Transcript No Slide Title

The Climate
Registry:
The Registry &
The Protocol
Judy Collora, PE
Senior Consultant
August 2008
Outline
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The Climate Registry (TCR) Overview
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Greenhouse Gas Basics
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TCR Protocol
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Example Calculation
The Climate Registry – Process
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Registry
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Protocol
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Houses emissions, transactions
Guidance on how to perform inventory
3rd party Verification
Publish (public data)
The Climate Registry – Background (1)
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Created in 2007
Purpose
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Establish and endorse voluntary entity-wide GHG
registry that collects data consistently across
jurisdictions
Encourage entities to join
Incorporate quantification methodologies into future
mandatory programs
Current membership covers 80% of populations in
the US and Canada (includes most of southeast)
The Climate Registry – Background (2)
www.theclimateregistry.org
The Climate Registry - Tools
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General Reporting Protocol V1.1 released May 2008
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Developing industry-specific reporting protocols
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Power
Oil & Gas
Municipal
General Verification Protocol V1.0 released May 2008
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Developed through a public stakeholder process
Drawn from existing protocols
Required to verify emissions
Should be separate from company performing the inventory (conflict of interest)
Climate Registry Information System (CRIS) launched in July 2008
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On-line GHG calculation, reporting, and verification tool
Will have ability to calculate emissions in CO2e and aggregate emissions data by facility,
state, county and entity
Public access to The Climate Registry’s verified emission reports
Common Terms (1)
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TCR: The Climate Registry
GHG: Greenhouse Gas
GWP: Global Warming Potential
CO2e: CO2 equivalents
Direct Emissions: Company’s stationary and
mobile sources
Indirect Emissions: Imported steam and
power
Other Indirect Emissions: 3rd party /tolling
sources
Common Terms (2)
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Operational/Financial Control Approach
Equity Share Approach
IPCC: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change
WBCSD: World Business Council for
Sustainable Development
WRI: World Resources Institute
Overview of Scope and Type of GHGs
Source: WRI/WBCSD GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard (Revised Edition), Chapter 4.
Sources of Greenhouse Gases
Greenhouse Gas
Source(s)
CO2
Combustion
CH4
Landfills, coal mines, oil and
gas production, agriculture
Combustion, fertilizers,
nitric/adipic acid plants
Semiconductor, refrigeration,
fire protection
Semiconductor, refrigeration,
fire protection
Electric power - circuit
breakers, gas-insulated
substations, and switchgear
N2O
Hydrofluorocarbons
Perfluorocarbons
Sulfur Hexafluoride
Comparison of Global Warming Potentials from
IPCC’s Second and Third Assessment Reports
Source: California Climate Action Registry General Reporting Protocol, April 2008
Calculating CO2e
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CO2e is carbon dioxide equivalent
CO2e reflects the global warming potential (GWP)
of each greenhouse gas relative to carbon dioxide,
which has a GWP of 1
Emission rate = 400 tpy CH4
CH4 GWP = 21
400 tpy CH4x 21=8,400 tpy CO2e
Control vs. Equity Approach
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Control = you make the EHS decisions
Equity = you have a financial stake only
Example for company with financial interest
(equity), but no control:
Operations =8,400 tpy CO2e
No management control = 0 tpy CO2e
10% equity share = 840 tpy CO2e
TCR Protocol – Where to Find It
http://www.theclimateregistry.org/downloads/GRP.pdf
TCR Protocol – What it Covers
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Geographic Scope
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Must report emissions sources in all of Canada, Mexico, and United States
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Can report worldwide emissions
Organizational Scope
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Must indicate if any facility is located on lands designated to Tribal Nations
(Registry members)
Operational Control Approach
Equity Approach
Can report either or both
Special Considerations for Lease Treatment (Capital vs. Operational leases)
Emissions Scope
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Must report Direct (Scope 1) and Indirect (Scope 2)
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All 6 GHGs
Stationary and Mobile sources (combustion, process, and fugitives)
Imported Steam, Heat, and Power
Can report Other Indirect (Scope 3) – e.g., captive tolling, employee
commuting
TCR Protocol – Option for First 2 Years
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Scope is reduced
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Transitional report
CO2 emissions only
Stationary combustion
All operations in at least one state
Typically based on operational control approach
Must be Verified by 3rd party
TCR Protocol – Other Items
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Base Year Designation
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First year of full reporting (not transitional years)
Update if emission changes exceed 5% of base year emissions
No adjustments for acquisition (or insourcing) or divestments (or outsourcing) that
were not in the base year
De minimis Emissions
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5% of total emissions (Scope 1 and 2)
All emission sources accounted for in base year report cannot be deemed de minimis
in future years (even if emissions drop below 5%) – ensures comparability to base
year
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Efficiency Metrics – optional (e.g., tonnes CO2e per widget produced)
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Verification
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Required annually by third-party
Five-year verification cycle
Reporting Timeline
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Emissions submitted by June 30 and verified by December 15
Locating Emission Factors
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IPCC Guidelines for national inventory calculations
and emission factors
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Database on Greenhouse Gas Emission Factors (EFDB)
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Contains IPCC default emission factors
Search by source/sink categories, fuel type, and emission gases
Other sector/general protocols (California Climate
Action Registry)
EPA’s Air Pollutant Emission Factors, AP-42
Example:
Direct Emissions from
Stationary Combustion
Step 1: Identify all types of fuels combusted
 Step 2: Determine annual consumption of each fuel
 Step 3: Select appropriate emission factor for each fuel
 Step 4: Calculate each fuel’s CO2 emissions
 Step 5: Calculate each fuel’s CH4 and N2O emissions
 Step 6: Convert CH4 and N2O to CO2e and sum all
GHG emissions
Note: assumes operational control, i.e., 100% of CO2e emissions
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Example – Acme Widget Co.
Stationary Combustion Sources
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Step 1: Identify fuel – natural gas
Step 2: Annual fuel consumption
MMBtu
hr
10
 8,760  90%  78,840MMBtu
hr
yr
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Step 3: Select appropriate emission factors (Table 12.1
of TCR Protocol)
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CO2 = 52.91 kg/MMBtu
CH4 = 0.0059 kg/MMBtu
N2O = 0.0001 kg/MMBtu
Example – Acme Widget Co.
Stationary Combustion Sources
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Step 4: Calculate CO2 emissions
kg CO2
MT
78,840MMBtu 52.91
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 4,171MT CO2
MMBtu 1,000kg
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Step 5: Calculate CH4 and N2O emissions
kg CH 4
MT
78,840MMBtu 0.0059
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 0.47MT CH 4
MMBtu 1,000kg
kg N 2O
MT
78,840MMBtu 0.0001
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 0.0079MT N 2O
MMBtu 1,000kg
Example – Acme Widget Co.
Stationary Combustion Sources
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Step 6: Convert to CO2e and sum all GHG
emissions
0.47MT CH 4  21(GWP of CH 4 )  9.77MT CO2e
0.0079MT N2O  310(GWP of N2O)  2.44MT N2O
4,171MT CO2  9.77MT CO2e  2.44MT CO2e  4,183MT CO2e
Conclusions
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If you’re not developing a climate change strategy that
includes a GHG emission inventory, consider acting now to
ready yourself for future mandatory requirements.
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Leave yourself time to correct inconsistencies or recordkeeping
issues (data gaps) before mandatory requirements are knocking at
your door
Consider basing your emission inventory after TCR’s
protocol – likely future transition will be more seamless and
you will be better prepared.
Over the long term, GHG emissions are a business asset.
Therefore, accurate carbon quantification and wellconceived carbon strategy are a must.
Questions?