Presentation - A single tonne of CO2e - Provenance, perspective, progression

7/22/2019 Presentation - A single tonne of CO2e - Provenance, perspective, progression

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A single tonne of CO2e - Provenance,

perspective, progression

Embodied Carbon Week Webinar, April 9th 2014

Dr Craig Jones

@CircularEcology


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Contents

About Circular Ecology Context

Provenance - What is CO2e?

Perspective - A single tonne of CO2e for:

Transport

Food

Materials

Progression - Reducing CO2e

Summary


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Embodied Carbon Week

April 7-11th 2014 is Embodied Carbon Week

Organised / funded by UK Green Building Council, Tishman

Speyer, WRAP, British Land, Land Securities and Derwent

London

www.ukgbc.org/content/embodied-carbon-week-2014

Embodied Carbon Week Twitter hashtag #ECW2014
http://www.ukgbc.org/content/embodied-carbon-week-2014http://www.ukgbc.org/content/embodied-carbon-week-2014


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Introducing Circular Ecology

Set up in 2013 to offer the following services:

Embodied carbon assessment

Product carbon footprinting

Water footprinting

Streamlined and full life cycle assessment (LCA)

Research

Peer review Training

Visit www.circularecology.com
http://www.circularecology.com/http://www.circularecology.com/


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Context:Sustainable Development

Provenance


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Sustainable Development

There are over 200 definitions of sustainability

Sara Parkins, 2000

Meeting the needs of the present without

compromising the ability of future

generations to meet their own needs

Brundtland Report, 1987


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Sustainability The 3 Pillars


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Escalating Global CO2 Emissions


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Carbon Dioxide Equivalent

But we are always talking about taking actionon climate change and CO2 emissions.

Global CO2e emissions have risen 50% from

1990

Each 1 tonne of CO2e reduction has a part to

play

But what really is a tonne of CO2e? How do

we put it into perspective?


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What is CO2e?

Provenance


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Carbon Footprints


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Its Not all About Carbon Dioxide

Basket of 6 key GHGs:

Carbon dioxide

Methane

Nitrous Oxide

Hydrofluorocarbons

Perflurorocarbons

Sulphur hexafluoride


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Whats a GHG Worth?

1 kg Carbon dioxide (CO2)

+

1 kg Methane (CH4)

+

1 kg Nitrous Oxide (N2O)= ???


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CO2 = Global Warming Currency

1 + 1 + $1 = ???

So we need exchange rates

$1.6 + $1.4 + $1 = $4


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CO2 equivalents (CO2e)

GHG 100 year GWP Factor Typical sources

CO2 1 Energy combustion,

chemical/biochemical reactions

CH4 25 Decomposition

N2O 298 Fertilisers, car emissions,

manufacturing

SF6 22,800 Switchgears, sub-stations

PFC 7,390 12,200 Aluminium smelting

HFC 124 14,800 Refrigerants, industrial gases


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Whats a GHG Worth?

1 kg Carbon dioxide (CO2)

+

1 kg Methane (CH4)+

1 kg Nitrous Oxide (N2O)

= 1 + 25 + 298

= 324 kg CO2 equivalent


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Transport

Perspective


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Question: How did it get there?


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Transport Carbon

If the 1,000 miles was by road and the 8,000 miles by sea: Distance travelled alone is not a good indicator of the lowest

carbon option


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1 tCO2e by Mode of Transport


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Food

Perspective


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A Single tCO2e - Food

Q Is the carbon footprint of food:

- High? or

- Low?

Lets find out


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1 tCO2e of Food

How much food (kg) can we grow with 1 tCO2e?

Q: Which of these foods can we grow the most

kg on 1 tCO2e?

a) Cheese

b) Bread

c) Tomato


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1 tCO2e of Food


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1 tCO2e of Food

How much of each drink (litres) can we produce

with 1 tCO2e?

Q: Which of these drinks can we produce themost litres on 1 tCO2e?

a) Wine

b) Lager

c) Cider


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1 tCO2e of Food

Is higher better??

Need to consider

portion size


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1 tCO2e of Food

Wine has gone from the worst to the best


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Food

So litres or Kg of different foods isnt a fair

comparison.

Q: Which of these fruits has the lowest carbonfootprint?

a) A banana

b) An orange

c) An apple


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Food

(Lower is better)


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Food - Its not all about CO2

Two key GHGs of farming are:

Methane (CH4), GWP = 25

Which contains carbon

Comes from animals digestive system

Nitrous Oxide (N2O), GWP = 298

Contains no carbon

Released from fertiliser breaking down


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Materials

Perspective


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Materials

How do materials compare with food?

Q: Which of these can we produce the most kg

on 1 tCO2e?

a) Milk

b) Cement

c) Glass

d) Beef


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Materials


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Materials

More CO2e is released to make 1 litre of milk

than to make 1 kg of recycled steel

In fact: 2.5 times more


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In The Scale of Carbon

Perspective


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In the Scale of Carbon

Exhibition lead by Materials Council

(http://www.materialscouncil.com) and supported by

Circular Ecology

Aim: To put into context what 1 tonne of CO2e means

for different materials

What does it look like as a volume of steel, glass,

timber?
http://www.materialscouncil.com/http://www.materialscouncil.com/


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Some of the smaller cubes


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Some of the larger cubes


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Download a flyer at

www.inthescaleofcarbon.com
http://www.inthescaleofcarbon.com/http://www.inthescaleofcarbon.com/


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Materials

Of course volume of materials isnt a completely fair

comparison

How much of each material do you need to provide a

set function?

But it is better than comparing per kg

And its more visual, which helps considerably to put

into perspective what CO2e really means


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More information from this exhibition at:

www.inthescaleofcarbon.com

www.materialscouncil.com

www.circularecology.com/1/post/2013/09/post-event-blog-

in-the-scale-of-carbon-exhibition.html

www.materialscouncil.com/exhibitionsandevents/in-the-

scale-of-carbon/
http://www.materialscouncil.com/exhibitionsandevents/in-the-scale-of-carbon/http://www.materialscouncil.com/exhibitionsandevents/in-the-scale-of-carbon/http://www.materialscouncil.com/exhibitionsandevents/in-the-scale-of-carbon/http://www.materialscouncil.com/exhibitionsandevents/in-the-scale-of-carbon/http://www.circularecology.com/1/post/2013/09/post-event-blog-in-the-scale-of-carbon-exhibition.htmlhttp://www.circularecology.com/1/post/2013/09/post-event-blog-in-the-scale-of-carbon-exhibition.htmlhttp://www.circularecology.com/1/post/2013/09/post-event-blog-in-the-scale-of-carbon-exhibition.htmlhttp://www.materialscouncil.com/exhibitionsandevents/in-the-scale-of-carbon/http://www.materialscouncil.com/exhibitionsandevents/in-the-scale-of-carbon/http://www.materialscouncil.com/exhibitionsandevents/in-the-scale-of-carbon/http://www.materialscouncil.com/exhibitionsandevents/in-the-scale-of-carbon/http://www.circularecology.com/1/post/2013/09/post-event-blog-in-the-scale-of-carbon-exhibition.htmlhttp://www.materialscouncil.com/exhibitionsandevents/in-the-scale-of-carbon/http://www.materialscouncil.com/exhibitionsandevents/in-the-scale-of-carbon/


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Reducing CO2e

Progression


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Progression

Reducing carbon does not mean

increasing cost


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Progression

HM Treasury, Infrastructure Carbon Review, Autumn

2013 states:

Reducing carbon reduces costs

Leading clients and their supply chains have already

achieved reductions in capital carbon of up to 39 per

cent, and 34 per cent in operational carbon. These

reductions in carbon have been achieved in association

with average reductions in Capex of 22 per cent


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London 2012 Olympic Stadium


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2012 Olympics

Carbon footprint of the

Olympics...

More than 2/3 of the

carbon occurs before thegames has even started

50% venues

17% transport

infrastructure Embodied carbon

therefore key to reducing

carbon impact of Olympics


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Large savings in design both mass and embodied

carbon

Innovative steel cable-net structure supports the fabric

roof and the sports lighting >> dematerialisation

Surplus steel from gas pipeline project used on roof

The Olympic Stadium


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The Olympic Stadium

Embodied carbon reduction of Olympic Stadium =

28,000 tonnes CO2

Equivalent carbon to: Driving around the Earth 5,800 times

Construct 580 new UK houses (embodied carbon)

Power 800,000 TVs for 2 hrs a day for a whole year

And this is just benefit from the Olympic Stadium


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Progression

You have considerable influence

When you design

When you specify

When you purchase

When you dispose So use your influence


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Closing Thoughts

A Single tCO2e


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Key References

Transport - Defra GHG emissions factors for companyreporting

www.ukconversionfactorscarbonsmart.co.uk

Food WRAP An initial assessment of theenvironmental impact of grocery products

www.wrap.org.uk/priorityproducts

Materials ICE Database

www.circularecology.com/ice-database.html
http://www.ukconversionfactorscarbonsmart.co.uk/http://www.ukconversionfactorscarbonsmart.co.uk/http://www.wrap.org.uk/priorityproductshttp://www.wrap.org.uk/priorityproductshttp://www.circularecology.com/ice-database.htmlhttp://www.circularecology.com/ice-database.htmlhttp://www.circularecology.com/ice-database.htmlhttp://www.circularecology.com/ice-database.htmlhttp://www.wrap.org.uk/priorityproductshttp://www.ukconversionfactorscarbonsmart.co.uk/


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A Single tCO2e

This webinar has been video recorded and will

be made available online

www.circularecology.com

Upcoming online training courses:

Embodied energy and carbon training Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

www.circularecology.com/training.html

Cl i h h
http://www.circularecology.com/http://www.circularecology.com/training.htmlhttp://www.circularecology.com/training.htmlhttp://www.circularecology.com/training.htmlhttp://www.circularecology.com/


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Closing Thought -

A Rhetorical Question

Which of these is the more sustainable way of

transporting people and goods?


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Thank You and Questions

[email protected]

@CircularEcology

A Single tCO2e
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]

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Presentation - A single tonne of CO2e - Provenance, perspective, progression

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