Displaying items by tag: Carbon

This year the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) met in Rio, Brazil.  At the conference, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon highlighted a global initiative launched late 2011 that focused on achieving Sustainable Energy for All.  The initiative calls on private sector and national participation to meet three energy objectives by 2030 - energy access, energy efficiency and a focus on renewables.  In the wake of this conference, a new report has been released by the United Nations Global Compact and Accenture, titled “Sustainable Energy for All: The Business Opportunity.”  

The report, while focused globally, highlights industry specific opportunities and trends.  It reports that of industry CEO’s surveyed, 91% will employ energy efficiency measures to address sustainability issues over the next five years.  This correlates broadly with consumer perceptions which also indicate a growing trend in renewable awareness and efficiency, with 79% of consumers worldwide reporting a more positive perception of brands produced with wind energy, and 50% of consumers worldwide willing to pay extra for products based on renewable energy.  

While the report offers broad recommendations, it also focuses on 19 subsectors and advises on the impacts renewable energy can have on the bottom line.  It suggest that renewable energy can acts as a hedge against volatile energy costs, while also offering a potential regulatory hedge against carbon restrictions imposed by governmental actors.   An executive summary focusing specifically on the Information and Communications sector was published and provides insights on actions the sector can take to become more energy efficient and advance business opportunities. A few of these include recommendations on the improved energy efficiency of operations, as well as the development of services to improve the energy efficiency of travel and logistics.

In spite of the reports lack of specifics on precisely how to implement efficiency recommendations for advancing business opportunities, a variety of tools presently exist to identify key areas for development.  A first step in the process is to identify present energy usage in the form of a carbon audit.  Viewing energy usage through the lens of a carbon audit allows for companies to assess their energy usage, while simultaneously addressing their carbon footprint.  

A carbon audit provides baseline data to assess current energy consumption, offers insights into areas of potential energy and financial savings, and allows for the creation of baseline energy/carbon reduction targets. Armed with the potential for energy and financial savings, companies can leverage their corporate sustainability efforts with positive communications to consumers and improved brand imaging.  The combination of these often results in an improved bottom line.

The 2012 SCTE Cable-Tec Expo has already come and gone, but the follow-up activities arising from the week-long event are only just getting started. 

Besides serving as a venue for continuing professional education, SCTE’s Expo also makes for a great setting to develop new business opportunities. Hundreds of vendors, MSOs and other cable professionals pack the conference hall to check out the latest in cable technology, products and services. Content is tailored for technical workshops, exhibits and specialized pavilions to attract like-minded individuals to connect and find opportunities for collaboration.

This year, I had the opportunity to participate on the Expo Program Committee and moderate a panel under the SEMI track titled “Exploring Best Practices and Strategies to Achieve Efficiency in Fleet Energy Management.”  The panel featured industry veteran and President of opXL,LLC,  Mr. Tom Gorman, the Senior Manager of Tech Ops at Time Warner Cable, Mr. Jack Sheehan, and the Fleet Testing and Analysis Team Leader at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Mr. Kevin Walkowicz. These three gentlemen represent different walks of life in the cable industry but worked well together to provide their audience with critical insights and strategies to capitalize on fleet management tools like GPS and workforce management, an idle-time reduction program and open-source data-focused tools from the Department of Energy (DOE) designed to enable lower vehicle energy use.

A typical MSO’s fleet is the second largest contributor to its carbon footprint besides facility and network electricity. The fleet also represents a significant portion of the MSO’s operating budget, costing tens millions of dollars for fuel consumption alone. Given the important role fleet energy management has to play in reducing an MSO’s costs and emissions, I believe that this topic will receive even greater attention at the upcoming SEMI 2013 spring event and also at next year’s Expo.

The SCTE Cable-Tec Expo was a great opportunity to meet face-to-face with potential clients, customers, and industry experts. Meeting in person allowed for the opportunity to connect on a more personal level while encouraging creative business modeling and future planning. The next Expo might be a year away, but we’re already looking forward to another week of networking and growth in the Big Easy in September 2013. 

In the late evening on December 18th, 2009, all eyes were on Copenhagen waiting to see if the Conference of the Parties 15 (COP15) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) would produce a global climate treaty that would require the nations of the world to reduce their output of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The outcome of COP15 was expected to impact every aspect of society, and most prominently, the corporate world. At the end of a two week long negotiating session, Copenhagen produced a non-binding “agreement” void of any real emissions reduction targets or timetables to achieve them. The Copenhagen Accord was a decision made by the 193 nations participating in the Conference to “take note of” for further review in 2010. The Accord recognizes the following major action items:

• There is a scientific case for keeping global temperature rise to no more than 2°C.
• Developed Nations (Annex 1 Parties – the largest emitters) will determine economy-wide emissions reduction targets for 2020 by January 31, 2010. 
• Developing nations (Non-Annex 1 Parties) will determine methods to implement mitigation actions by January 31, 2010. 
• Developed nations will collectively generate USD $30 billion for the period 2010 through 2012 and USD $100 billion from 2012 to 2020 to assist developing nations in their climate change adaptation and mitigation activities.

Although legally-binding emissions reduction targets were not included in the Accord, most nations have proposed unofficial emissions reduction commitments which they claim they will implement through domestic policy. Most nations, like the United States and China, are steadfast in their position to achieve the following goals:

• USA proposed to cut GHG emissions to 17% below 2005 levels by 2020, pending congressional approval (this is equivalent to 4% below 1990 levels).
• China: Proposed to cut CO2 emissions per unit of GDP by 40-45% below 2005 levels by 2020.
• European Union proposed to cut GHG emissions by 20% from 1990 levels by 2020, or 30% if other big emitters take tough action as well.
• India proposed to cut CO2 emissions per unit of GDP by 20-25% from 2005 levels by 2020.

The current emissions targets on the table are expected to lead the world on a path toward a global temperature rise of 3°C. Stronger commitments are needed from the largest emitters, including the United States and China, to reach the goals set out in the Copenhagen Accord. As of January 29th, the United States appears to remain firm on its 17% target reduction in emissions by 2020 from 2005 levels. In a letter to U.N. Climate Officials, President Obama pledged to uphold our target emissions reduction goal set out at Copenhagen, and that more details were to follow pending Congress’ decision on the Climate Bill.

Despite this positive and ambitious first step, it is still uncertain as to when the “details” of the U.S. commitment will be worked out. As climate legislation sits idle in Congressional subcommittees, Corporate America waits with baited breath to follow through on Cleantech investments. In a recent press release, Alstom Power President Philippe Joubert said that “Uncertainty about the legal and regulatory framework around carbon dioxide emissions is holding back needed investments”. In a letter to President Obama, a group of 80 U.S. companies stated that “[Climate] legislation would spur a new energy economy and with it create 1.7 million new American jobs, many in struggling communities across the country” (Environmental Leader, 2010). In addition to the desire for a green light on Cleantech investment, corporations are pushing for Congressional movement on a more flexible and “business-friendly” Climate Bill for fear of being pinned under the strict and expensive regulatory thumb of the EPA.

No matter how the U.S. decides to regulate carbon dioxide emissions, the world will be holding us responsible for upholding the pledge President Obama made to the U.N. Climate Officials this week. U.N. Climate Chief Yvo de Boer said recently that "Whatever route is taken, the president of the United States committed to a 17 percent emissions reduction in Copenhagen. The president of the United States committed to more ambitious emissions reductions for 2030 and 2050. And it is those statements to which the international community will hold the government of the United States accountable” (Greenwire, 2010).

Without the support of congressional legislation, President Obama met the U.N.’s January 31st deadline by confirming to uphold the United States’ pledge at Copenhagen. The details surrounding the implementation of that emissions target and the accompanying timetable are yet to be determined. The waiting game for the creation of solid and defensible action to regulate carbon emissions at home and abroad continues…