Climate Mitigation

Question 1

What is mitigation according to the IPCC?

Answer 1

A human intervention to reduce emissions or enhance the sinks of greenhouse gases.

Question 2

What is a sink?

Answer 2

A reservoir (natural or human, in soil, ocean and plants) where a GHG, aerosol or a precursor of a GHG is stored.

Question 3

What is the Paris Agreement/Paris Climate Accords (2015)?

Answer 3

• International treaty on climate change, adopted by 196 countries at COP21 in Paris, France (2015).
• Goal: limit global warming to well below 2 degrees celsius compared to pre-industrial (1750) levels.
• By 2020: countries to submit plans for climate action known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Actions they will take to reduce GHG emissions and meet Paris targets. Include actions to build resilience & adapt to changing climate.

Question 4

Are we on track to meet global commitments?

Answer 4

No, we’re falling short, on track for > 2.7 degrees celsius. We are not doing enough, fast enough.

Question 5

What are some IPCC Assessment Report (AR) 6 warnings?

Answer 5

“Unless there are immediate, rapid, and large-scale reductions in GHG emissions, limiting warming to 1.5 degrees celsius will be beyond reach.”
“It is indisputable that human activities are causing climate change, making extreme climate events, including heat waves, heavy rainfall, and droughts, more frequent and severe.”
“Climate change is already affecting every region on Earth, in multiple ways. The changes we experience will increase with further warming.”
“To limit global warming, strong, rapid, and sustained reductions in CO2, methane, and other GHGs are necessary.”

Question 6

Summarise NZ’s CO2 emissions by fuel or industry type.

Answer 6

Mostly oil (transport), and also gas (heating, industry, etc.) & coal (electricity).

Question 7

When did NZ’s CO2 emissions start to increase drastically?

Answer 7

~1950. After WWII (1939-1945)

Question 8

What is NZ’s approach to climate mitigation?
- Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill

Answer 8

The domestic 2050 target requires at least:
- Net zero emissions of all GHG other than biogenic methane by and beyond 2050
- 10% reduction below 2017 biogenic methane emissions by 2030
- 24 to 47 % reduction below 2017 biogenic methane emissions by and beyond 2050

Question 9

NZ’s overall rating according to Climate Action Tracker is …

Answer 9

HIGHLY INSUFFICIENT

Question 10

What are some notable UN sustainable development goals?

Answer 10

7 - Affordable and clean energy
11 - Sustainable cities and communities
13 - Climate action

Question 11

Describe “Tragedy of the Commons”

Answer 11

An economic theory - individuals will act in their own self-interest; contrary to public good; leads to depletion and over-exploitation

Question 12

Define “sustainable development” (as defined by the World Commission on Environment and Development)

Answer 12

“Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

Question 13

What are the Three Pillars of Sustainability: the “Triple Bottom Line”

Answer 13

People, Planet, Prosperity
(People, environment, economics)
People + Planet = Bearable
People + Prosperity = Equitable
Planet + Prosperity = Viable
People + Planet + Prosperity = Sustainable

Question 14

What is sustainability?

Answer 14

Maintaining balance, improving efficiency, in the face of change over time

Question 15

Applied to engineering and engineering decisions, sustainability is?

Answer 15

Cost-effective, enduring, efficient, longevity, usefulness

Question 16

Climate mitigation and sustainability go hand-in-hand:

Answer 16

• not mutually exclusive
• sustainability assessments focus on emissions accounting

Question 17

Why does mitigation matter for CNRE?

Answer 17

• engineered systems have an outsize impact
• decisions made by engineers also impact on the climate of those systems

Question 18

What is the largest contributor to GHG emissions in NZ?

Answer 18

Agriculture

Question 19

NDCs help guide the determination of our:

Answer 19

Carbon budgets

Question 20

Are global GHG emissions evenly distributed across world regions?

Answer 20

No.

Question 21

What is the leading contributor to global GHG emissions?

Answer 21

Energy.

Question 22

Coal is incredible carbon intensive, producing about X times as much carbon dioxide as natural gas per unit of energy.

Answer 22

2

Question 23

Methane emissions must be tackled in the next decade if we are to have any hope of keeping global warming to 1.5 degrees. It has about X times the warming impact of CO2 over a 20-year period.

Answer 23

80

Question 24

Poor farming practices and deforestation hamper the ability of soils and trees to:

Answer 24

Store carbon

Question 25

According to the International Energy Agency, passenger air travel needs to be capped at:

Answer 25

Pre-pandemic levels.

Question 26

How to homes contribute to climate change?

Answer 26

• Heating and cooking systems that rely on fossil fuels
• Emissions produced when making building materials
• Loss of heat through inefficiency

Insulating existing homes and installing solar panels or heat pumps - or retrofitting - is the key to reducing impact.

Question 27

Should we set a carbon price (a tax for every tonne of carbon produced by the goods and services we make or buy)?

Answer 27

Yes, but don’t set it too high (which led to protests in France). Also consider equality and equity - are we disadvantaging the more vulnerable?