Mango aims to become carbon-neutral leader among
African airlines
LOW cost carrier Mango, the
wholly owned subsidiary of South Africa’s tax-guzzling South African Airways
(SAA), yesterday announced it intended becoming the first African airline to
"achieve a significant measure of carbon neutrality" within a decade.
South Africa’s airlines are members of the International Air Transport
Association (Iata), which has set its sights on "carbon neutral"
growth by 2020, carbon being a catch-all for the so-called greenhouse gases
linked to climate change. Air transport emits 2% of global human-made
greenhouse gas emissions, according to Iata. The emissions savings will also
help Mango avoid South Africa’s proposed carbon taxes, industry expert Linden
Birns said. Mango was preparing for an audit process through which every aspect
of its flight operations would be measured for its "carbon
footprint". To read this article in full click
here
Will Austin reach its 100% carbon neutral goal?
In 2007, the city of Austin,
Texas chose to be a leader in municipal government sustainability. The
city set a goal of becoming 100 percent carbon neutral by 2020. Five years into
the program, and the city is well on its way to reaching its goal, according to
Government Technology. Through various initiatives the city government has
decreased its emissions from 300,000 metric tons in 2007 to 183,000 metric tons
in 2011. So far, the major carbon-cutting programs have included powering
all city buildings and facilities with 100 percent renewable energy and converting
its fleet of vehicles to alternative fuels or hybrid vehicles (65 percent
of already made the change). And if the city can’t meet its 100 percent
goal through local changes, the city will purchase carbon credits. To read this
article in full click
here
Top emitter China agrees to work with EU to cut carbon
China, the world's biggest carbon dioxide emitter, has
struck a deal to work with the European Union to cut greenhouse gases through
projects including the development of Chinese emissions trading schemes, the
European Commission said on Thursday. The European Union and China have
frequently clashed over climate policy and Beijing has flouted EU law requiring
all airlines using European airports to pay for their emissions through the
EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). At the same time, the two sides have
maintained an uneasy dialogue, including an EU-China summit in Brussels this
week. EU Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs and Chen Deming, the Chinese
commerce minister, signed a financing deal promoting the transition
"towards a low-carbon economy and a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
in China", the Commission said in a statement. To read this article in
full click
here
San Francisco's 100% renewable energy plan
San Francisco is one step closer to offering residents
the option to switch to 100 percent renewable energy after the city’s Board of
Supervisors voted 8-3 in favor of the program that would lead to significant
cuts in carbon emissions. CleanPowerSF, a $19.5 million program run by Shell Energy North America, will
automatically opt-in half of San Francisco residents and then give them the
option to opt-out. It’s a roundabout way of giving people choice, but the
five-year program will need 90,000 of 375,000 residents to make the switch
to make the program worthwhile. If the city is successful at getting residents
to buy into the program (and stick with it) CleanPowerSF could do more than
previous efforts to reduce carbon emissions. According to the city, it would
see a cut 10 times greater than the amount the city has already cut. To read
this article in full click
here
Shenzhen firms must buy carbon emissions rights
Starting next year, about 800 companies in Shenzhen
will have to pay for the right to emit carbon or face severe punishments when
they use up their emission quotas. One of seven test zones appointed by the
central government in October, Shenzhen announced on Sept 19 that its system
for trading carbon emission rights will start operating in 2013, which will
help the city to reduce, by the end of 2015, its carbon emission intensity by
21 percent below what it was in 2010. The six other test places include China's
four municipalities - Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Chongqing - and two
provinces, Hubei and Guangdong. Wu Delin, deputy secretary-general of the
Shenzhen government, said about 800 companies have been put into the system and
they were the source of about 54 percent of the city's total carbon emissions
in 2010. To read this article in full click
here
L`Oréal recognised for
measuring and reporting its Carbon Emissions
