France’s Lafarge, which accounts for about a half of cement output in Britain, says it is taking the lead for the industry, with Britain setting an ambitious target of cutting carbon emissions by 2050, in addition to a 20 percent cut by 2020 among EU members.
“The 80-percent reduction by 2050 is like climbing up the Mount Everest,” Jim Rushworth, UK Lafarge’s Business Sustainabiliby Manager of UK Lafarge Cement told Reuters. “It’s a challenge, but a challenge that can be met.”
In addition to improving energy efficiency and cutting down on the use of clinker — concrete’s main ingredient which is very energy intensive — Lafarge plans to build a wind farm for its cement plant in Dunbar, near Edinburgh.
It is monitoring wind and investigating its environmental impacts for erecting three turbines of 3 megawatt each.
It will be Lafarge’s second wind farm after one in Morocco.
The company became the world’s first cement maker to build a wind farm in 2005 as it set up a 10 MW farm for the Tetouan cement plant as a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project, which allows it to gain CO2 credits.
CARBON CAPTURE
Lafarge is also hoping to take part in Britain’s future carbon capture and storage (CCS) infrastructure, aimed to capture greenhouse gas emissions, transport and pump them into depleted gas and oil fields in the North Sea.
“Things like CCS would help to reduce carbon emissions…It’s important that we are part of that solution,” said Rushworth, adding it was also looking into a research into carbon capture with its European peers.
CCS technology has yet to be tested, proven on large scale and its costs need to come down.
For the cement industry, CCS is seen crucial in the long term because fuels use accounts only for about 40 percent of its carbon emissions. The rest is from a chemical process, where it is virtually impossible to reduce the emissions.
Rushworth would not give further details on its CCS project in Europe, which he said was at an early stage.
Helped by soaring energy prices, Rushworth said, Lafarge had already cut its UK carbon emissions by 30 percent between 1990 and 2007, which equals taking 800,000 cars off roads for a year.
Its efforts included replacing old facilities with modern more efficient ones and using waste fuels, including biomass.
Talk about a green floor and many people will immediately think of hardwood because it’s a natural product.
Concrete isn’t the first often the first that pops to mine, but perhaps it should be.
Other floor coverings such as vinyl or marble, carpet or wood are arguably not as environmentally friendly.
After all, vinyl and carpet are based largely on petroleum products and normally require transport by truck or train over vast distances.
Hardwood sounds good, but a lot of the trees in B.C. are softwood.
Hardwood flooring normally travels thousands of kilometres from the eastern U.S. or Canada.
Concrete, on the other hand, is distinctly local and it is rarely shipped any considerable distance.
Bruce Wilmer is the vice-president in charge of the Vancouver ready-mix operations for Lafarge, one of the world’s largest concrete firms.
He knows concrete and he knows it can be environmentally friendly.
“In the last few years with the advent of sustainable development, our industry has aligned itself – sometimes almost by chance – with the whole LEED certification system,” Wilmer said.
He said one of the major changes to the process has been the reduction in the amount of cement used in its production.
The process of producing cement is energy-intensive and one side effect is a considerable output of CO2.
By reducing the amount of cement in concrete, ready mix producers are making it more environmentally friendly.
According to the Cement Association of Canada, the cement industry managed to reduce its CO2 emissions by about 30 per cent, since it started measuring its environmental performance in the mid-1970s.
Andrew Vizer is director of engineering for the Western Region of the Concrete Association.
He likes to point out the actual energy efficiency of using concrete in buildings – very much including the use of concrete floors.
“Buildings use an horrendous amount of energy both for heating and for cooling,” he said.
He pointed out that mechanical systems can be designed to use the thermal mass of a concrete building to assist in both.
Furthermore, concrete floors don’t have to be ugly.
In fact, polished concrete floors have won no end of design awards.
CalPortland is a major player in the cement and concrete field. It has locations throughout the western United States, B.C. and Alberta.
Dave Frentess is its marketing director for the Northwest Region and works from offices in Vancouver, Washington.
Frentess is well versed in the ins and outs of polished concrete floors.
“The bottom line regarding concrete floors is that a properly done concrete floor eliminates other treatments and coverings, culminating in a less is more approach. This applies to both commercial and residential settings.”
Polished concrete floors, said Frentess, can provide commercial floors that don’t show traffic wear.
Providing new, artistic decorative concrete surfaces are the most common advantages of polished concrete.
Frentess said there has also been considerable growth in exposed concrete floors in cafes and restaurants.
There are no tile joints, they’re easy to keep clean and free of bacteria and they are hard-wearing.
Frentess said that in terms of energy efficiency, concrete slabs help cool during the summer and, with the addition of in-floor systems, are also highly effective heating systems.
He pointed out that using concrete as a finished material makes sense from a green building perspective, as it minimizes the amount of materials needed to complete a project.
Following the LEED rating system, bare concrete floors can make contributions towards points in a number of categories.
However, he pointed out that an installer must know what they’re doing.
The subgrade preparation can be critical, with well graded granular materials that are properly compacted.
The subgrade should be moist but not saturated.
Contractors must also order a mix that will take their pattern.
He also said that working with decorative concrete means a considerable increase in labor.
Finally, he warned contractors to be sure their customers understand that no coloured slab will perfectly match any colour chart.
“Expect some slight variations in colouring,” he said. “Concrete is made with natural materials, so variations are normal.” Source: ARI
SGS Climate Change Head on the First Carbon Credits from the Voluntary Carbon Standard
Posted: 20 Mar 2009 10:51 AM PDT
I had the chance to catch up with Robert Dornau, an economist who is Vice President of SGS Climate Change Programme, one of the leading verifiers of carbon credits, just as SGS verified the first carbon credits under the Voluntary Carbon Standard.
Robert, I saw the press release on the first verified VCUs by SGS. Can you tell me a little bit about what VCS is and how it’s different?
I am happy to tell you that SGS also validated the first projects registered under the Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS). The VCS provides a rigorous, trustworthy and innovative global standard and validation and verification program for voluntary emission reduction projects. It ensures that carbon credits generated from those projects can be trusted by business and consumers and have real environmental benefits. The VCS was initiated by the Climate Group, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA). What sets the VCS apart from other voluntary standards is not only this prestigious group of founding fathers, but the fact that it has undergone two rounds of global stakeholder consultation and was developed under guidance of an international steering committee from the business, industry and non profit sector (including SGS).
The VCS provides innovative approaches to a credible and diligent approval of new methodologies especially for the forest sector. Another element that sets the VCS apart is the recently launched registry system.
We’ve heard the VCS discussed for some time now – are these really the first carbon credits from VCS? Why did it take so long? Are we going to see more of these?
The first version of the VCS was released on 28 March, 2006. Soon after, first projects were validated and verified against this standard. Until the recent launch of the registry system, the credits generated were only traded on the back of certificates issued by verification companies like SGS. Having a registry system that lives up to the high standards of financial registries was a number one goal of the VCS from the start. Unfortunately it took a bit longer than expected to develop this system. It now consists of three independent registries and the VCS database. I am absolutely certain this was the final launch pad for the VCS to establish itself as the standard of choice for any credible market participant.
What can you tell us about the differences between validation and verification of projects under VCS as compared to CDM and the Kyoto carbon project markets?
In principle there are not many different ways to conduct a proper validation or verification of a GHG project. The VCS relies on the principles for validation and verification of GHG projects established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The new set of standards for the Carbon Market (ISO 14064 family) was develop taking into account best practice and experience from a number of global programs while being in itself program neutral.Two of the main differences are, that 1) the aim of the VCS is to assure that the emissions reduced by a project are measured, reported and verified correctly. If a buyer is interested in additional sustainability criteria, he/she can add those by applying a different add on standards like the Gold Standard for energy efficiency projects or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) for forest projects. 2) Project developers can rely on methodologies approved in other accepted GHG Programs (like the CDM) to establish baselines, additionality and monitoring procedures. However, if the project developer wants to use a new approach towards additionality or a new methodology for baseline and monitoring of project emissions, this has to be approved by two verifiers (Double approval process). We expect this process to be a lot quicker than the current CDM process while delivering results of similar environmental integrity.
You’ve mentioned 3rd party verification. Is this similar to getting a CPA’s financial audit of a company? What role do you think 3rd party verification will play in the voluntary and US carbon markets going forward?
Market credibility requires that data used for emission trading is reliable, true and fair as well as credible. The third-party verification model has played an integral role in providing this credibility, and it has been accepted in major established markets. Third-party verification has been important in relation to both emission offsets, such as CDM and JI projects, and organization GHG emissions such as EU ETS, JVETS,.UK ETS, The Climate Registry, Western Climate Initiative. As emission allowances, related to the verified emissions, have the status of a financial commodity, it is a requirement that its verification and assurance meet financial market needs. In this regard, the third party verification model involves assessment of an organization’s internal control system including calibrations and QA/QC checks as well as actually data checks. It is also common in existing GHG programs for the verifier to assure the market risk of misstatements or omissions in any GHG emissions report and hence allowances or credits traded. We sincerely hope that a similar approach will finally be taken in the US for inventory and project emissions to assure that this market can be linked with other markets on the basis that “a ton is a ton” and the allowances traded have the same environmental and financial integrity.
I know that your main competitor in the global carbon markets, DNV, has also been growing it’s US presence.
Are we seeing a new wave of European carbon expertise moving into the US?
SGS is in the very fortunate position to be able use extensive global expertise in the development of our internal procedures. We of course always adapt those to local GHG program requirements. We bring in expertise from Europe in key technical quality management positions in the beginning of any new market. But the aim is and will be to run a local program with local capacity. I encourage everybody interested in the interesting job of a GHG auditor to apply with SGS an join our international team of experts.
You’ve told me that SGS has been hiring in the US for climate change, where is your office and what plans can you share?
SGS has offices in most US states and employs a staff of more than 3000 in the US working in all kinds of industry sectors. Our climate change program is headquartered in Ontario, California, but we are already in the process of training auditors across the country. SGS has been a first mover in all GHG programs globally and we understand that we have to develop expertise and manpower before the market is actually there. As such, SGS has been an active verifier under CCAR for years and is one of only six entities that achieved ANSI accreditation for ISO 14064 verification of TCR and CCAR. DNV by the way is not ANSI accredited.
And finally, you’re an economist by original training, so can you share a personal opinion on the causes of recent carbon price collapse and the recent article by Point Carbon suggesting that prices should rise by 2012?
The recent price collapse is a result of the international credit crunch and economic crisis. Decreasing industrial production resulted in lower emissions, which had an immediate effect on the demand for allowances in the EU. In addition companies were cash strapped and were selling EU allowances. 2012 is the final true up for phase II emissions in the EU ETS, until then companies will be able to borrow from next years allocation of allowances to meet last year compliance requirements, so that we should see the true demand and supply balance only towards the end of the period. Another result of the credit crisis is that less energy efficiency measures are being undertaken at industry and household level now, so that while the crisis caused relatively less emissions in the short run, it might cause relatively higher emissions in the medium and long run.
As EU companies can meet their compliance targets also with CDM credits, CDM supply also has an influence on the equation. The credits crisis results in less CDM project being started, meaning less supply of CDM credits. New GHG Markets in Australia, New Zealand and the US will compete for this reduced amount of credits. This will result in a decoupling of the CDM price from the EU ETS price, which has basically been the benchmark to date. So when you talk about the price of carbon, I don’t think that there will be a uniform price by 2012 yet.
So, depending on how deep and lasting the cuts in industrial production are, you will see an upward trend in prices towards the end of the Kyoto phase. So much for the different economic developments that will influence carbon prices, but as you know, the econometrician in me will simply say: the best forecast for tomorrow’s price is the price of today…
Thanks Robert, always good to catch up.
Neal Dikeman is Chairman and CEO of Carbonflow, providing software services to carbon developers and funds cut the cost of carbon abatement, including managing the validation and verification processes. Carbonflow is partnered with both SGS and DNV.
Content provided by and all rights reserved to CleantechBlog.com. Also check out http://www.cleantech.org
(CHINA) — A plant capable of treating more than 60 percent of the city’s sewage sludge, the smelly remainder after wastewater is disposed of, went into operation yesterday.
The firm, Guangzhou Heidelberg Yuexiu Cement Co Ltd, will be able to handle 600 tons of the sludge every day in a smell-free way.
Guangzhou produces about 950 tons of sludge a day at present. The figure is expected to reach 2,425 tons next year and 3,120 tons in 2020.
The firm, a joint venture between Hong Kong-based Yuexiu Group and the global leader, Heidelberg Cement in Germany, will treat the sludge, turning it into raw materials and alternative fuels for cement manufacturing in the process, with no extra emission or ash.
“Sewage sludge has seen a surge in tandem with the city’s efforts to dispose of wastewater,” said Ran Shende, deputy secretary-general of the municipal government of Guangzhou. “The project may help Guangzhou solve the perplexing problem of sludge step by step and may even set an example for other domestic cities to follow.”
“In producing cement kilns sewage sludge can be recycled and become the fuel,” said Zhang Zhaoxing, general manager of Yuexiu Group, adding that the project well integrates the cement industry with environmental protection industry.
The project, with an initial investment of over 70 million yuan ($10.2 million), is a key R&D project of the technology and equipment for industrial and municipal waste treatment of Guangzhou as well as a critical Sino-German technological cooperation project in industrial and environmental protection.
Eberhard Schuppius, German consul general in Guangzhou, pinned high hopes on the project, saying it was remarkable in many ways, would benefit all parties involved and could become a good example of sustainable sludge treatment and energy efficiency in cement production.
“Many European countries and Japan have gained rich experience in using cement kilns for handling sewage sludge, the measure can be economically, ecologically and socially good,” said Liu Ming, a division chief of the National Development and Reform Commission’s industrial department. “The experience is worth promoting in other big cities.”
“Years of efforts to dispose of wastewater led to a surge in sludge, posing a threat to China’s environment,” Liu said.
Sewage sludge is mostly used in landfill, dried to make bricks or turned into agricultural compost in many cities. The foul smell emitted during the process and the possibility of pollution are often found annoying by citizens. Source: ARI
Latest Tool in Promoting Concrete’s Environmental Qualities
(Silver Spring, Maryland) — The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association has introduced the Recycled Content and Regional Material Calculator for the Concrete Industry (LEED calculator), an Excel-based program which calculates concrete’s contribution to the LEED 2.2 and LEED 2009 Recycled Content and Regional Material credits. The calculator allows input on project details, concrete producer and other applicable information. The program provides the results in a single page letter which can be provided to the LEED Accredited Professional, project manager or building owner.
The LEED calculator is another in a series of NRMCA efforts to emphasize the superior environmental and sustainable qualities of ready mixed concrete. In addition to the calculator, the Association is holding its first live, online course, Concrete’s Role in Sustainable Development, beginning Monday, April 6. This course will feature LEED 2009 and will help participants understand and prepare for the new system.
“The green building movement has really taken hold across the U.S. and the LEED calculator is one key tool that can help detail concrete’s attributes to the desired targeted audience, such as a building owner or architect,” said Erin Ashley, NRMCA’s senior director of sustainable construction.
NRMCA, based in Silver Spring, MD, represents the producers of ready mixed concrete and the companies that provide materials, equipment and support to the industry. It conducts education, training, promotion, research, engineering, safety, environmental, technological, lobbying and regulatory programs. Source:ARI
France’s Lafarge, which accounts for about a half of cement output in Britain, says it is taking the lead for the industry, with Britain setting an ambitious target of cutting carbon emissions by 2050, in addition to a 20 percent cut by 2020 among EU members.
“The 80-percent reduction by 2050 is like climbing up the Mount Everest,” Jim Rushworth, UK Lafarge’s Business Sustainabiliby Manager of UK Lafarge Cement told Reuters. “It’s a challenge, but a challenge that can be met.”
In addition to improving energy efficiency and cutting down on the use of clinker — concrete’s main ingredient which is very energy intensive — Lafarge plans to build a wind farm for its cement plant in Dunbar, near Edinburgh.
It is monitoring wind and investigating its environmental impacts for erecting three turbines of 3 megawatt each.
It will be Lafarge’s second wind farm after one in Morocco.
The company became the world’s first cement maker to build a wind farm in 2005 as it set up a 10 MW farm for the Tetouan cement plant as a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project, which allows it to gain CO2 credits.
CARBON CAPTURE
Lafarge is also hoping to take part in Britain’s future carbon capture and storage (CCS) infrastructure, aimed to capture greenhouse gas emissions, transport and pump them into depleted gas and oil fields in the North Sea.
“Things like CCS would help to reduce carbon emissions…It’s important that we are part of that solution,” said Rushworth, adding it was also looking into a research into carbon capture with its European peers.
CCS technology has yet to be tested, proven on large scale and its costs need to come down.
For the cement industry, CCS is seen crucial in the long term because fuels use accounts only for about 40 percent of its carbon emissions. The rest is from a chemical process, where it is virtually impossible to reduce the emissions.
Rushworth would not give further details on its CCS project in Europe, which he said was at an early stage.
Helped by soaring energy prices, Rushworth said, Lafarge had already cut its UK carbon emissions by 30 percent between 1990 and 2007, which equals taking 800,000 cars off roads for a year.
Its efforts included replacing old facilities with modern more efficient ones and using waste fuels, including biomass.
Talk about a green floor and many people will immediately think of hardwood because it’s a natural product.
Concrete isn’t the first often the first that pops to mine, but perhaps it should be.
Other floor coverings such as vinyl or marble, carpet or wood are arguably not as environmentally friendly.
After all, vinyl and carpet are based largely on petroleum products and normally require transport by truck or train over vast distances.
Hardwood sounds good, but a lot of the trees in B.C. are softwood.
Hardwood flooring normally travels thousands of kilometres from the eastern U.S. or Canada.
Concrete, on the other hand, is distinctly local and it is rarely shipped any considerable distance.
Bruce Wilmer is the vice-president in charge of the Vancouver ready-mix operations for Lafarge, one of the world’s largest concrete firms.
He knows concrete and he knows it can be environmentally friendly.
“In the last few years with the advent of sustainable development, our industry has aligned itself – sometimes almost by chance – with the whole LEED certification system,” Wilmer said.
He said one of the major changes to the process has been the reduction in the amount of cement used in its production.
The process of producing cement is energy-intensive and one side effect is a considerable output of CO2.
By reducing the amount of cement in concrete, ready mix producers are making it more environmentally friendly.
According to the Cement Association of Canada, the cement industry managed to reduce its CO2 emissions by about 30 per cent, since it started measuring its environmental performance in the mid-1970s.
Andrew Vizer is director of engineering for the Western Region of the Concrete Association.
He likes to point out the actual energy efficiency of using concrete in buildings – very much including the use of concrete floors.
“Buildings use an horrendous amount of energy both for heating and for cooling,” he said.
He pointed out that mechanical systems can be designed to use the thermal mass of a concrete building to assist in both.
Furthermore, concrete floors don’t have to be ugly.
In fact, polished concrete floors have won no end of design awards.
CalPortland is a major player in the cement and concrete field. It has locations throughout the western United States, B.C. and Alberta.
Dave Frentess is its marketing director for the Northwest Region and works from offices in Vancouver, Washington.
Frentess is well versed in the ins and outs of polished concrete floors.
“The bottom line regarding concrete floors is that a properly done concrete floor eliminates other treatments and coverings, culminating in a less is more approach. This applies to both commercial and residential settings.”
Polished concrete floors, said Frentess, can provide commercial floors that don’t show traffic wear.
Providing new, artistic decorative concrete surfaces are the most common advantages of polished concrete.
Frentess said there has also been considerable growth in exposed concrete floors in cafes and restaurants.
There are no tile joints, they’re easy to keep clean and free of bacteria and they are hard-wearing.
Frentess said that in terms of energy efficiency, concrete slabs help cool during the summer and, with the addition of in-floor systems, are also highly effective heating systems.
He pointed out that using concrete as a finished material makes sense from a green building perspective, as it minimizes the amount of materials needed to complete a project.
Following the LEED rating system, bare concrete floors can make contributions towards points in a number of categories.
However, he pointed out that an installer must know what they’re doing.
The subgrade preparation can be critical, with well graded granular materials that are properly compacted.
The subgrade should be moist but not saturated.
Contractors must also order a mix that will take their pattern.
He also said that working with decorative concrete means a considerable increase in labor.
Finally, he warned contractors to be sure their customers understand that no coloured slab will perfectly match any colour chart.
“Expect some slight variations in colouring,” he said. “Concrete is made with natural materials, so variations are normal.” Source: ARI
SGS Climate Change Head on the First Carbon Credits from the Voluntary Carbon Standard
Posted: 20 Mar 2009 10:51 AM PDT
I had the chance to catch up with Robert Dornau, an economist who is Vice President of SGS Climate Change Programme, one of the leading verifiers of carbon credits, just as SGS verified the first carbon credits under the Voluntary Carbon Standard.
Robert, I saw the press release on the first verified VCUs by SGS. Can you tell me a little bit about what VCS is and how it’s different?
I am happy to tell you that SGS also validated the first projects registered under the Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS). The VCS provides a rigorous, trustworthy and innovative global standard and validation and verification program for voluntary emission reduction projects. It ensures that carbon credits generated from those projects can be trusted by business and consumers and have real environmental benefits. The VCS was initiated by the Climate Group, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA). What sets the VCS apart from other voluntary standards is not only this prestigious group of founding fathers, but the fact that it has undergone two rounds of global stakeholder consultation and was developed under guidance of an international steering committee from the business, industry and non profit sector (including SGS).
The VCS provides innovative approaches to a credible and diligent approval of new methodologies especially for the forest sector. Another element that sets the VCS apart is the recently launched registry system.
We’ve heard the VCS discussed for some time now – are these really the first carbon credits from VCS? Why did it take so long? Are we going to see more of these?
The first version of the VCS was released on 28 March, 2006. Soon after, first projects were validated and verified against this standard. Until the recent launch of the registry system, the credits generated were only traded on the back of certificates issued by verification companies like SGS. Having a registry system that lives up to the high standards of financial registries was a number one goal of the VCS from the start. Unfortunately it took a bit longer than expected to develop this system. It now consists of three independent registries and the VCS database. I am absolutely certain this was the final launch pad for the VCS to establish itself as the standard of choice for any credible market participant.
What can you tell us about the differences between validation and verification of projects under VCS as compared to CDM and the Kyoto carbon project markets?
In principle there are not many different ways to conduct a proper validation or verification of a GHG project. The VCS relies on the principles for validation and verification of GHG projects established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The new set of standards for the Carbon Market (ISO 14064 family) was develop taking into account best practice and experience from a number of global programs while being in itself program neutral.Two of the main differences are, that 1) the aim of the VCS is to assure that the emissions reduced by a project are measured, reported and verified correctly. If a buyer is interested in additional sustainability criteria, he/she can add those by applying a different add on standards like the Gold Standard for energy efficiency projects or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) for forest projects. 2) Project developers can rely on methodologies approved in other accepted GHG Programs (like the CDM) to establish baselines, additionality and monitoring procedures. However, if the project developer wants to use a new approach towards additionality or a new methodology for baseline and monitoring of project emissions, this has to be approved by two verifiers (Double approval process). We expect this process to be a lot quicker than the current CDM process while delivering results of similar environmental integrity.
You’ve mentioned 3rd party verification. Is this similar to getting a CPA’s financial audit of a company? What role do you think 3rd party verification will play in the voluntary and US carbon markets going forward?
Market credibility requires that data used for emission trading is reliable, true and fair as well as credible. The third-party verification model has played an integral role in providing this credibility, and it has been accepted in major established markets. Third-party verification has been important in relation to both emission offsets, such as CDM and JI projects, and organization GHG emissions such as EU ETS, JVETS,.UK ETS, The Climate Registry, Western Climate Initiative. As emission allowances, related to the verified emissions, have the status of a financial commodity, it is a requirement that its verification and assurance meet financial market needs. In this regard, the third party verification model involves assessment of an organization’s internal control system including calibrations and QA/QC checks as well as actually data checks. It is also common in existing GHG programs for the verifier to assure the market risk of misstatements or omissions in any GHG emissions report and hence allowances or credits traded. We sincerely hope that a similar approach will finally be taken in the US for inventory and project emissions to assure that this market can be linked with other markets on the basis that “a ton is a ton” and the allowances traded have the same environmental and financial integrity.
I know that your main competitor in the global carbon markets, DNV, has also been growing it’s US presence.
Are we seeing a new wave of European carbon expertise moving into the US?
SGS is in the very fortunate position to be able use extensive global expertise in the development of our internal procedures. We of course always adapt those to local GHG program requirements. We bring in expertise from Europe in key technical quality management positions in the beginning of any new market. But the aim is and will be to run a local program with local capacity. I encourage everybody interested in the interesting job of a GHG auditor to apply with SGS an join our international team of experts.
You’ve told me that SGS has been hiring in the US for climate change, where is your office and what plans can you share?
SGS has offices in most US states and employs a staff of more than 3000 in the US working in all kinds of industry sectors. Our climate change program is headquartered in Ontario, California, but we are already in the process of training auditors across the country. SGS has been a first mover in all GHG programs globally and we understand that we have to develop expertise and manpower before the market is actually there. As such, SGS has been an active verifier under CCAR for years and is one of only six entities that achieved ANSI accreditation for ISO 14064 verification of TCR and CCAR. DNV by the way is not ANSI accredited.
And finally, you’re an economist by original training, so can you share a personal opinion on the causes of recent carbon price collapse and the recent article by Point Carbon suggesting that prices should rise by 2012?
The recent price collapse is a result of the international credit crunch and economic crisis. Decreasing industrial production resulted in lower emissions, which had an immediate effect on the demand for allowances in the EU. In addition companies were cash strapped and were selling EU allowances. 2012 is the final true up for phase II emissions in the EU ETS, until then companies will be able to borrow from next years allocation of allowances to meet last year compliance requirements, so that we should see the true demand and supply balance only towards the end of the period. Another result of the credit crisis is that less energy efficiency measures are being undertaken at industry and household level now, so that while the crisis caused relatively less emissions in the short run, it might cause relatively higher emissions in the medium and long run.
As EU companies can meet their compliance targets also with CDM credits, CDM supply also has an influence on the equation. The credits crisis results in less CDM project being started, meaning less supply of CDM credits. New GHG Markets in Australia, New Zealand and the US will compete for this reduced amount of credits. This will result in a decoupling of the CDM price from the EU ETS price, which has basically been the benchmark to date. So when you talk about the price of carbon, I don’t think that there will be a uniform price by 2012 yet.
So, depending on how deep and lasting the cuts in industrial production are, you will see an upward trend in prices towards the end of the Kyoto phase. So much for the different economic developments that will influence carbon prices, but as you know, the econometrician in me will simply say: the best forecast for tomorrow’s price is the price of today…
Thanks Robert, always good to catch up.
Neal Dikeman is Chairman and CEO of Carbonflow, providing software services to carbon developers and funds cut the cost of carbon abatement, including managing the validation and verification processes. Carbonflow is partnered with both SGS and DNV.
Content provided by and all rights reserved to CleantechBlog.com. Also check out http://www.cleantech.org
(CHINA) — A plant capable of treating more than 60 percent of the city’s sewage sludge, the smelly remainder after wastewater is disposed of, went into operation yesterday.
The firm, Guangzhou Heidelberg Yuexiu Cement Co Ltd, will be able to handle 600 tons of the sludge every day in a smell-free way.
Guangzhou produces about 950 tons of sludge a day at present. The figure is expected to reach 2,425 tons next year and 3,120 tons in 2020.
The firm, a joint venture between Hong Kong-based Yuexiu Group and the global leader, Heidelberg Cement in Germany, will treat the sludge, turning it into raw materials and alternative fuels for cement manufacturing in the process, with no extra emission or ash.
“Sewage sludge has seen a surge in tandem with the city’s efforts to dispose of wastewater,” said Ran Shende, deputy secretary-general of the municipal government of Guangzhou. “The project may help Guangzhou solve the perplexing problem of sludge step by step and may even set an example for other domestic cities to follow.”
“In producing cement kilns sewage sludge can be recycled and become the fuel,” said Zhang Zhaoxing, general manager of Yuexiu Group, adding that the project well integrates the cement industry with environmental protection industry.
The project, with an initial investment of over 70 million yuan ($10.2 million), is a key R&D project of the technology and equipment for industrial and municipal waste treatment of Guangzhou as well as a critical Sino-German technological cooperation project in industrial and environmental protection.
Eberhard Schuppius, German consul general in Guangzhou, pinned high hopes on the project, saying it was remarkable in many ways, would benefit all parties involved and could become a good example of sustainable sludge treatment and energy efficiency in cement production.
“Many European countries and Japan have gained rich experience in using cement kilns for handling sewage sludge, the measure can be economically, ecologically and socially good,” said Liu Ming, a division chief of the National Development and Reform Commission’s industrial department. “The experience is worth promoting in other big cities.”
“Years of efforts to dispose of wastewater led to a surge in sludge, posing a threat to China’s environment,” Liu said.
Sewage sludge is mostly used in landfill, dried to make bricks or turned into agricultural compost in many cities. The foul smell emitted during the process and the possibility of pollution are often found annoying by citizens. Source: ARI
Latest Tool in Promoting Concrete’s Environmental Qualities
(Silver Spring, Maryland) — The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association has introduced the Recycled Content and Regional Material Calculator for the Concrete Industry (LEED calculator), an Excel-based program which calculates concrete’s contribution to the LEED 2.2 and LEED 2009 Recycled Content and Regional Material credits. The calculator allows input on project details, concrete producer and other applicable information. The program provides the results in a single page letter which can be provided to the LEED Accredited Professional, project manager or building owner.
The LEED calculator is another in a series of NRMCA efforts to emphasize the superior environmental and sustainable qualities of ready mixed concrete. In addition to the calculator, the Association is holding its first live, online course, Concrete’s Role in Sustainable Development, beginning Monday, April 6. This course will feature LEED 2009 and will help participants understand and prepare for the new system.
“The green building movement has really taken hold across the U.S. and the LEED calculator is one key tool that can help detail concrete’s attributes to the desired targeted audience, such as a building owner or architect,” said Erin Ashley, NRMCA’s senior director of sustainable construction.
NRMCA, based in Silver Spring, MD, represents the producers of ready mixed concrete and the companies that provide materials, equipment and support to the industry. It conducts education, training, promotion, research, engineering, safety, environmental, technological, lobbying and regulatory programs. Source:ARI