Carbon Reduction Commitment

Sarah Lee Project Officer EAUC-Scotland

David SomervellSustainability Adviser

University of Edinburgh

www.eauc.org.uk/scotland

Climate Change by Numbers 1

• 2008 level of CO2 in atmosphere: 385 parts per million (ppm)

• Annual rate of increase: 2ppm

• Stabilisation level if industrialised nations follow Bush’s climate plan: 615ppm

• Resulting temperature increase from pre-industrial levels : 4.5-6ºC

Climate Change by Numbers 2

• IEA estimate of US emissions increase 1990 to 2025: 38%

• Temperature increase from pre-industrial levels at which "catastrophic effects" occur: 1.7ºC

• Stabilisation level needed to avoid "catastrophic effects," according to climate scientist Dr James Hansen: 350ppm

Climate Change by Numbers 3

• UN estimate industrialised countries' emission cuts needed by 2020 to avoid "dangerous" CC: 25-40%

• UN estimates industrial countries' cuts needed by 2050: 80-95%

• Temperature increase at which UN warns 40-70% of species will be at increased risk of extinction: 4.2ºC

The CRC … coming down the track

• Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) propose a “Carbon Reduction Commitment” (CRC).

• It will obligate most Universities and Colleges and aims to reduce UK carbon dioxide emissions

• From April 2010anyone with a half-hourly meterwill be required toregister their supply points

Ed Milliband, DECC Minister

CRC fills DECC’s policy “gap”

CRC

EU ETS

Who is caught?• If you use 6 million+ kWh/year (£600,000+ costs)

you’ll have to join in a giant money-go-round • Environment Agencies will contact all UK billing

addresses with half-hourly electricity meters in 2009 • If you receive one of these letters, you must provide

data on half-hourly electricity consumption in 2008• This will determine if you will have to participate in

the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC).

… YOU!

How do we solve the problem?

Solocov’s 7 Wedges

What needs done?

And lots more … !

• New, and legally binding under UK Climate Change Act, it cover large private and public sector bodies

• Embracing around 5,000 organisations in UK

… using >6 million kWh electricity / £1m cost / yr

• Early Action Metrics: - Carbon Trust Standard (CTS) - Automatic Meter Reading (AMR)

• Cap and Trade scheme with reducing allowances

CRC in summary

Offsets: fundamentally a scam

The one-stop shop promoting sustainability in the FHE sector

www.eauc.org.uk/scotlandAndrew Chamberlain, EAUC-Scotland Manager

Sarah Lee, EAUC-Scotland Officer