The Climate Change - Report Example

Carbon Management Name Date Introduction Climate change has constantly forced human beings, animals and the environment to adapt to the unpredictable weather conditions. Adger (2001) argues that scientists have determined that adaptation is the only solution left for human beings to deal with the impacts of climate change. Adaptation thus involves mitigating practical plans that will assist in managing the impacts of climate change, protect our communities and environments as well as strengthen the economy of a country (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2014). The Convention on Climate Change by the UN Framework, defines climate change as “a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods” (UNEP, 2006. p.3). It is therefore evident from this definition that the impact of human actions on the environment is one of the main factors that have and continue to contribute to climate change globally. Impact of Carbon on the environment and climate change. Climate change has led to volatile weather conditions that are attributed to global warming and have resulted to melting sea ice, killing of coral reefs in the ocean, floods, heat waves and thawing permafrost in the Arctic, Global warming is highly associated with the high emission of carbon into the environment (Goldernberg, 2014). The report released in Copenhagen by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2014), affirm that carbon emission contributes to a greater extent to poor climatic conditions that result to global warming that causes extreme, widespread and irreversible impacts. According to the report, Germany will soon be experiencing a catastrophic climate change that will interfere with the physical, social and economical wellbeing of its citizens due to the large quantity of carbon emission that takes place at the Mehrum coal-fired power plant. In order to avoid such catastrophic consequences, the country is advised to reduce the emission of carbon gas to zero. According to the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2014), Global warming results to severe climate change that eventually, increases the risk of severe heat waves and other extreme weather conditions. If the amount of carbon emitted into the environment is not reduced, the world risks experiencing extreme weather conditions that will eventually lead to food shortages in the future. The report further affirms that carbon emission will ultimately have to fall to zero in order to fight to global warming and avoid global poverty. Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the IPCC assert that “the impacts of global warming and climate change as a result of carbon emission puts the lives and livelihoods of millions of people at risk” (IPCC, 2014). General information about global conference, protocols, technologies and treaties associated with mitigating CO2 emission United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (2002) affirms that climate change requires a stable but flexible implementation plan in order to overcome the long term global problem. This is why there has been an introduction of a number of international climate change mitigation plans that work independently to drastically reduce the amount of carbon emission released. Examples of these mitigation plans include; the Kyoto Protocol, Montreal protocol, Villach Conference, Toronto Conference and Climate Conference-Geneva. According to Sproule-Jones (1993), these mitigation plans contain rules that help people and governments to use resources more responsibly to reduce carbon emission. Sproule-Jones (1993), further argues that the nature of these mitigation plans will thereafter determine whether or not humanity is able to make use of these resources in a productive or destructive manner. The Kyoto Protocol and the Montreal Protocol are initiatives that were formed in order to educate people on the dangers of polluting the environment by releasing harmful gases to the atmosphere. The 1997 Kyoto Protocol was mainly concerned with curbing the excessive emission of GHG’s into the atmosphere. The 1987 Montreal Protocol is closely similar to the Kyoto Protocol in that it targeted the reduction of the emission of Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) in order to protect the Ozone Layer (McCarthy et al, 2001). Global Conferences such as the Villach Conference, Toronto Conference and Climate Conference-Geneva, were established in order to discuss and come up with potentials ways that can be implemented to fight the subsequent warming of the atmosphere as well as other evident climate changes. In these conferences scientific evidence was gathered and has continuously been used to assess the pattern and impacts of climate change. Realistic recommendations were offered by both scholars and scientists who attend the conferences and consequently formulate responsive strategies (World Meteorological Organization, 1985). The role played by international conferences and initiatives in mitigating the emission of carbon and other GHG’s in climate change, is crucial in planning future weather outcomes (Levy et al, 2001). Organizations such as WMO, UNEP and ICSU provide policy makers with adequate and relevant data required in directing people on the proper disposal of waste, energy conservation, and proper use of fuel and emissions reductions. Directives from such international organizations provide governments with an insight of how much damage climate change can have on their countries and the precautions they need to take (Leemans and Eickhout, 2004). Political and Technological procedures followed by the European Union to mitigate CO2 emissions Political and technological directives issued by the European Union, regarding climate change are mainly focused on emission reduction while putting in place adaptation measures (Haug and Berkhout, 2010). The European Union has mainly focused on using the Emission Trading System as a tool to reach its carbon mitigation aims. According to the European Commission, (2003), the Emission Trading System extends to over 30 countries across Europe hence covering up to 40% of total EU emissions. In order to reduce the carbon emission, every EU country is limited to the number of greenhouses gas emission, the limit set laid down, is later converted into tradable emission allowances. The EU ensures that countries covered by the EMS monitor and report to them the amount of carbon emitted by them on an annual basis thus controlling the amount of carbon released to the atmosphere thorough human activities (Ellerman and buncher, 2008). Most of the European countries have an established greenhouse gas limitation with each of these countries working in correlation with the objectives of the Emission Trading System objectives in order to achieve their specific targets (Bertram and Terry, 2010). According to Bertram and Terry (2010), the two main objectives of the Emission Trading System include; i. To reduce GHG emissions efficiently, at a negotiated balance of cost and environmental gain; ii. To promote corporate investment in low carbon technologies (both energy efficiency and low carbon energy sources). The European Commission (2003), explain that the Energy Efficiency Directives issued by the EU, contain a number of guidelines that are intended in assisting the EU to achieve 20% energy efficiency target by 2020. These directives mainly dictate that all European Union Countries are required to efficiently use their energy at all stages from production to consumption. Additionally the directives also advised on the need for European Countries to take part in energy savings initiatives that will drive a country to improve their energy efficiency. This technique as critiques argued could help the EU to use less energy input for an equal economic activity or service thus reducing the emission of harmful gases into the atmosphere (European Environment Agency, 2008). The Emission Trading System in the EU is used as a political initiative that is being used by countries that are part of the EU to come together and fight the excessive emission of carbon. The EMS coordinates with international agreements which impose reduction targets on GHG emission for the EU and other developed nations. Such international consensus includes the Kyoto Protocol and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). However according to Barrett and Stavins (2003), the Kyoto Protocol has played a significant role in assisting the EMS achieve its goals even though it has not received the much needed political participation and support. Governments in the EU introduced the ‘Market Mechanism’ approach to allow equal participation by all member countries and pave way for political and economic growth. In 2005 the EU Emission Trading Scheme, committed itself to the Kyoto Protocol which enables all its members to collectively reduce carbon emission and 20% of the GHG emissions (Barrett, 1999). The UK the Government introduced an institutional change together with a climate change centered body, termed as; The Committee Climate Change (CCC). The Committee Climate Change functions an independent body that was introduced as part of the Climate Change Act (2008). In this act the CCC was supposed to act as an environmental body established by the government to determine the emission reduction targets and carbon budgets the UK government should come up with. The CCC monitors whether the UK as part of the EU ETS has achieved its national emission target. As an independent body that works with the government, the CCC is assumed to provide credible information that is not altered for any political biasness (Den Elzen, 2011). It is vital for a country to receive clear figures and information when it comes to what they can actually do to reduce carbon emission (MacKay, 2009). This way both the UK government and its citizens through the data collected and provided by the CCC can use it in the most efficient way and relevant manner to mitigate the reduction of carbon and GHG’s emission. The UK has further gone ahead and made headlines by being the first country in the EU to set legally binding carbon budget. This budget dictates that in every rise in GHG’s emission in one sector the UK will subsequently have to register a reduction in another. The Climate Change Act (2008) was put in place in the UK with an aim of reducing GHG’s emission by at least 80% by the year 2050. The UK government has therefore encouraged its citizens to adopt a more energy efficient, low-carbon economy. Additionally it has mitigated the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme, which is designed to incentive emissions in large energy consumption public and private sector in the UK. This is because the private and public sector in the UK make up 10% of the GHG’s emissions in that country alone. Climate Change Agreements and the EU Emission Trading System (EU ETS) have developed energy management strategies for supermarkets, water companies and all central government departments to enable them to have a better understanding of energy usage. If companies in the UK are educated about proper energy usage, they will be able to reduce carbon emission by using cost-effective energy efficiency opportunities (European Environmental Agency, 2008). The Climate Change Act established a five yearly progress plan that seeks to monitor the progress made by the UK in achieving the long-term 2050 target. As a result the first four carbon budgets set for 2027 have already been set in the constitution and the UK government is currently working on the carbon budget period 2013-2017. When the carbon budget is narrowed down to 2023-2027, the UK looks forward in achieving a 50% reduction of carbon emission (Van Vuuren and Riahi, 2011). Budget Carbon Budget Level % reduction below base year 1st carbon budget (2008-12) 3,018 MtCO2e 23% 2nd Carbon Budget (2013-17) 2782 MtCO2e 29% 3rd carbon budget (2018-22) 2544 MtCO2e 35% by 2020 4th carbon budget (2023-27) 1950 MtCO2e 50% 2025 The carbon budgets are put in place as part of mitigation plans that acts as a benchmark in achieving the 2050 target. They monitor the progress being made and also predictable possibilities in terms of climate change. The CCC uses the data provided by the Climate Change Act in order to advice the government on the best way forward taking into account the technologies and government policy provided. The budget is designed to meet the UK obligations in regards to the overall EU targets. According to Brouwer et al (2013), as a contributor to the necessary global emission reductions, the Carbon budgets, foster innovation in technology which will in later years make substantial emission reductions and contribute to the future economic growth. Organizations in the UK that take part in the CRC are required to report their energy use and supplies annually. This way the government is able to monitor the amount of carbon or GHG’s emitted by these companies. Consequently the participants’ carbon dioxide emissions are calculated by The Environment Agency’s reporting system through the application of emission factors on the CO2 emitted by these companies. Business premises and landfill sites are regularly inspected to limit the emission of GHG’s in order to control and prevent pollution (European Environmental Agency, 2008). There are a number of economic factors associated with GHG reduction in the EU and UK in particular. According to the developed protocol by the international environmental designed to reduce the emission of carbon and GHG it is evident that the daily activities and the production of these gases are closely intertwined with the global economy. In the UK and other EU countries, a large amount of GHGs produced is as a result of the production of energy through the burning of fossil fuels. This has made the UK as one of the most developed countries in the continent to be a large contributor of GHG’s to the environment (European Environmental Agency, 2008). Technological advances that increase the efficiency of burning fossil fuel, require a huge financial investment. This may lead to an increase in the cost of operations when it comes to the running of machines, cars, household equipments that require energy among other essential things that make work easier for humanity. Such economic constraints have contributed to the delayed implementation of adaptation measures for climate change. However the UK financial benefits from the Emission Trading Scheme which offers assistance when it comes to an initiative to reduce GHG’s (Pfluger and schleich, 2013). The cost associated with measurements can be quite overwhelming for most companies in the public and private sector in the UK. The roles deployed to these companies in monitoring the carbon emission in their company are hefty and end up discouraging some of these companies from participating in the national agreements aimed at combating the excessive release of carbon. Dietz et al (2004) argue that, “Effective commons governance is easier to achieve when the resources and use of the resources by humans can be monitored, and the information can be verified and understood at relatively low cost.” This has resulted to the free-rider issue that has contributed to the ability or inability of a given company to manage the amount of common pool resources allocated to them (Dietz et al, 2004). The recently reformed electricity Market aims at delivering a low carbon energy supply as required by the Carbon Price Support Mechanism and Energy Act, 2013. The EMR aims at reducing the cost of energy as well as minimizing carbon emission in the UK. This strategy uses two main mechanisms that provide incentives for the investment called upon (European Environment Agency, 2008). 1. Contract for difference (CFD). This objective is works in achieving a sustainable and long term low carbon plant. This means that the plant will enable investors to take part in the process at a low price as well as provide consumers lower cost energy services. 2. Provide flexible payment mechanisms that can work efficiently for either the demand and supply curve during hard economic times or a recession. As a reformed electricity market, the UK looks forward in providing its citizens with pure energy supplies at a lower cost with low carbon emission during production. Office of Gas and Electricity Markets, (2010) argue that the Carbon Price Support Mechanism and Energy Act 2013, provide guidelines to energy suppliers which ensure that there is a clean and sustainable energy mix that does not interfere with the environment. The government monitors the EMR and ensures that it is able to decarbonize electricity generation, keep the nation lit and minimize the cost of electricity for consumers (Turner et al, 2007). On the other hand the reforms done on the EMR, target the investment of a range of low carbon technologies to enable it in generating to as many consumers as possible an increased portion of the clean electricity. Moreover its commitment to low carbon electricity work to meet the established Emissions Performance Standards that requires it to be equipped by CCS since it is a new coal-fired power station (Office of Gas and Electricity Markets, 2010). In order to secure the UK’s energy supply, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) will use models that will eventually tighten the capacity margins (Office of Gas and Electricity Markets, 2010). The CFD’s will create a diverse market for its consumer as well as ensure that the domestic energy supplied is of low carbon emission. This in turn tends to protect the UK’s energy and reduce dependence on imported high carbon energy (Morthost, 2000). Conclusion It is evident that there has been an increased focus shifted towards the increase of the availability of clean technology and international organizations focused on reducing GHG emissions. However, Hitz and Smith (2004) affirm that there is an increase of GHG emission when it comes to developing countries and some already developed countries globally. Adaptation to uncertain climatic changes is inevitable and still some governments fail to see the need to counteract the effects rising due to excessive emission of GHG into the atmosphere. The current and future generation as discussed is at risk of experiencing catastrophic consequences due to harmful emission of gases into the environment. In order to deal with the already determined impacts of climate change and mitigate effective ways to combat global warming, research needs to continue being carried out and the rest of humanity also needs to be educated in this field. 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