WRI Stories Feed: Greenhouse Gas Protocol

PRESS RELEASE: New Greenhouse Gas Standards Unveiled for Corporate Value Chain and Products in China

Lauren Zelin — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 23:02:50 -0500

The Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol) launched two new standards today in Beijing, China that will empower businesses to better measure, manage, and report their greenhouse gas emissions. Developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), the Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) and Product Life Cycle Standards will enable companies to save money, reduce risks, and gain competitive advantage.

It is the first time for WRI and WBCSD to officially release GHG Protocol standards in China. Eight Chinese companies were involved in road testing these new standards, and other Chinese organizations were engaged in the GHG Protocol’s international standards development process.

The eight road testing companies are Baosteel Group Corporation, Lenovo China, Quanta Computer, PricewaterhouseCoopers China, Swire Beverages, Lianye Garment-making (Dongguan) Co., Ltd, Shanghai Zidan Printing Co., Ltd, Kunshan Taiying Painting Co., Ltd.

Wah Fung Group is the first Chinese company to adopt the final Product Life Cycle Standard. As a leading fabric supplier, Wah Fung Group released a report showing that its Cold Pad Batch dyeing technology achieved 13 percent carbon savings and over 50 percent water savings compared with the conventional dyeing process.

“These standards are a breakthrough for business. For the first time, companies will be able to measure and manage the full scope of emissions in their value chain and products, so they can take advantage of new opportunities as they reduce greenhouse gases,” said Manish Bapna, Interim President, WRI. “Backed by the credibility of the GHG Protocol, the new standards will help move businesses and reporting programs to one harmonized global reporting framework.”

The new standards were created in response to businesses that want to better understand and measure their climate impacts beyond their own operations. Companies that use the standards will be able to create better products and improve efficiency throughout the value chain.

“The new standards provide companies with a comprehensive view of the emissions produced when making a product and across the value chain. They will help companies make better business decisions and stimulate innovation of products and production methods,” said Björn Stigson, President, WBCSD. “In today’s world, it is necessary to understand and measure the costs for production, labor and transportation of products, which become visible and actionable through emissions.”

The Corporate Value Chain Standard reveals opportunities for companies to make more sustainable decisions about their activities and the products they produce, buy and sell. Large and small companies can look strategically at greenhouse gas emissions across their value chain, showing them where to focus limited resources to have the biggest impacts.

“The new Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Value Chain Standard provides a much needed harmonized global methodology for businesses to measure corporate value chain and product greenhouse gas emissions,” said Kelly Semrau, Senior Vice President of Global Corporate Affairs, Communication and Sustainability for S.C. Johnson. “Our road test of the new Scope 3 standard provides us with key data to drive our strategic business decisions regarding greenhouse gas reductions. We encourage other businesses to similarly employ this effective method to measure, and subsequently address, greenhouse gas emissions from the entire value chain.”

The Product Life Cycle Standard enables companies to measure the greenhouse gas emissions of an individual product. Covering materials, manufacturing, use and disposal, the product standard will help companies improve existing products and design new products, and provide insights for more informed consumer choices.

“The new GHG Protocol Product Standard gives us a globally consistent approach to measure and manage our product emissions that will help us innovate and improve our products over time,” said Kevin Anton, Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer, Alcoa. “This knowledge may bring us savings in both carbon and cost, but it is also exciting to think what this might mean for the future of customer education and purchasing. In a world where knowledge is power, the GHG Protocol Product Standard gives us and our customers the information needed to make informed decisions.”

Alcoa performed a cradle-to-grave GHG inventory of their aluminum truck wheel, with an assumed recycling rate of 95 percent. Through recycling, Alcoa could achieve a 10 percent reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

Already, these new standards are gaining widespread traction:

The Consumer Goods Forum, representing over 400 consumer goods companies and retailers with a combined 3 trillion dollars in sales, has recommended the new standards be used by members who choose to measure and report scope 3 and product greenhouse gas emissions;
The Sustainability Consortium has adopted the Product Life Cycle Standard as the GHG methodology used in their tools to promote product sustainability; and
The Global e-Sustainability Initiative, a consortium of leading ICT companies and other experts, are utilizing the Product Standard as the basis for developing sector guidance for ICT products and services.

The Corporate Value Chain and Product Life Cycle Standards were developed with input from business leaders, NGOs, academics, and policymakers. More than 2,300 participants from 55 countries contributed to the process, and 60 companies road tested the new standards.

“The standards were developed through a global, multi-stakeholder process making them both credible and user-friendly,” said Pankaj Bhatia, Director, GHG Protocol, WRI. “Building on current best practice and extensive input from businesses, governments, and other partners, these standards will be beneficial to businesses and other stakeholders in developing strategies to reduce emissions around the globe.”

The new standards are available on the GHG Protocol website: www.ghgprotocol.org.

GHG Protocol: The Gold Standard for Accounting for Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Janet Ranganathan — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:51:25 -0400

Today the GHG Protocol launches two new global greenhouse gas accounting standards - for corporate value chains (scope 3)…

PRESS RELEASE: New Greenhouse Gas Standards Unveiled for Corporate Value Chain and Products

Lauren Zelin — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 15:22:02 -0400

The Greenhouse Gas Protocol launched two new standards today that will empower businesses to better measure, manage, and report their greenhouse gas emissions. Developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), the Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) and Product Life Cycle Standards will enable companies to save money, reduce risks, and gain competitive advantages.

GHGP Resources

Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard

Product Life Cycle Standard

Fact Sheet (PDF, 2 pages, 104 Kb)
FAQ About the Standards (PDF, 4 pages, 127 Kb)
Quote Sheet (PDF, 2 pages, 93 Kb)
Watch the Video
Listen Live to the NYC Event
Follow the Event on Twitter (hashtag #ghgp)
Slide Presentation
Q&A with Janet Ranganathan & Pankaj Bhatia

The Product Life Cycle Standard enables companies to measure the greenhouse gas emissions of an individual product. Covering materials, manufacturing, use and disposal, the product standard will help companies improve and design new products, and provide insights for more informed consumer choices.

Already, these new standards are gaining widespread traction:

The Consumer Goods Forum, representing over 400 consumer goods companies and retailers with a combined 3 trillion dollars in sales, has recommended the new standards be used by members who choose to measure and report scope 3 and product greenhouse gas emissions;
The Sustainability Consortium has adopted the Product Life Cycle Standard as the GHG methodology used in their tools to promote product sustainability; and
The Global e-Sustainability Initiative, a consortium of leading ICT companies and other experts, are utilizing the Product Standard as the basis for developing sector guidance for ICT products and services.

The new standards are available at: www.ghgprotocol.org.

# # #

The Greenhouse Gas Protocol is a global collaboration led by WBCSD and WRI. It provides the foundation for sustainable climate strategies and more efficient, resilient and profitable organizations. GHG Protocol standards are the most widely used accounting tools to measure, manage and report on greenhouse gas emissions. www.ghgprotocol.org

The World Resources Institute is a global environmental think tank that goes beyond research to put ideas into action. WRI works with governments, companies, and civil society to build solutions to urgent environmental challenges. www.wri.org

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development is a CEO-led, global coalition of some 200 companies advocating for progress on sustainable development. Its mission is to be a catalyst for innovation and sustainable growth in a world where resources are increasingly limited. The Council provides a platform for companies to share experiences and best practices on sustainable development issues and advocate for their implementation, working with governments, non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations. www.wbcsd.org

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ADVISORY: Global Launch of New Standards to Measure Corporate Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Michael Oko — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 11:12:51 -0400

Two new international standards will be launched at events in New York and London to enable corporations to measure and manage greenhouse gas emissions across their entire value chain and product lifecycle. The standards will be released on Tuesday, October 4, 2011, at Citigroup in New York City and RSA House in London.

The new Corporate Value Chain Standard reveals the biggest opportunities for organizations to make more sustainable decisions about their activities and the products they produce, buy, and sell. The new Product Lifecycle Standard will enable companies to measure the GHG emissions of an individual product using a credible international approach.

The standards are being released by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, a global collaboration led by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).

The events will feature business leaders and sustainability experts from leading companies and associations. The NY press event will be followed immediately by two panel discussions with business leaders, moderated by Eric Roston, Sustainability Editor, Bloomberg News, and Ed Crooks, US Industry and Energy Editor, Financial Times.

WHAT
Global Launch of the GHG Protocol Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) and Product Lifecycle Standards in New York City. (See the full agenda, here).

WHO
* Linda Fisher, VP for Safety Health & Environment and Chief Sustainability Officer, Dupont
* Edwin Pinero, Executive Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer, Veolia Water, North America
* Manish Bapna, Interim President, WRI
* Thierry Berthoud, Managing Director of Energy and Climate, WBCSD
* Pankaj Bhatia, Director, Greenhouse Gas Protocol, WRI

WHEN
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Press Conference: 9:00 – 10:15 a.m. EST, followed by two panel discussions

WHERE
Citigroup (Map)
388 Greenwich Street, Greenwich Rooms, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10013

A light breakfast and refreshments will be served.

RSVP is required by Thursday, September 29, 2011. Media should RSVP to: press@wri.org

NOTE: For more information about the London event, see: http://bit.ly/ghgpLOND

C40 Shows How Cities Can Lead on Climate Change Solutions

Manish Bapna — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 09:09:53 -0400

When it comes to changing the way we use energy, cities are at the center of the action.

On June 2nd, I had the pleasure of speaking at the C40 Summit in São Paulo, Brazil. The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group consists of iconic cities from around the world committed to addressing climate change. Chaired by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the group has recently joined forces with the Clinton Climate Initiative’s Cities Program. Together, this partnership can have meaningful role in the fight against climate change.

Cities are already responsible for more than 80% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. By 2030, the world will have almost 5 billion city residents – about 60 percent of the world’s population. These cities will need to learn quickly how to build housing and transportation systems, ensure food and energy supplies and deal with waste – all while cutting back greenhouse gas emissions.

Cities are part of the problem, but they are also part of the solution. They are centers of innovation and incubators for new technologies. This was apparent at the C40, where representatives from cities as diverse as Lagos, Jakarta, and New York were sharing stories of what works and what doesn’t.

My job at the C40 was to participate in a roundtable discussion on some of the ways cities can address their energy consumption. This is a real challenge as energy accounts for almost 65% of global greenhouse gas emissions. We can’t successfully tackle climate change without redefining how we produce and consume energy.

Fortunately, there are opportunities in this space. A recent IPCC report estimates renewable energy could provide 80% of the world’s energy by 2050. Today, it represents only 13% of energy supply¹. We have to do more, quickly, to both scale up renewable energy and improve energy efficiency. This is where cities can step in and show the way. Here are some examples of how they might lead:

Measuring Greenhouse Gas Emissions

From his Chairman’s seat at the conference, Mayor Bloomberg tweeted “If we can measure it, we can manage it.”

This is absolutely true. Cities must know what their greenhouse gas emissions are before they can set targets and develop policies to reduce them. Mayor Bloomberg’s tweet was a reference to a key initiative announced at the meeting: the C40’s collaboration with ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability to develop a standard for measuring city greenhouse gas emissions.

ICLEI’s new effort is building upon years of accounting experience, including that of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Standard, the joint WRI and WBCSD accounting standard that is now the leading tool globally for businesses and governments to measure greenhouse gas emissions. WRI has begun developing a city-level emissions accounting framework tailored for China. WRI’s city framework will measure both direct and indirect emissions. This means that emissions from goods and services produced and consumed by city residents would be included in a city’s emissions assessment.

Our goal is for WRI’s city accounting framework to complement and align seamlessly with ICLEI’s standard, so that cities all around the world are able to accurately measure – and thereby manage – their greenhouse gas emissions.

Bus Rapid Transit

Another exciting possibility for cities lies in Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). BRT systems comprise dedicated bus lanes, large buses with multiple doors to make boarding and exiting faster, and stations where you can buy your ticket before you get on the bus. These systems provide transportation to more people, more efficiently than ordinary bus lines.

Cities are installing these systems because they bring reductions in cost, commuting time, and traffic, among other reasons. But another co-benefit of BRTs is the reduced GHG emissions:

They encourage people to uses buses instead of cars or motorcycles.
They are much more efficient than regular bus lines and therefore use less fuel.
They can even encourage smarter, denser urban planning and thereby reduce the number and length of motorized trips required for urban life.

BRT installation is accelerating at a tremendous pace. Around 120 cities now have BRT systems or bus corridors, and the vast majority of them were constructed in the last 10 years. Quite interestingly, most cities embracing BRTs are in the developing world, where they have proven a less costly alternative to light rail.

Collaborative Solar Purchasing

Cities are prime locations for what is called “distributed on-site solar”, meaning solar power that is generated at small scale (like on individual rooftops) and often used at or near the same site where it is generated. The problem now is that each building owner needs to install his or her own panels, and learning about the different financing options, technologies and permitting processes can be overwhelming.

At WRI we are analyzing the possibilities of collaborative solar purchasing, which allows small homeowners or businesses in the same area to collectively negotiate solar power contracts. Bringing buyers together, educating them about the technology, and clarifying financing options can lower costs by 10-15% and save 75% on administrative time and fees.

There are several initiatives in the United States, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar America Cities program:

In Portland, Oregon residential solar PV installations have tripled since the city began facilitating collaborative purchases.
San Francisco, in collaboration with WRI and others, is designing a new collaborative purchase program for businesses. Negotiations are underway with vendors now, and the first round of projects is likely to result in more than 2 MW of distributed solar installation.

Is this model applicable in other countries? We will soon see. China is currently designing its own Solar China Cities program – similar to the Solar America Cities program mentioned above – that will target 100 cities. And India has announced plans to support 60 solar cities before 2013.

Cities as Climate Leaders

At times here in Washington, optimism about our capacity to solve the climate crisis is in short supply. But our cities give us reason for hope. Though they can’t do it alone, these hubs of innovation are leading the way. By showing that fighting climate change goes hand in hand with creating jobs, increasing security, and improving the quality of life for our growing urban populations, these incubators may help to break down some of the inertia that persists in other political arenas.

Of the 13% share of renewable energy, traditional biomass makes up the majority at 10% while other modern renewable sources (wind, solar, geothermal, low impact hydropower, etc.) represent less than 1%. ↩

NEWS RELEASE: New Greenhouse Gas Protocol Accounting Standards Available for Public Comment

Jessica Forres — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 12:08:40 -0400

WRI and WBCSD unveil new Product and Supply Chain Standards

Comprehensive global standards that will help business and government understand, measure and manage greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have entered the final stage and are available for public comment.

These new standards, developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), will help measure the emissions of supply chains and products.

The two standards— the Product Accounting and Reporting Standard and the Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Accounting and Reporting Standard— supplement the existing Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard, which has become the global framework for GHG reporting by companies. The new standards are part of a multi-stakeholder 12-year partnership, the GHG Protocol Initiative, led by WRI and WBCSD to provide real-world solutions to help reduce emissions.

“The business community is taking action to reduce their emissions by finding innovative and cost-effective solutions. The original GHG Protocol Corporate Standard helped businesses understand the impacts of their own operations,” said Björn Stigson, president of the WBCSD. “These two new standards give businesses the tools they need to understand the emissions across the entire life cycle of their products and through their value chains, and manage it accordingly.”

The GHG Protocol Product Standard studies all potential contributions to the emissions of a product, including suppliers, transportation, production and disposal, while the Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard allows corporations to measure and manage their GHG emissions across their entire supply chain.

“Throughout the process, we are engaging with a wide-range of stakeholders to ensure that these standards are of the highest quality, user-friendly and practical for businesses,” said Jonathan Lash, president of WRI. “These standards will provide an essential resource for businesses so they can track, measure and control their emissions.”

The two standards have already undergone significant input, review, comment and testing over the last two years. A unique feature of the development process is the “road testing” of the new standards. Sixty-two companies from a variety of countries and sectors tested the standards over a six month period and submitted comprehensive feedback on their usability.

The companies involved in the road testing reported that they were able to complete an inventory in conformance with the requirements and found the guidance provided in the standards helpful and practical. Summaries of this feedback are available here. In addition, more than 60 organizations submitted written comments and 350 stakeholders from business, academia, governments, and NGOs attended workshops in Asia, Europe and North America, since the release of the first drafts in November 2009.

Björn Hannappel, Senior Expert Go Green, of Deutsche Post DHL said, “We are very pleased to be engaged in this process as a road testing company of the Product Life Cycle and Scope 3 Standards. We support the inclusive GHG Protocol stakeholder process and feel that by engaging with not only business- but also governments, NGOs and others- a more robust standard is developed that can be adopted around the world. This is key for us as a globally operating company, since we already base our carbon accounting on criteria according to the GHG Protocol and rely on respective standards that are accepted and applicable worldwide.”

This public comment period is the final step in the development process and will be used to make additional revisions. The new standards are expected to be finalized early next year and published in the spring of 2011.

Copies of the standards and comment submittal instructions are available on the GHG Protocol Initiative’s website.

New Protocol Released to Support U.S. Government’s Greenhouse Gas Accounting

Jessica Forres — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 14:44:47 -0400

Document Coincides with One-Year Anniversary of Executive Order on GHG Reductions

“The Greenhouse Gas Protocol for the U.S. Public Sector” was released today by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and LMI outlining how federal, state and local governments can account for their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As a resource to help measure and manage climate impacts, the protocol serves as a reference for implementing Executive Order 13514, which President Obama signed on October 5, 2009. The Executive Order requires federal agencies to report and reduce their GHG emissions over time.

“The U.S. government has shown leadership by taking real steps to track and report their GHG emissions,” said Pankaj Bhatia, director of the GHG Protocol Initiative for WRI. “The same principles that make for a good corporate inventory— relevance, completeness, consistency, transparency and accuracy— are just as vital for government inventories, and can help governments to effectively meet their goals.”

The latest protocol interprets and applies the GHG accounting principles established by WRI’s “Corporate Standard” to the unique structures and needs of the government.

“This protocol is the foundation upon which the federal government can build a meaningful program for the tracking, measurement and mitigation of GHG emissions,” said LMI Energy & Environment Program Director John R. Selman. “We feel that by developing this protocol, we’re providing the federal government with a timely and critical resource.”

To develop the case studies and best practices featured in the protocol, LMI and WRI convened a stakeholder group with over a hundred federal, state, and local government managers and contractors, as well as leaders from voluntary GHG reporting programs.

The result is that the protocol offers guidance on key areas of concern for government inventories, including:

Identifying direct and indirect emissions sources
Accounting for emissions from leased assets
Estimating emissions from supply chains
Consistently tracking emissions over time with departmental restructuring
Ensuring high data quality Setting reduction targets

Federal agencies will be reporting their GHG inventories for fiscal year 2010 by the end of January 2011, and annually thereafter for each preceding fiscal year in accordance with EO 13514.

About LMI
LMI is a government consulting firm committed to helping government leaders and managers reach decisions that make a difference. As a not-for-profit organization, LMI is a trusted advisor to the government—free from commercial or political bias and dedicated to the mission of advancing government management. www.lmi.org

About WRI
The World Resources Institute is an environmental think tank that goes beyond research to create practical ways to protect the earth and improve people’s lives. www.wri.org

The GHG Protocol Initiative (www.ghgprotocol.org) at WRI develops standards and technical resources to help organizations measure and manage their GHG emissions.

WRI will be discussing the main content of the protocol at a session on “Federal Greenhouse Gas Reporting and Metrics 101″ at the GreenGov Symposium in Washington D.C. on October 5, 2010. The symposium is a 3-day educational event focused on the performance goals set by Executive Order 13514, and brings together leaders from federal, state and local governments, nonprofit and academic communities.

NEWS RELEASE: Companies Complete Road Testing of New Global Greenhouse Gas Accounting Standards

Jessica Forres — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:12:46 -0400

More than 60 companies have completed the road testing of new global standards designed to help measure the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of their products and supply chains.

Developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), the two new GHG Protocol standards –the Product Lifecycle Accounting and Reporting Standard and the Scope 3 (Corporate Value Chain) Accounting and Reporting Standard – provide methods to account for emissions associated with individual products across their life-cycles and of corporations across their value chains.

The 62 companies from multiple sectors and 17 countries started road testing the standards in January. In June, they submitted written feedback on their usability along with final GHG inventory reports. A summary of the feedback is posted on the GHG Protocol website.

“The road testing experience illustrates how developing rules around measurement, reporting, and verification involves complex technical and policy decisions that need real-world feedback to ensure the right balance is achieved between rigor and ease of use while keeping in view the capacity of both experienced and new users,” said Jennifer Morgan, director of WRI’s Climate and Energy Program. “The GHG Protocol approach to develop international standards provides us a model on how we might want to pursue the development of rules on tracking emissions at the country-level as well.”

The companies that road tested the Product Life Cycle Accounting and Reporting Standard reported they had little difficulty completing an inventory in conformance with the requirements and found the guidance provided in the draft helpful.

“We’re really looking forward to having a standard that can be used globally, for communication across a broad range of stakeholders,” said Robert ter Kuile, senior manager of energy and climate change at PepsiCo. “Road testing the Product Life Cycle Standard has enabled us to engage with other multinational organizations and to join in conversations with NGOs, governments, and academic institutions. When you bring these organizations together, to write a standard, that is going to be the standard that everybody follows and PepsiCo wanted to make sure that we not only learned from the process, but that we also had the opportunity to contribute.”

The companies that road tested the Scope 3 Accounting and Reporting Standard found it achievable to complete a Scope 3 inventory and many companies believe it practical to complete one on an annual basis.

“Road testing the Scope 3 Standard has been a helpful process that has allowed us to assess emissions throughout the entire value chain, and to identify areas that require more attention,” said Katie Wallace, sustainability specialist at New Belgium Brewing Company. “We plan to use the results to drive improvements and measure greenhouse gas reductions associated with New Belgium Beer. Because we believe transparency to be a key ingredient in any authentic sustainability effort, New Belgium will share our findings with our customers, coworkers and stakeholders. This process has taken us one step closer to true environmental stewardship.”

The road testers shared similar views on the business value of using the standards. Most road testers agree that the standards help in identifying GHG reduction opportunities and prioritizing reduction efforts; engaging suppliers and enabling supply chain GHG management; understanding risks and opportunities associated with emissions in the supply chain; creating competitive advantage and product differentiation; and improving credibility and transparency in GHG reporting.

The next steps will be to revise the standards based on feedback from the Road Testers as well as the Steering Committee and Technical Working Groups. The revised standards will be released at the end of September for a 30 day public comment period. The text will be finalized at the end of 2010 and the final versions will be published by March 2011.

Companies that participated in the road testing exercise include: 3M, Abengoa, Acer Inc, Airbus S.A.S, AkzoNobel, Alcoa, Amcor, Ampacet, Anvil Knitwear, Inc., Autodesk, Inc., Baoshan Iron & Steel Co. Ltd, BASF SE, Belron International, Bloomberg LP, BT plc, Coca-Cola Erfrischungsgetränke AG, Danisco A/S, Deutsche Post DHL, Deutsche Telekom AG, DuPont, Ecolab, Ford Motor Company, General Electric, Gold’n Plump Poultry, LLC, Herman Miller, Inc, IKEA, Italcementi Group, JohnsonDiversey, Kraft Foods, Kun Shan Tai Ying Paint Co, Ltd., Lenovo, Levi Strauss & Co., Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, National Grid, New Belgium Brewing¸ Ocean Spray Cranberries, Otarian, PE International, PepsiCo, Inc., Pfizer, Pinchin Environmental Ltd., PricewaterhouseCoopers (Hong Kong), Procter & Gamble Eurocor, Public Service Enterprise Group, Inc., Rogers Communications, SAP AG, SC Johnson, Shanghai Zidan Food Packaging and Printing Co., Ltd., Shell International Petroleum Company Ltd., Siemens AG, Suzano Pulp and Paper, Swire Beverages, TAL Apparel Limited, Tech-Front (Shanghai) Computer Co., Ltd. / Quanta Shanghai Manufacturing City, Veolia Water, Verso Paper Corp., Webcor Builders, WorldAutoSteel.

DNV, KPMG, and PwC provided support to road test the 3rd party assurance guidance.

Otarian Restaurant in New York City Uses WRI’s Greenhouse Gas Protocol

Laura Pocknell — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 13:12:13 -0400

Update from the star-studded launch of a new chain of sustainable restaurants.

On the evening of April 14th, WRI filled a role not normally reserved for environmental think tanks: VIP guest at a high-profile New York restaurant opening. Otarian, now open in New York City’s West Village, is a new boutique fast-casual restaurant chain based on the principles of sustainability and vegetarianism. Otarian is also the first global restaurant chain to track the carbon footprint of all of its menu items.

“I am putting myself out there and standing behind my statement that Otarian is the world’s most sustainable chain of restaurants,” said Radhika Oswal, owner and creator of Otarian. “The sustainability of Otarian comes from all aspects of the restaurant, from the way we have decorated, to the ingredients, and much much more.”

WRI Managing Director Manish Bapna, Otarian Owner Radhika Oswal, and WRI Board Member Todd Thomson

Otarian is one of over seventy organizations road testing WRI and WBSCD’s new GHG Protocol standard on Product Life Cycle accounting. This participation will help diners better understand the environmental impact of their food choices in a highly measureable and quantifiable way. The product standard measures the emissions from all parts of a product’s lifecycle. For example, an Otarian VegO burger represents 1.32kg of CO2-equivalent, taking into account the growing, harvesting, and processing of all the ingredients, as well as transportation, packaging, sale and waste disposal.

Around 60 people were in attendance at the Otarian launch. The vibe was intimate and buzzing, the small space packed with a crowd including celebrities, media, influencers and owner Radhika Oswal accompanied by her husband Pankaj Oswal.

The menu at Otarian

Manish Bapna, Managing Director of WRI, attended the event alongside WRI Director Todd Thomson. Manish was invited by Mrs. Oswal to give the only speech of the night after she delivered her welcome and thanks. “We are delighted that Otarian is so dedicated to the cause of measuring the footprint of its food products. A lot of big companies recognize the business case behind measuring and managing emissions, they see that it can improve their profitability,” said Manish. “There are a few organizations, however, that also recognize the need to make a low carbon economy a reality. Otarian is in this category.”

Celebrity guests included Mary Kate Olsen, a regular on the New York scene and star of many movies and TV shows alongside her twin sister Ashley Olsen. Vanessa Williams and Mark Indelicato from the ABC TV show ‘Ugly Betty’ attended along with Judah Friedlander from the popular NBC TV show ‘30 Rock’.

WRI’s Laura Pocknell with 30 Rock’s Judah Friedlander

“I wanted to attend tonight to set precedence for others to uphold and follow suit. I’m very happy that restaurants like Otarian are the new trend.” said Vanessa Williams. Mark Indelicato added “my eyes were opened to vegetarianism and sustainability by Ana Ortiz, who plays my Mom on Ugly Betty. I was shocked to find out that the methane cows emit is a bigger polluter than emissions from planes or trains.” “I’m here tonight because it’s very important to protect the earth,” said Judah Friedlander about what the opening of Otarian means to him. “It is not only good, but important to eat tasty, sustainable food like Otarian is offering.”

For more information about the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and the road-testing process, visit http://www.ghgprotocol.org.

Brazil's Global Warming Agenda

Kaleigh Robinson — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:42:00 -0500

Brazil has turned its international climate commitments into national law, but that’s only the beginning.

Since Copenhagen, over fifty countries have pledged greenhouse gas reduction targets to the UNFCCC. Brazil has gone a step further and turned its commitment into national law. This is a positive development, but if the reduction target is to be met, Brazilian lawmakers will need to provide further legislative details and make key decisions regarding the country’s newly-found oil reserves.

Brazil’s National Climate Change Policy

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed the National Climate Change Policy (PNMC) just days after the closure of the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. This is a crucial part of upholding Brazil’s international commitment.

President Lula da Silva, photo credit: World Economic Forum

The PNMC is far-reaching and ambitious, addressing how Brazil will tackle its current and future greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Beyond providing an explanation of thirty-two emissions reducing activities currently being implemented in Brazil – such as the expansion of its hydroelectric power-generation capacity and the continuation of the National Ethanol Program – the PNMC also lists additional activities in the conception phase. While the plan is rather comprehensive in its economy-wide coverage, many of the proposed activities are in an early stage of development, recommended rather than mandatory, or lacking specific targets or implementation measures.

New Legislation Fills in Many Gaps

The PNMC became national policy through Lula’s signing of Brazilian law 12.187, which also establishes a national reduction target and discusses the process to move the PNMC towards implementation.

Most notably, law 12.187 officially adopts Brazil’s voluntary national greenhouse gas reduction target of between 36.1% and 38.9% of projected emissions by 2020. This in itself is a vital step for Brazil that many doubted possible. “A year ago, we didn’t have a climate plan or emissions goals, even though Brazil is the fifth or sixth largest emitter,” said Carlos Minc, Brazil’s Minister of Environment.

The new law also requires Brazil’s mitigation actions to be quantifiable and verifiable, meaning that international officials will be able to review and confirm whether or not emissions reductions have truly taken place. This will lay to rest doubts raised in the U.S. and elsewhere that developing countries might not allow their reductions to be subject to outside verification.

Although it does not specifically address all key issues, law 12.187 fills in many gaps. It provides more details on how Brazil will finance its climate change policies. It also estimates the necessary emissions reductions per sector, and states that an executive decree will further specify reduction targets in the future. These targets will be based on the second Brazilian Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory, which will be finalized this year.

The Presidential Veto and Brazil’s Oil Reserves

President Lula signed the law legally sanctioning the PNMC, but with an important veto. Lula rejected language calling for a “gradual abandonment” of the use of fossil fuels after pressure from the Ministry of Mines and Energy. The original text would have made it difficult for Brazil’s future economic growth to depend on energy that, while predominantly hydroelectric today, is increasingly generated from fossil fuels.

Whether and how Brazil uses oil money to finance sustainable development and low-carbon growth will be a key issue to watch in coming months.

With this veto Lula avoided, at least for the time being, contradictory issues playing out between Brazil’s climate concerns and the planned extraction of its recently discovered vast offshore deep-water oil reserves. The tensions are clear in a recent bill calling for the creation of social fund, financed by Brazil’s projected oil revenues, to support poverty alleviation and environmental sustainability programs, among other initiatives. Whether and how Brazil chooses to use oil money to finance sustainable development and low-carbon growth will be a key issue to watch in coming months.

The Meaning of a “Voluntary Target”

Although Brazil has generally been praised for passing the PNMC, a good deal of speculation exists regarding what a legislated voluntary target means. Minister of the Environment Minc told Brazilian newspaper Folha de São Paulo that the target will be met since it has been passed into law. “In my head, the word ‘voluntary’ does not mean that the commitment is not mandatory, just that the motivation is independent,” said Minc. If its climate change commitment is to ultimately be taken seriously, Brazil will need to provide further details on how it will implement and enforce a law with a voluntary target.

The PNMC and International Negotiations: What’s Next?

At the recent international climate talks in Copenhagen, Brazil’s strong PNMC proposal and reduction target gave the country a powerful presence. Brazil eventually drafted an accord with the U.S., China, India and South Africa to commit to internationally verified emissions cuts. By enacting the PNMC immediately after the international talks, Brazil showed its serious dedication to combating climate change.

Environment ministers from the BASIC countries – Brazil, South Africa, India and China – held their first meeting on January 25th to further develop details of the Copenhagen Accord. The meeting initiated the establishment of a fund to spur technology transfer to address global warming in poor countries. Future meetings, which will be held every three months, will work towards defining their voluntary emission reduction pledges. BASIC countries “have the obligation to be the first to submit climate action plans,” said South Africa’s environment minister, Buyelwa Sonjica.

Just like every country, Brazil must navigate some complicated domestic issues to implement its Climate Change Plan. How it approaches these challenges will determine whether Brazil can continue to be a leader in international climate action.