hydrogen.

3) Carbon: A fundamental chemical element found in living organisms. The carbon cycle involves processes like photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, and combustion.

4) Carbon Cycle: Describes the movement of carbon through the atmosphere, oceans, living organisms, and fossil fuels. Carbon sinks and fluxes play a key role.

5) Black Carbon and Brown Carbon: Explains their origins, characteristics, and impacts on the environment.

6) Blue Carbon and Green Carbon: Refers to carbon stored in ocean and terrestrial ecosystems, respectively.

7) Carbon Credits: Represents the right to emit one metric ton of CO2, used to incentivize emission reductions. Originated from the Kyoto Protocol and expanded under the Paris Agreement.

8) Carbon Trading: A market mechanism for buying and selling carbon credits to facilitate emission reductions.

9) Cap-and-Trade System: Sets a cap on emissions and allows trading of emission allowances. Compared with carbon tax.

10) Carbon Offset: Represents the reduction or removal of GHG emissions to compensate for emissions elsewhere.

Question 2

What is the difference between zero-carbon energy and renewable energy?

Answer 2

Zero-carbon energy produces no carbon emissions, while renewable energy is derived from sources that are naturally replenished, like solar and wind.

Question 3

What role does carbon play in living organisms?

Answer 3

Carbon is a fundamental component of DNA, proteins, and other organic molecules, essential for life processes and cell growth.

Question 4

What is black carbon and how is it produced?

Answer 4

Black carbon is fine particulate matter originating from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, coal, biofuel, biomass, wood, and rubber.

Question 5

What is blue carbon?

Answer 5

Blue carbon refers to the carbon captured and stored in ocean and coastal ecosystems, such as seagrasses, mangroves, and marshes.

Question 6

What are the main types of carbon credits?

Answer 6

Avoidance/Reduction Credits: Generated by projects that avoid GHG emissions (e.g., renewable energy projects).

Removal Credits: Generated by projects that physically remove CO2 from the atmosphere (e.g., reforestation, direct air capture).

Question 7

What are the benefits and challenges of carbon credits?

Answer 7

1) Environmental: Encourages emission reductions.

2) Economic: Provides funding for sustainable projects.

3) Social: Supports sustainable livelihoods in developing countries.

Challenges:

1) Additionality: Ensuring projects wouldn’t occur without funding.

2) Double Counting: Avoiding credit counting by both buyer and seller.

3) Greenwashing: Preventing superficial environmental claims.

4) Market Oversupply: Managing excess credits to maintain incentives.

Question 8

Explain the cap-and-trade system and its components.

Answer 8

Cap-and-Trade System:

1. Market-Based Approach: Reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
2. Cap on Total Emissions: Sets a limit on emissions and divides it into allowances.
3. Allowances: Permits the emission of a specific amount of GHGs, typically one metric ton of CO2 or its equivalent.

1) Cap:

1. Regulatory body sets a
   maximum allowable limit on
   emissions.
2. Cap is divided into
   allowances.
3. Cap is periodically reduced to
   ensure overall emissions
   decrease over time.

2) Trade:

1. Entities allocated allowances
   based on historical emissions
   or purchased at auctions.
2. Entities that emit less can sell
   surplus allowances to those
   that exceed their limits.

3.Creates economic incentives
for companies to reduce
emissions and profit from
selling unused allowances.

Question 9

What are the key features of the Paris Agreement related to carbon trading?

Answer 9

The Paris Agreement includes Article 6, which focuses on international cooperation in carbon trading. It enables countries to trade emissions and generate new carbon credits to meet their climate goals. The key features of Article 6 are:

1) Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs): Countries can trade emission reductions to achieve their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

2) Sustainable Development Mechanism (SDM): Similar to the Clean Development Mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol, it allows the generation of carbon credits from projects that reduce or remove emissions in developing countries.

3) Non-Market Approaches (NMAs): Encourages cooperation through non-market mechanisms, including technology transfer, capacity-building, and finance support.

Question 10

differnce between black and brown carbon?

Answer 10

Black Carbon (BC):
1. Consists of pure carbon particles.

2. Emitted from sources like fossil fuels,
   coal, biomass, and biofuels.
3. Strongly absorbs all visible radiation.
4. Contributes significantly to
   atmospheric warming.

Brown Carbon (BrC):
1. Emitted from the combustion of
organic matter.

2. Primarily absorbs radiation in the
   lower visible and near ultraviolet
   wavelengths.
3. Coexists with black carbon in the
   atmosphere.
4. Affects atmospheric temperatures and
   the formation of clouds.
5. Has a generally lesser impact on
   atmospheric warming compared to
   black carbon.

Question 11

What is a carbon cycle explain it.

Answer 11

• Photosynthesis and Respiration: Plants absorb carbon dioxide (CO₂) during photosynthesis, converting it into organic matter. Animals and plants release CO₂ back into the atmosphere through respiration.
• Ocean Absorption: Oceans absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere, storing it as dissolved carbon. Marine organisms use this carbon to build shells and skeletons.
• Decomposition and Fossil Fuels: Dead organisms decompose, returning carbon to the soil. Over time, some carbon is stored as fossil fuels. Burning fossil fuels releases stored carbon back into the atmosphere as CO₂.