Get Big Energy Management Ideas in Bite-Sized Chunks...
Receive a free series of educational emails delivered right to you.
If you spend more than about $1 million a year on energy, your potential savings are big enough to make this worth your time.
If you operate more than about 20 stores, your energy-management challenges are complex enough that you’ll welcome these ideas, specifically aimed at multisite retailers.
Emissions Blog Posts
The concept of emissions management progressed from the realm of the environmentalist through society to the business board room. The progressive organizations are shifting away from traditional business to adopt sustainability.
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Reporting
GHG Report Implies Increased Carbon Emissions Due to High Reliance on Fossil Fuels
The United Nations Framework convention on Climate Change, from which emerged the Kyoto Protocol, stipulated that those participating countries return an annual report detailing a national greenhouse gas inventory.
The US Environmental Protection Agency released the findings of its latest report in 2009. Principally, the voluminous GHG report found that emissions increased by 1.4% year over year in 2007. More strikingly, the report tells us that overall emissions have grown by 17.2% from 1990 when the initiative was first tabled.
According to the EPA, the increase in emissions during 2007 was caused by larger carbon dioxide emissions volume in the energy consumption arena. This was attributed to a colder winter and a warmer summer year on year, leading to increased demand for electricity and the burning of fossil fuels.
During 2007 it is estimated that utilities burned through fossil fuels at a discouraging rate to meet the increasing demand while hydropower generation decreased 14.2% at the same time. The trend is not a good one as our fossil fuel reliant society causes the release of more and more carbon dioxide.
GHG Report Identifies, Specifies and Recalculates Carbon Emissions
As the GHG report was being issued it is interesting to note that the Climate Change Performance Index, a much watched annual document, ranked the United States number 58 out of 60 in terms of climate protection performance. The index is compiled to take into account policies and trends as well as absolute emissions figures and in no small part takes into account the failure of the US to ratify the landmark Kyoto Protocol and others.
The 2009 US Greenhouse Gas Inventory identifies, specifies and recalculates emission and sink estimates. It takes into account greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, perfluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride. These six main greenhouse gases accounted for 7150 Tg of carbon dioxide equivalent.
GHG Report Indicates Carbon Dioxide as the Major Component of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the US
The GHG report further refines the relative contribution of the direct greenhouse gases. Carbon dioxide represented approximately 85.4% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, primarily due to fossil fuel combustion. Methane emission is associated primarily with livestock, waste decomposition and natural gas. Nitrous oxide is attributable principally to fuel combustion.
It is interesting to note that fuel consumption within the United States accounted for 94% of carbon dioxide emissions and that the United States accounts for approximately 20% of all carbon dioxide emissions through fossil fuel combustion worldwide.
About Verisae
Verisae helps measure, manage and reduce equipment and energy costs including the related business and environmental impacts of carbon emissions. The Sustainability Resource Planning (“SRP”) software platform improves operational efficiency, protects brand integrity and helps ensure regulatory compliance for distributed enterprises across many industries. Verisae delivers a broad range of sustainability solutions to dozens of clients globally with thousands of daily users including an extended network of third-party suppliers. Verisae’s integrated sustainability platform actively tracks millions of assets across thousands of sites worldwide.
RELATED PAGES
Read Recommendations from Sustainability Experts
How to Reduce Costs & Improve Efficiencies
Watch Our 3 Minute Sustainability Overview (video)
Follow the Conversation
© 2012 Verisae. All rights reserved.