Aviation Offset Standard

The rapid growth of the aviation industry and its increasing contribution to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has made it a target for environmental groups. Some airlines are now giving their passengers the option of offsetting their emissions. However, in order for this to be effective one must be able to calculate accurately and consistently how much the flight will contribute to climate change. It is for this reason that the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) launched a new offset standard on World Environment day, the 5th June 2008, at the UN climate conference in Germany.

This carbon calculator measures the carbon dioxide emissions from burning jet fuel and from now on will govern how much passengers should pay to offset their carbon footprint. However, the standard has almost immediately come under fire amidst claims that it undermines the industry’s contribution to climate change because it ignores other gases and particles released during flights such as nitrous oxide and water vapour. The impact of these gases, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is a warming effect 2.7 times that of the carbon dioxide alone. Unlike other carbon calculators which assume a multiplier of 2.7, the ICAO assumes 1. The ICAO has argued that there is not enough scientific research to clarify the effects of other emissions. In support of the ICAO, Kevin Anderson, a scientist at Britain’s Tyndall Centre for climate change research, believes that while carbon dioxide stays in the air for centuries, other emissions do not.

While the new offset standard creates uniformity in the calculation methods of flight emissions which is much needed for the protection of consumer rights and to reduce confusion in a loosely regulated carbon offset market, it unfortunately further undermines the perceived climate impact of flights. More specifically, it has been argued that the contribution of GHG’s from the aviation industry is closer to 20% rather than 2%, which is the current official figure. Also airplane emissions released at such a high altitude are two to four times more destructive than ground level emissions. At the same time demand for flights is expected to double from 842 million in 2006 to 1.6 billion in 2020. Taking this into consideration, the new ICAO standard may be a good tool for raising public awareness but it may not be strict enough to cause any real environmental benefits.

Source: http://uk.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUKL052198820080605

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2006/sep/21/travelsenvironmentalimpact.ethicalliving

30/05/08: Ecosystem destruction costing hundreds of billions a year
Source: The Guardian

The new Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity review presented in Bonn on the 19th of May argues that biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation is already extensive and has dramatic effects. The report says that about 60% of the Earth's ecosystem has been degraded in the past 50 years, for example one third of mangroves have been depleted in the last 20 years. This is threatening the livelihoods of the world's poorest people who depend on natural resources for their subsistence and is leading to political instability and war. It also says that biodiversity loss could cost 7% of the world’s economic wealth, a conservative estimate that does not consider marine services. The report concludes that we need to move on from GDP as a measure of a country’s economic performance and include the real costs of ecosystem damage in a form that will impact countries, businesses and individuals.

29/05/2008: Geoengineering- Can the ecohackers save us?
Source: The Guardian

Geoengineering or ‘echohacking’ means using scientific means to change the environment on a large scale. This is not a new science but it has resurfaced in recent years. Ideas have been put forward of pumping sulphur into the atmosphere, much like a volcanic eruption in order to lower global temperature. Or to put light refractors between the Earth and the Sun which would theoretically control climate change by diverting the sun’s rays and dialling it up or down on demand. However, these interventions may have unexpected physical outcomes, like a reduction of precipitation as well as temperature in the sulphur scenario and may create a powerful tool, much too easily abused by humans.  Ultimately, acting pro actively by reducing our carbon dioxide emissions is a simpler and less risky solution.

18/12/2007 Results from Climate Change Conference in Bali

Bali Climate Change Conference attended by senior officials from governments, leading scientists and business and social leaders has come to an end. The decisions taken in the conference supports climate change policies within a wider sustainable development agenda and to support projects which achieve sustainable benefits alongside those of carbon reduction.
Two significant findings were:

1. Decision makers put surprisingly high emphasis on the protection of biodiversity and having sustainable development guide climate actions, while putting relatively low emphasis on cost effectiveness.
2. Decision makers expect fully half of their organization’s reductions of carbon emissions over the next decade to come from energy demand management or efficiency improvements.

BVCO is delighted that these findings are in line with its carbon offsetting projects which achieve significant climate change benefits and at the same time wider sustainable development goals.

13/12/2007 Solo Indian Ocean Rower to offset her carbon with BVCO

Sarah Outen, who will be attempting to row solo from Western Australia to Mauritus in Spring 2009 will be offsetting her carbon emissions with BVCO. She is attempting to become the first woman to make this crossing as well as the youngest and fastest person.

She is dedicating her venture to her father, who died in June 2006, and is aiming to raise  £20,000 for the Arthritis Research Campaign due to his sufferings with rheumatoid arthritis.

A biology graduate of Oxford University and a wildlife enthusiast, she is planning to make her adventure as green as possible and encourage responsible stewardship of our planet. Therefore, all carbon emissions associated with the adventure will be compensated by Blue Ventures Carbon Offset. This includes flights to Perth and from Mauritius, and the shipping of the boat to the start; a total of 12 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

BVCO wishes Sarah all the best with her preparations and would like to congratulate her   on the example that she is setting for others. We will be updating our website with her latest news but, in the meantime, if you would like to learn more about Sarah Outen’s challenge, please visit www.sarahouten.co.uk.

04/12/2007 UN Climate Change Conference in Bali

As the expiration of the Kyoto Protocol in 2012 becomes closer, negotiators from around the world have met in Bali for the UN climate Change Conference going on between 3rd and 14th of December. Delegates from over 180 nations, together with observers from intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations, will meet to negotiate a new pact to succeed the Kyoto protocol.

The main goal of the Bali conference is to start negotiations on a new international climate change agreement. Parties need to agree on the key issues which the new climate agreement should cover, such as mitigation (including avoided deforestation, where industrialised nations pay rainforest-rich nations to protect their forests to offset greenhouse gas emissions), adaptation, technology and financing. They also need to agree on when the talks and negotiations will conclude so that the new climate change deal can be implemented by national governments before the end of 2012.

Other important issues such as adaptation to climate change, the launch of a fund for adaptation, reducing emissions from deforestation, issues relating to the carbon market, and arrangements for a review of the Kyoto protocol will also be discussed in Bali.

If you would like to support Al Gore’s call for a visionary global treaty to be completed and brought into effect by 2010 and want your government to be a leader in making this happen, please sign the petition on http://www.climateprotect.org/standwithal

 04/12/2007 Carbon Offsetting halting the destruction of the rainforests

A new research claims that carbon trading can bring an end to the destruction of the rainforests. While deforestation in tropical countries has been carried out by the belief that forests are worth more dead than alive, the emerging carbon market may alter this belief according to experts. Researchers have found that people living in forests in the developing countries can earn substantially more from carbon offsetting if forests were left intact and incorporated in such a system.

The research carried out by the Partnership for Tropical Forest Margins looked at the financial gains generated from deforestation in areas of south-east Asia, central Africa and the Amazon Basin over a period of between ten and 20 years and found that ventures which prompted the destruction of forests rarely generated more than $5 (£2.40) for every ton of carbon they released and frequently returned less than $1 (£0.50). On the other hand, buyers of carbon credits are currently paying around $35 (£17) for an offset tied to a one-ton reduction in carbon.

According to the research rewarding communities for carbon stored in their forests could help reduce the number of trees cut down for economic gain. "What we discovered is that returns for deforestation are generally so paltry that if farmers and other land users were rewarded for the carbon stored in their trees and forests, it is highly likely that a large amount of deforestation and carbon emissions would be prevented," he added.

20/11/2007 The Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS) launched

The Climate Group, the International Emissions Trading Association and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development launched the Voluntary Carbon Standard to increase the reliability of the global voluntary carbon market. The standards were born out of a two-year consultation among business, government and non-government organizations.

According to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, these standards will increase the investments going into these projects as well as reducing carbon emissions. Estimations by the market analysts indicate that the transactions in the voluntary carbon market may reach up to $4 billion in the next five years which will be made possible by the VCS.

The VCS guarantees:

• Environmental quality
• Market credibility
• Technological innovation
• Consumer affordability
• Policy leadership
• Buyer trust
• Public transparency

The standards that have been launched by these kind of schemes will be crucial in increasing the reliability of the projects as well as the volume of investments. BVCO  believes that the projects it runs satisfy such standards and is working towards getting certified through similar schemes in the near future. To get more insight about our projects, please visit our projects page.

12/11/2007-Government launches a carbon offsetting fund

The government announced last week that it has launched  carbon offsetting fund to offset the transport-related carbon emissions generated by a wide range of different public sector departments and organisations. According to DEFRA, the carbon offsetting fund will be managed by EEA Fund Management Ltd. In addition, the fund is the first of its kind in the world and will offset all official air travel from central government since 2006 and all future air travel emissions from up to 40 public sector organisations.

BVCO supports the initiative role that government has taken and hopes that it sets an example and raises awareness for all the citizens in Britain. If you would like to offset your carbon through practically beneficial programs for communities, and would like to hear about the possibilities we can offer you, send an e-mail to ellie@blueventures.org or call us at 44(0)20 8341 9819.

11/11/2007- Does carbon offsetting schemes encourage individuals to carry on polluting?

Friends of the Earth Scotland claim that "Offsetting schemes tend to encourage individuals, businesses and governments to avoid action and carry on polluting" according to an article written by Louisa Pearson in Scotsman.

BVCO agrees that carbon offsetting projects alone is not enough to tackle climate change. Therefore, through its carbon management package, BVCO encourages reductions in emissions as well as carbon offsetting programmes and believes that a combination of both is the way to go forward until the advancements in technology and implementation allows a wider use of renewable energy.

Please see our projects pages for more information.

18/09/07 - The Liberal Democrats will campaign to make Britain carbon neutral by 2050

Chris Huhne outlined plans to reduce Britain's emissions at this year's party conference. The party's 'green vision' would include: a levy of £10 on domestic air travel, one of the most unnecessary but yet damaging methods of domestic pollution; shifting much road freight to rail, financed by charges on the remaining road frieght; and moving the economy towards a base of renewable energy rather than fossil fuels.

The emphasis is important, but a complete shift towards renewable energy sources and neutral emissions will take decades. Until then, Offset projects are necessary to keep pace with climate change. BVCO continues to work with companies and individuals to offset their activities in ways which have both practical and environmental benefits.

17/09/07 - The Vatican becomes the first state to completely offset their carbon, reports the New York Times.

"The international community needs to respect and encourage a ‘green culture.'" stated Pope Benedict XVI, calling on other states to take greater action on emissions. The Vatican is investing in a Hungarian scheme to rebuild forests by the Tisza River, worth up to £65,000 in carbon credits. Scientists interviewed for the article, emphasised the uncertainties of forestry schemes. Whilst we applaud the Vatican's initiative, BVCO is concerned about the sustainability of forests and the ability of offsetting programmes to monitor the amount of carbon absorbed over a long period of time. Thus, we only invest in sustainable projects with practical benefits. Please see our projects pages for more information.

13/08/07 - Reuter's recent article on the Carbon Offsetting in Africa highlights the dearth of projects operating on the continent.

'Africa has seen just 21 out of a total of 751 CDM projects officially registered with the U.N. climate change secretariat.' states Reuters.

Indeed, if poverty is to be tackled in Africa, greater support and more projects are needed to improve conditions across the continent. BVCO is one of the few organisations offering a sutainable development scheme in Africa. For more on our projects in Africa, click here.

02/08/07 - The Government's recent report on the Carbon Offsetting Industry highlights many of the benefits of offsetting with BVCO compared to our larger competitors.

For our full response, click here.

One of the Government’s key conclusions was that one of the industry’s most valuable contributions was to ‘provide a much-needed source of funding for the development of low carbon technologies and innovations in developing countries.’ BVCO is currently engaged in an energy-efficient stove project in Madagascar, to the benefit of the local community as well as the environment. To learn more about carbon offsetting and BVCO, click here.

23/07/07- A BBC column, Carbon offsets deliver where it matters, gets to the heart of why small voluntary emission offset organisations are key to the battle of defeating climate change, and providing a realistic option for those concerned about their carbon emissions

'The inspiration that comes from hearing how you've enabled a Bangla family swap their dirty, dim kerosene lamp for clean solar light...These are the sort of projects, funded by small-scale, voluntary offsets, which can make a tangible Difference both to carbon levels, and the quality of life of some of the world's poorest people - none of whom give a damn whether they've precisely balanced your emissions or not.' argues Martin Wright

18/06/07 - The Guardian - Offsetting chief warns of 'carbon cowboys'

The fast-growing, but increasingly criticised, carbon offset industry is at risk of being discredited by "cowboy" operators unless it draws up a recognisable set of standards that customers can trust, one of the most senior figures in the sector has warned.

Although some carbon offsetting companies  are giving the sector a bad name, there are many that provide tangible social, economic and environmental benefits at the same time as guaranteeing quantifiable carbon reductions.  For this reason, it is essential that an international standard is set within the industry.  BVCO supports the governments work towards this by adhering to the United Nations Gold Standard requirements. In addition, BVCO is monitored by a third-party assessor; currently Dr. Philip Mann of the University of Oxford's Environmental Change Institute.

16/06/07 - One World - 'Credits, Discredited'

Carbon offsets are "an imaginary commodity created by deducting what you hope happens from what you guess would have happened", reports the second part of Nick Davies' investigation into how greenhouse gas credits allegedly do little or nothing to combat global warming.

These articles provide a lucid example of why government-approved carbon credits from the emissions-trading scheme, clean development mechanism and joint implementation programme, may be less valid than voluntary emission reductions. In contrast, BVCO uses only VERs when calculating it's offset data.

10/06/07 - The Guardian - Is carbon offsetting the solution? (Or part of the problem?)

We burn fossil fuel in the developed world - and plant much-needed trees in Africa to 'off set' our emissions. It sounds like a win-win situation. But is it? The Guardian investigates.

The Guardian presents a comprehensive article mapping the downfall of reforestation schemes.  BVCO does not involve itself with reforestation schemes, due to the difficulties with the monitoring its growth for over a hundred years, and the inconclusive evidence that this activity actually makes a long term reduction to carbon dioxide levels.