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International Polar Year Celebrates Inuit Partners in Arctic Research

Published 2 March, 2009 Environment , Shorts , Sustainability 1 Comment
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Last Wednesday marked the end of the International Polar Year (IPY 2007 – 2008), a year which saw 60 countries spending $1.2 billion on building knowledge around the polar ice caps, global climate systems, polar bears and equally important, the Arctic peoples.

Involving the Arctic communities was a key focal point of the 4th edition of the IPY, building on past efforts where “a typical Arctic family was 5: 2 parents, 2 children and 1 anthropologist” to include community education and research institutions as full partners.

Full partners that have been enthusiastically participating in activities ranging from climate monitoring to keeping track of local wildlife populations.

Now instead of helplessly watching the industrial world’s actions destroy their environment, Arctic communities, through efforts during the IPY, have been able to play active roles in developing knowledge that will dictate the world’s actions to address the urgent need to preserve our Polar regions.

Link: International Polar Year Celebrations

Bulgaria’s Energy Choice: Nuclear or Wind

Published 28 February, 2009 Articles , Environment , Sustainability Leave a Comment
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 Green Choice
As individuals we often make choices that reflect how sustainable or green we want to be. Whether its buying local produce or choosing to subscribe to ‘green power’ from our power suppliers, we have choices.

Its quite confronting when a sovereign nation does not have the same freedom of choice, at least when it comes to energy sources.

Forced to Close

Kozloduy Nuclear Facility

Kozloduy Nuclear Facility

When Bulgaria ascended to the European Union (EU) in 2007, 2 of its 4 Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) in Kozloduy, the country’s only operational nuclear power complex, were forced to cease operation due to Safety Concerns. This left the country with only 2 NPPs generating 2,000 Megawatts of electricity or 40% of the country’s electricity. A situation it did not have a choice in.
The EU did compensate the Bulgarian Government with funds of €500m but many in the country feel that this was grossly inadequate and would rather have the 2 NPPs back online. Nuclear power is not seen as a threat in Bulgaria but as a solution, and to many, the only solution. Kiril Nikolov, Deputy Director of Kozloduy, puts it bluntly, “Only nuclear power can provide the sheer amount of energy which mankind needs”

The Russian Option I

Inside Kozloduy

Inside Kozloduy, Source: BBC

This attitude has led Bulgaria to pursue its Nuclear Power strategy relentlessly, even in the face of one glaring problem. The country still has not developed a solution to deal with the vast quantities of Toxic Nuclear Waste generated from its plants. Until recently, the 2 remaining NPPs in Kozloduy were choking on their own waste and on the verge of shutting down.

Faced with desperation, Bulgaria again had no choice. It resumed a contract to transport its Nuclear Waste to Russia for processing. Russia’s high price coupled with Ukraine enforcing a substantial transit fee has kept other Eastern Europeans, like the Czechs, from considering this option and instead electing to develop solutions at home. 

Bulgaria is also keenly aware that the contract with Russia also states that one-day, all that Nuclear Waste will be re-imported into Bulgaria for storage, but it has no choice.

Cleantech

Or does it? 

Wind Farm in Kaliakra, Bulgaria

Wind Farm in Kaliakra, Bulgaria

In the last 2 years there has been a flurry of interest to build Wind Farms to generate electricity throughout Bulgaria and especially along its Black Sea coast. GE last week announced plans to build a $1 billion Wind Farm that will generate 500 Megawatts of Electricity.

This plant alone will generate 7 times more electricity that is currently being produced by Wind Power in Bulgaria, a paltry 70 Megawatts or 1% of the country’s electricity needs.

GE is not alone either, with AES (United States), EVN (Austria) and Alpiq (Switzerland) also announcing plans to build Wind Farms in the country. 

With this much foreign investment in Wind Farms, could Bulgarians finally be free of their reliance on Nuclear Power? After all, Bulgaria does have an obligation to an EU 2020 objective of 16% reliance on Renewable Energies.

The Russian Option II

Nuclear Plant Building Site, Belene. Source: BBC

Nuclear Plant Building Site, Belene. Source: BBC

In January 2008, Bulgaria’s government signed a contract with a subsidiary of Russia’s Gazprom to build… a $5.8 billion Nuclear Power Plant. A few years and 2000 Russian experts later, Bulgaria will play host to the 1st Russian Built Nuclear Facility in the European Union. A situation that makes Brussels very nervous, and not only because it is being built in Belene, a region extremely prone to severe earthquakes.

The Freedom to Choose?

In the years to come, Bulgarians will finally have a choice as Wind Power presents itself as a viable alternative to Nuclear Power. And if Bulgarian consumers do choose Wind Power, there will still be plenty of takers for Russian Bulgarian Nuclear Energy in the Region. Now if only the region would be as open to accepting Bulgarian Nuclear Waste when Russia ‘returns’ it.

Links:

Nuclear Dilemma in Bulgaria: BBC 1, BBC 2

GE Wind Farm in Bulgaria: Reuters, Greener Ideal

Deutsche Bank HQ Goes Green

Published 18 February, 2009 Articles , CSR , Environment , Sustainability 5 Comments
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Deutsche Bank HQ

Deutsche Bank HQ

Deutsche Bank has announced plans to give its Headquarters in Frankfurt a “Green Overhaul” which will deliver:

- 55% Reduction in Energy Use

- 55% Reduction in Carbon Emissions

- 43% Reduction in Water Consumption

- While recycling 98% of all Construction Waste

The 155m high buildings, known as ‘Debit’ and ‘Credit’, house 100.000 m2 of office space and was first occupied by Deutsche Bank in 1984.

Some features that Imtech, in charge of carrying our the ‘Green’ modernisation, will implement include:

- Opening Windows for Natural Ventilation

- Low Energy Facilities for Heating & Cooling

- Intelligent Building Management System

- Water Saving Systems

- Grey Water Recycling

- Intelligent Lighting

When it is completed in 2010, Deutsche Bank plans to obtain a Platinum award from the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) program managed by the US Green Building Council.

This sounds like a great example of sustainability thriving in the financial crisis because it just makes better business sense.

But the real question is, can Deutsche Bank’s new HQ outscore another recently refurbished HQ in New York City (which LEED awarded the Highest Point Total in the world for any commercial interior) ?

More on Deutsche Bank HQ’s Modernisation at: Webwire, BusinessGreen, BuildingSustainability

Deutsche Bank’s Website: GreenTowers

Previous EvolvingChoice Article on Deutsche Bank’s new Middle East CSR Foundation

A Flight to CleanTech?

Published 10 January, 2009 Articles , Environment , Responsible Investment , SRI , Sustainability 3 Comments
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 Forum for the Future, a sustainable development charity, has published a great article chronicling the recent ‘Chorus’ of political and business leaders envisioning CleanTech as one of the key areas investors will turn to as the financial markets recover.

It asks questions like ‘Will Obama force Detroit to take the Green Road?‘ and makes a case for a rise in interest in CleanTech in light of the current environment of:

a) Volatile Resource Pricing

b) Fears of Peak Petroleum

c) Flight to Tangibles

It also contains some headline worthy quotes from thought leaders such as Nicholas Stern, former World Bank Chief Economist, who said

This Recession will be Big, but Climate Change will be Bigger

and Merril Lynch’s CleanTech Strategist, Steven Milunovich, who refers to its rise as the ’6th Industrial Revolution’ and projects that solid investments in the field include:

Clean Technology1) Energy Efficiency

2) Electric Cars

3) Wind / Solar Powered Microgrids

With Geothermal Energy and Biofuels as Dark Horses.

Currently, like all new business ventures, CleanTech is deeply reliant on debt financing, however if the ‘Chorus’ is anything to go by, this could change very quickly with investors incorporating alternative risk criteria into their decision making.

China Carbon Trading Framework Released

Published 10 November, 2008 Articles , Carbon Management , Environment Leave a Comment
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CECPAToday, at CECPA in Beijing released details of the research being conducted for China’s Carbon Balance Trading Framework Report. A report that its chairman, Pan Yue, hopes will nudge China on its way towards a Low Carbon Economy, a goal which he describes as a major breakthrough required for China to build an ecological civilisation.

CECPA Press Conference

CECPA Press Conference

After carefully looking at the successful experience of leading nations in this field, the project team tasked with this piece of critical research have put forward their recommendation of implementing a “Carbon Source- Carbon Sink” trading system between Chinese provinces. The researchers also suggest that carbon be used as a rigid target for the monitoring, identification and control of economic activity.

Also Reported at: CSR Asia & ChinaCSR

Asia & The Cost of Extreme Weather

Published 8 November, 2008 Articles , Carbon Management , Environment 2 Comments
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Carbon Disclosure Project Launch

Carbon Disclosure Project Launch

Last Month in Taipei saw the launch of this year’s edition of the CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) Report for Asia Ex-Japan conducted by ASrIA (Association for Sustainable & Responsible Investment in Asia).

The report has seen increasing participation over the years with this year’s edition involving 220 companies throughout Asia (Taiwan, Korea and Singapore in particular had high response rates). Not only has the report increased in breadth but also in the depth of responses it does receive.

This year’s responses were noted to have significantly moved past generic responses to more specific disclosures with many more companies willing to report on initial climate change work.

Traditional leaders in ESG within Asia have been observed to be experimenting intensively with targets and metrics which could very well define Carbon Leadership in the region.

Also highlighted is proof that the the Global Power Brands are working with some success in encouraging their extensive supply chain to begin reporting on carbon emissions.

Extreme Weather Events: A Material Risk to Facilities & Supply Chains

One of the key themes of the report was the rise in recognition of extreme weather events as requiring both mitigation and adaptation.

Specific weather events cited include:

Man Stoking Forest Clearing Fires in IndonesiaHaze over Kuala LumpurSand Storm Engulfs Chinese Cities

Hynix, a Korean semiconductor supplier, specifically disclosed that its operational processes were permeated by yellow sand from these Sand Storms, causing damage to products and plant.

Basic recognition is widespread with 70% of respondents citing the potential of Weather Events to:

  • Disrupt Production
  • Interrupt Services
  • Impact Assets

However only a handful of companies have delved further to highlight information such as the consequent impact of weather events on production cost.

A major catalyst for enhanced risk management in this area are the Climate Change Assessment Processes conducted by ESG consultants and their uncovering of the greater impacts of weather risk. Examples of enhanced risk management include being insured for ‘Climate Change driven Financial Risk Management’ as disclosed by LG Electronics.

There are some companies however that indicate that they do not perceive weather events as potential business risks at all, one of these companies is Tata Steel.

We are not affected by Weather Events, Change in the Weather Pattern, Rising Atmosphere or Sea Level RiseTata Steel

Lastly, some companies actually report potential benefits from these weather events. Members of the Telecoms industry for example cite the potential for these events to allow them to demonstrate the potential of mobile communications and the potential for their technologies to be employed in the development of environmental monitoring solutions.

Time for the Green Watch?

Published 8 August, 2008 Articles , Environment Leave a Comment
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With CSR as the new luxury trend, it’s not surprising to see a whole host of watches declaring themselves to be ‘carbon neutral’. Perhaps the top-down trend will show results, with leadership starting to come from a variety of luxury brands (like LVMH’s Veuve Clicquot, previously mentioned). Certainly IWC’s ‘Climate Action’ edition of their Ingenieur line will be an aspirational token for the few, with slick design and only 1000 pieces to be sold. Part profits will go to NGO The Climate Group, and just in case you forget which cause you’re supporting they’ve engraved it on the back for you.

However, it might just be outdone by Wyler Geneve’s GMT, which not only claims to have a well-designed and cutting edge watch but that its entire production is carbon neutral. Certified by the CarbonNeutral Company, it is the first watch to be able to claim this. But with the company essentially just calculating the emissions then paying offsets, not much has changed in actually design and manufacturing – wouldn’t it be nice if their whole product line followed?

That’s what Citizen, slightly lower in the luxury stakes, has been aiming for with its Eco-Drive brand. Watches in this line use solar energy to keep their batteries charged, meaning that ‘you’ll never have to change your watch battery again’. It’s not going to win any design awards and could be pushing the ‘a little bit goes a long way’ philosophy, but it’s novel, and likely to get them a little more custom.

The main impression that I get is that, in timepieces at least, it’s a lot of green-washing for sales and not much overall consideration of environmental impact.

[First posted on http://katherineliew.wordpress.com]

Fiji Water – World’s 1st ‘Carbon Negative’ Water

Published 5 June, 2008 Articles , Carbon Management , CSR , Environment , Ethical Consumerism 3 Comments
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A ‘culture of indulgence’ ? The explosion of bottled water into an industry worth over 15 billion in the US alone has had many of us asking..

Why IS it that each week, we fly, ship and drive more than 1 billion tonnes of water that’s only a twist of a tap away

Fiji Water

Will Fiji Water faithfuls continue to tolerate that beautiful idyllic image of its source being tarnished by ideas of polluted rivers overflowing with waste byproducts. In a world where we are often judged by what we consume, will bottled water still continue to be fashionably ordered at a cafe without friends gasping in horror, “You mean you haven’t SEEN An Inconvenient Truth?”.

Last year, Fiji Water, perhaps on fears that it might be losing customers to (shock and horror) tap water, announced that its operations were now carbon negative.Tap Water

Yes, when you pick up a bottle of Fiji Water, you ‘should’ no longer feel like part of that ugly problem of climate change. In fact, that 1.5l bottle of water you’re holding has just saved as much carbon as your decision to walk 5 blocks to the grocery instead of driving (you DID walk didn’t you?).

Its a little tricky though, Fiji Water’s factories did not just start absorbing all the carbon around them, neither have all of Fiji Water’s trucks stopped emitting carbon.

They have achieved this dramatic ’120% carbon offset’ by investing in carbon negative projects like reforestation and renewable energy initiatives.

An example of one such project is the ‘Forest Carbon Project’ in the Yaqara Valley on the island of Viti Levu in Fiji. Partnering with Conservation International (CI), the project engages in native species restoration.

What is Forward Crediting?:

Step 1. Projects like the above have their cumulative ‘carbon impact’ for the next 30 years estimated.

Step 2. 30 years worth of carbon impact are immediately factored into Fiji Water’s 2008 120% Carbon Offset

Immediate real reductions are also being reported:

- Trucking Miles (from Warehouses to Distributors) : Reduced by 26%

- Fuel Usage (from Plant to Port with Fuel Efficient Trucks): Reduced by 50%

- Packaging (1.5l bottle only): Reduced by 7%

- Waste Reduction (Landfill Use): Reduced by 70%

Maybe buying that 1.5l bottle of Fiji Water has not miraculously offset the carbon you generated driving to the supermarket, but at least, with full carbon footprint measurement (raw materials to consumption) and reporting, you now have a better idea of exactly how much carbon has been released to get a bottle into your hands.

From the initiative’s website FijiGreen.com, you will also be able to discover that it is suppliers that are producing over 80% of your bottle’s carbon emissions, not the guys at Fiji Water (you know and love?).

Now if only they could get safe drinking water to the 1/3 of Fijians who have no access to it.

For more bottled water facts: Pacific Institute on Bottled Water

For a blog that makes its stand clear: Don’t drink Fiji Water

This blogger’s favourite spots in Fiji: Leleuvia and Bobo’s

Banned Chinese Bags!

Published 28 May, 2008 Articles , Environment 1 Comment
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Chinese Supermarkets Charge for Plastic BagsChina will experience a mini-revolution come Sunday, as the much anticipated (or dreaded, depending on which side of the fence you’re on) as the National Ban on Free Plastic Bags takes effect.

Though not a world first (Ireland implemented a 12 cent plastic bag tax in August 2002), it is a significant further sign that the Chinese Central Government is taking environmental issues seriously. Also, we should remember that this law (if successful) will reduce the plastic bag consumption of 1.3 Billion people (20% of the world’s population) by mandating that stores charge customers between 0.2 – 2.0 RMB (3 – 30 cents) per plastic bag.

Brits are prepared for it. Retailers like Marks & Spencer have reacted and introduced a 5 pence fee for plastic bags at their supermarkets. Hopefully setting a precedent, as Hong Kong supermarket chain Park ‘n’ Shop did when it started asking shoppers to pay 20 HK cents for plastic bags in November last year.

In Australia, Peter Garret MP (former frontman of the rock band Midnight Oil), a leading proponent of initiatives to reduce plastic bag use in the country seems to have lost federal support for a rumoured national $1 tax on plastic bags. There is however a chance that state governments, might continue exploring a $1 tax as a means of reducing plastic bag use.

As for America, where 100 billion shopping bags are used a year, things do not look optimistic, especially if you believe this WorldWatch spokesman’s claim that “The mentality in America is plastics bags come from plastic bag land. We don’t think about where they come from and where they’re going.”

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