Accounting Of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Research Articles

Environmental life-cycle analysis of hydrogen technology pathways in the United States

Hydrogen is a zero-carbon energy carrier with potential to decarbonize industrial and transportation sectors, but its life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions depend on its energy supply chain and carbon management measures (e.g., carbon capture and storage). Global support for clean hydrogen production and use has recently intensified. In the United States, Congress passed several laws that incentivize the production and use of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen, such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) in 2021 and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in 2022, which provides tax credits of up to $3/kg depending on the carbon intensity of the produced hydrogen. A comprehensive life-cycle accounting of GHG emissions associated with hydrogen production is needed to determine the carbon intensity of hydrogen throughout its value chain. In the United States, Argonne’s R&D GREET® (Greenhouse Gases, Regulated emissions, and Energy use in Technologies) model has been widely used for hydrogen carbon intensity calculations. This paper describes the major hydrogen technology pathways considered in the United States and provides data sources and carbon intensity results for each of the hydrogen production and delivery pathways using consistent system boundaries and most recent technology performance and supply chain data.

Features of Carbon Regulation in the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation: Comparative Analysis and Trends

The article reviews international acts in the field of combating climate change (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement), identifies the main trends in the field of carbon regulation: emissions quoting; implementation of climate projects; introduction of greenhouse gas reporting and expansion of the legislative framework. A comparative analysis of the national legislation in force in the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation is carried out, its conditional classification is considered with the allocation of carbon regulation instruments being applied, viz. the market ones, the restrictive ones, the supporting ones and the auxiliary ones. The regulation of greenhouse gas emissions should include a wide range of activities and cannot be reduced solely to restrictive instruments. Market instruments include the national emissions trading system, international voluntary markets and instruments of international cooperation, while restrictive instruments include the introduction of carbon taxes, quotas, and mandatory carbon reporting. Among the examples of supporting instruments subsidies, targeted financing and tax preferences, as well as information policy may be noted. Auxiliary instruments include methodologies for quantitative assessment of greenhouse gas emissions and uptake, carbon reporting standards and tools for verification of reporting on greenhouse gas emissions, legislated possibility of implementing climate projects. The normative national regulation regarding the accounting of greenhouse gas emissions is considered, the categories of emission sources and greenhouse gases whose emissions are subject to accounting are identified. It is important to note that the legislation on greenhouse gases in the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation, as well as around the world, has not been finalized and is in the process of formation.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory from Roadway Construction: Case Study for the Washington State Department of Transportation

Recent emphasis on actions to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has pushed many state departments of transportation (DOTs) to develop carbon accounting practices compatible with their current standard data collection and storage guidelines. Once accurate and reliable accounting of GHG emissions is established, strategies can be formed that could help mitigate the adverse environmental impacts of materials used by state DOTs. To date, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has not conducted comprehensive research on the embodied carbon within its construction material usage (i.e., upstream Scope 3 emissions inventory of procured materials) with most previous carbon accounting practices being focused on Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions (i.e., the carbon footprint of direct and indirect energy usage). This paper summarizes the results of a life cycle assessment on the agency-wide material procurements and construction operations that emit GHGs at WSDOT as a case study. This study uses several data sources from WSDOT in conjunction with publicly available life cycle emissions factor data to estimate GHG emissions attributed to the materials used to build and maintain roadways under WSDOT’s jurisdiction. Results indicate that upstream Scope 3 emissions for WSDOT as an agency is a significant contributor to its overall GHG emissions inventory. Specifically, between 2017 and 2022, this paper estimates an average annual upstream Scope 3 emissions of 310,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalents, which translates to 56% of the total annual GHG emissions including Scope 1 and 2 emissions.

Achieving carbon neutrality in Shanghai's municipal wastewater treatment sector requires coordinated water conservation and technical improvement

Municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) situated within urban landscapes play a critical role in fostering sustainable urban development while concurrently serving as substantial contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Under the dual pressure of future urban socioeconomic development and the carbon neutrality target, it is important to identify GHG emission reduction pathways for municipal WWTPs. Existing research on GHG emission reduction in WWTPs exhibit a notable absence of a comprehensive city-centric perspective, with insufficient consideration given to the impact of water conservation measures. We constructed a GHG emission accounting system for the municipal WWTPs employing Shanghai as a case study. Based on field surveys of typical WWTPs, we proposed GHG emission reduction pathways and future demand-technology scenarios. Our results showed that, with the robust mitigation measures, Shanghai's municipal WWTPs have the potential to curtail GHG emissions to 0.55 Mt by 2050. Notably, GHG emission reduction can be achieved through water conservation and technical improvement. Medication optimization and energy saving are significant mitigation measures for GHG emission reduction, and should be optimally considered in the future. This investigation not only establishes a forward-looking GHG emission reduction roadmap for the municipal WWTPs at the city-scale but also imparts valuable insights to urban management practices in analogous urban settings.

Détermination des facteurs d’émission de GES à travers l’ACV dans les unités d’enfouissement, de compostage et de recyclage du CTVD de Ouagadougou

This study is a contribution to the quantification of greenhouse gas emissions in the waste sector in developing countries, especially through the determination of specific emission factors. The purpose is to determine the greenhouse gas emission factors of the various waste treatment units at the waste treatment and recovery centre in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) using the Life Cycle Analysis method. The emission factors were evaluated and then reduced to an equivalent CO2 emission per tonne of waste. The results show that landfill has the highest emission factors, with values ranging from 751.19 to 1,818.6 kg CO2 eq/tonne of waste for direct emissions, depending on whether or not sequestered carbon is taken into account, and from 7.24 to 1.31 kg CO2 eq/tonne for indirect emissions. Composting and plastic recovery units have negative EFs over their entire life cycle (-69.69 and -1736.65 Kg CO2 eq/tonne), thus contributing to net greenhouse gas savings. This study is the first of its kind to provide data that can be used for national accounting of greenhouse gas emissions in the waste sector

Carbon capture in blue hydrogen production is not where it is supposed to be - Evaluating the gap between practical experience and literature estimates

Blue hydrogen from natural gas reforming coupled with carbon capture and storage (CCS) is seen as one potential low-emission hydrogen production pathway. Diverging life cycle assessments (LCA) on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of blue hydrogen, however, make its contribution in a future carbon-neutral energy system uncertain. Our objective is to determine how the technical performance of carbon capture (capture rate and energy consumption) in hydrogen production is depicted in literature and how it compares to blue hydrogen plants in practice, thereby gaining insights on how CCS influences the ambiguity around blue hydrogen's decarbonization potential. We first review the recent blue hydrogen LCA literature with a focus on the carbon capture technology. Our results show that energy consumption and sources, as well as the capture rate of CCS differ in the studies, with substantial impact on GHG emissions. We then compare literature results to existing and planned blue hydrogen production plants. None of the existing plants with CCS has the identified process configuration necessary to comply with the European GHG emissions threshold for renewable fuels (28.2 g CO2-eq./MJ H2). Due to non-harmonized assumptions hampering direct comparisons of GHG footprints, we conduct a German case study with harmonized data. It illustrates the impact of the energy balance and its links with upstream supply chains using practice conditions in the near future. Again, most of the evaluated supply chain and process configurations exceed the European GHG emissions threshold. From that we conclude that blue hydrogen's decarbonization potential in the short to medium term is most likely more limited than announced capture rates suggest. Hence, we recommend to establish policies for tracking the decarbonization of upstream and downstream supply chain elements in hydrogen project development, as well as to set regulations for accounting and monitoring of GHG emissions over the entire supply chain.

GHG Emission Accounting and Reduction Strategies in the Academic Sector: A Case Study in Mexico

The carbon footprint (CF) quantifies the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated by human activities, expressed in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) units. It is an instrument for monitoring and mitigating the effects of climate change, which particularly affects low- and middle-income countries such as Mexico. The Mexican government has established a goal of reducing GHG emissions by 22% from the levels in 2000 by 2030. Although most efforts to reduce GHG emissions have been focused on the energy and agriculture sectors, the academic sector is also important since it can advise changes in public policy. In this study, the 2019 CF of the Centro Roberto Garza Sada (CRGS), a design school at the Universidad de Monterrey, was estimated in an effort to develop measures for reducing GHG emissions. The GHG Protocol was employed to calculate the total CF of the CRGS and identify the greatest contributors, including commuting (50.2%), energy purchase (28.5%), business travel (19.6%), and energy generation, use of paper, refrigerants, and shipments (1.7%). Three progressive mitigation scenarios were developed to reduce the GHG emissions from commuting, energy consumption, collaborators and student mobility, and material resources. These strategies could reduce the GHG emissions of the CRGS by 63.5% of the baseline assessed.

Petroleum++: Role of SPE Members and the Industry in the Energy Transition

As many of you know, SPE recently approved its 2023 Strategic Plan. The theme I chose for my presidency is Petroleum ++. As I explained in previous columns, petroleum refers to our continued work in producing oil and natural gas. The first + refers to our role in mitigating climate change concerns, and the second + is about our role in the energy transition and new forms of energy. The industry is already at different stages in this transition, and SPE is working to provide guidance and education to our members through many avenues. I want to talk about how these industry changes are affecting our current and future members and how SPE is helping. We are seeing many oil- and gas-producing and oilfield service companies adjusting to make their businesses sustainable through industry change. Shell’s strategy is “Powering Progress” which names climate change as an urgent challenge and vows it will contribute to a net-zero world. Saudi Aramco is creating value through sustainable business operations saying sustainability factors have become increasingly critical as it aims to balance profitability, environmental protection, and the growth and prosperity of the communities in which it operates. Baker Hughes is “taking energy forward” to make it safer, cleaner, and more efficient for people and the planet, and the newly rebranded SLB is driving energy innovation for a balanced planet. These are just a few of the higher-profile companies making changes in their organizations. Another important change is academia’s response to the energy transition. Globally, universities are expanding curricula for petroleum engineering students. Many are adding research and courses in carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS), hydrogen, geothermal, and mineral processing of coal. Some universities are more closely integrating petroleum engineering, geology, and geophysics courses for beginning students. Penn State, for example, is offering new courses on carbon sequestration, doing new research on hydrogen, and recently opened a new center in mineral processing of coal residuals. The King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) has strongly integrated its petroleum engineering bachelor of science program with the geosciences department (geology and geophysics). A new concentration in energy sustainability will be introduced in the fall of 2023, which will address energy transition and decarbonization, CCUS, and geothermal and hydrogen production and storage. The University of Texas at Austin (UT) and the Bureau of Economic Geology recently launched a geothermal research consortium called HotRock that will integrate isolated bodies of science and engineering knowledge to broaden and accelerate the scale up of “geothermal power anywhere.” UT launched a new multidisciplinary research and education initiative, Energy Emissions Modeling and Data Lab, in partnership with Colorado School of Mines and Colorado State University to address the growing need for accurate, timely, and clear accounting of greenhouse gas emissions across global oil and natural gas supply chains. These are just a few examples of how universities are helping to prepare future workers for a more integrated industry.

China’s process-related greenhouse gas emission dataset 1990–2020

China’s industrial process-related Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions are growing rapidly and are already equivalent to 13–19% of energy-related emissions in the past three decades. Previous studies mainly focused on emissions from fossil fuel combustion, however, there are a broad range of misconceptions regarding the trend and source of process-related emissions. To effectively implement emission reduction policies, it is necessary to compile an accurate accounting of process-related GHG emissions. However, the incompleteness in scope, unsuitable emission factor, and delay in updates in the current emission inventory have led to inaccurate emission estimates and inefficient mitigation actions. Following the methodology provided by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), we constructed a time series inventory of process-related GHG emissions for 15 industrial products from 1990–2020 in China. This emission inventory covers more than 90% of China’s process-related GHG emissions. In our study, emission factors were adjusted to refer to the industrial production process, technology, and raw material structure in China, which has led to increased accuracy of emission accounting. The dataset can help identify the sources of process-related GHG emissions in China and provide a data base for further policy implications.

Grid emission factors: The key to greenhouse gas emission accounting

Grid emission factors: The key to greenhouse gas emission accounting

Methane Leakage Measurement of Natural Gas Heating Boilers and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Accounting of “Coal-to-Gas” Transition for Residential Heating in Rural Beijing

The “coal-to-gas” transition, a widely advancing replacement of coal with natural gas (NG) for residential heating in northern China since 2017, has been confirmed to have significant environmental and health benefits. Since China proposed carbon peaking and carbon neutrality targets, the importance of accurately measuring the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs), mainly carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4), has been highlighted. However, due to the deficient estimates of CH4 leakage from natural gas heating boilers (namely, “gas boilers”), there is still a lack of reliable assessment of its GHG emissions. Here, applying a high-precision CO2–CH4 analyzer, we examined 30 gas boilers in Beijing, China. Based on stoichiometry, emission factor, and global warming potential (GWP) methods, we estimated the CH4 leakage rates of gas boilers and reassessed the reduction in GHG emissions from the transition. Considering the CH4 leakage rate of gas boilers, which was 0.22% [0.13, 0.30]%, the “coal-to-gas” transition for residential heating in rural Beijing reduced GHG emissions by 44.8% in end use. Our findings fill the gaps in CH4 leakage measurement and GHG emissions accounting and provide data support for the amendment of NG appliance standards and the evaluation of energy transition policies in China.

Greenhouse Gas Emission Accounting Disclosure, Corporate Characteristics and Governance: An Empirical Investigation on Indonesian Firms

Currently the world is facing global warming, one of the causes of which is greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. For these reasons, the disclosure of GHG emission information is one of the interesting research areas. However, previous research generally focused on developed countries with inconsistent findings. In this sense, this study aims to contribute to GHG disclosure by analyzing the characteristics of firms as determinants of GHG emission disclosure in a developing country, Indonesia. This study also analyzed the role of corporate governance consisting of the structure of the board of commissioners and the effectiveness of the audit committee in moderating the effect of corporate characteristics on GHG emission disclosure. The sample consisted of 69 firms-years companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX). The results of testing with Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) showed that the structure of the board of commissioners; consisting of indicators of independence, women representation, and the number of members of the board of commissioners; strengthened the leverage effect on GHG emission disclosure. The results of the moderation test also showed that the effectiveness of the audit committee can encourage firms with high leverage and poor performance to reveal more GHG emissions.

A more complete accounting of greenhouse gas emissions and sequestration in urban landscapes

A more complete accounting of greenhouse gas emissions and sequestration in urban landscapes

Local municipalities and the influence of national networks on city climate governance: Small places with big possibilities

Reaching the 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement not only requires ambitious goals from national governments, but also the active participation of local municipalities. It is in cities where climate actions need to be implemented to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reach international and national climate goals. While the importance of cities and their participation in networks has been well-researched, studies have systematically neglected the committed individual agents in small and medium-sized cities and overlooked the importance of national networks. To address these research gaps, this article looks at how local climate managers use their municipality's membership in national networks to increase action and implementation. This article is based on 12 semi-structured interviews with seven municipal representatives and five representatives of two national city networks, and four informal discussions. Through comparative content analysis, it was identified that the main functions derived from network participation are direct exchanges between the climate managers, mobilization of others in the municipality, accounting of greenhouse gas emissions, and project support. These functions helped overcome key limitations that the actors often faced within the municipality related to a lack of legal competences, administrative resources and internal support for climate work and financial resources. This has implications for city networks which have been focusing on larger cities and not including smaller cities who have less capacity and who can benefit the most from the functions provided by them.

Historical mapping of rice fields in Japan using phenology and temporally aggregated Landsat images in Google Earth Engine

Mapping the expansion or reduction of rice fields is fundamental for food and water security, greenhouse gas emission accounting, and environmental management. The historical mapping of rice fields with satellite images is challenging because of the limited availability of remote sensing and training data from past decades. The use of phenology-based algorithms has been proposed for mapping rice fields because they can take advantage of rice fields’ characteristic spectral signature during the transplanting phase and do not need training data. However, in order to employ phenology-based algorithms effectively for the historical rice mapping of large areas, we need to incorporate automatized methods able to deal with non-usable data (e.g., cloud cover) and with spatial inconsistencies in the number of available images for each pixel. Here we propose the combination of a pixel-based, phenological algorithm with the temporal aggregation of all available Landsat images to produce national level historical maps of rice fields in Japan from the 1980s onwards. We used temporally aggregated metrics (median, percentiles, etc.), derived from spectral indices of a large number of images within the Google Earth Engine, to minimize the issue of inconsistent image availability and reduce the effects of outliers in phenology-based algorithms. We produced seven rice field maps, for the periods 1985–89, 1990–94, 1995–99, 2000–04, 2005–09, 2010–14, and 2015–19. The overall map accuracies ranged from 83% to 95% when validated with visually interpreted aerial photography. We detected a 23% decrease in the area of rice fields at a country level, although the changes varied greatly among prefectures. Here we present the first freely available historical rice field maps of Japan from the 1980s onwards, together with the source code, and a web application that enables the exploration of the maps and data relating to the derived rice field area changes. The application of temporal aggregation is promising for dealing with the gap-filling of large amounts of satellite data, reducing the issue of data outliers and providing an effective use of the historical Landsat archive for phenology-based crop detection algorithms. Our maps could greatly help researchers, conservationists and policymakers studying the drivers and consequences of rice field changes, and our methods could be extrapolated to map rice fields at large scales in other regions of the world.

COVID-19 impact on an academic Institution's greenhouse gas inventory: The case of Cornell University

Controlling greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under rapid economic development is a major global challenge and must be addressed in order to avoid major impacts of climate change. Therefore, the accounting of GHG emissions is an important basis for regional climate change mitigation plans. In order to work towards achieving this, a standardization of GHG emissions accounting methodologies should be developed, which will promote a deep decarbonization at different geographical scales. This study builds a complete GHG emissions inventory of the Cornell University campus, quantifying the university's Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions and identify the main emissions sources. use an EIO-LCA model to investigate the GHG emissions connected to the campus procurement system. The impact of COVID-19 is explored from the perspectives of campus energy systems, transportation, and products & services consumption, which helped to determine the driving forces of GHG emissions fluctuation during the pandemic. Results show that overall, Scope 3 emissions contributed to the largest share of Cornell's GHG emissions (60.4%), followed by Scope 1 (37.8%) and Scope 2 (1.7%). The total GHG emissions of Cornell University in 2019 and 2020 were 463.5 and 404.7 thousand metric tons CO 2 e, respectively. During the COVID pandemic, the campus GHG emissions dropped by 10.99% in 2020 when compared to the 2019 level. When compared to 2019, 2020 Scope 1 GHG emissions reduced by 8.9%, Scope 2 GHG emissions increased by 39.5% and Scope 3 dropped by 16.1%. This study provides a comprehensive GHG accounting framework for universities in order to reach sustainable and carbon-neutral campus targets and analyzes the impact of unpreceded crises on campus life and the environment. • Rigorous quantification of Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions of a university. • EIO-LCA applied to analyze the GHG emissions of the procurement system. • The impact of COVID-19 on campus GHG emissions are discussed in detail. • Driving forces of COVID-induced GHG emissions change are studied.

Research on a Carbon Emission Calculation Model and Method for an Underground Fully Mechanized Mining Process

With the ratification of the Paris Agreement at the Paris Climate Conference, reducing carbon emissions has become a global interest. Coal is one of the main industries causing carbon emissions; thus, quantifying carbon emissions from coal mining is an important step in reducing these emissions. Firstly, based on the life cycle idea, in this paper, we define the Carbon Emission Boundary of the fully mechanized coal mining method. Secondly, the carbon emission accounting model (B-R model) of fully mechanized coal mining is established, which includes the total amount of carbon emissions and the carbon emissions of each mining link during the mining process. The Fifth-II mining area of the Jinda Coal Mine in Tengzhou City is taken as an example. We collect the relevant data on carbon emissions in the mining process of the Jinda Coal Mine, and the B-R model is used to obtain the carbon emissions in the mining process of this mining area. Finally, the feasibility of the B-R model is further verified according to the international authoritative carbon emission IPCC calculation method and the China Coal Production Enterprises Greenhouse Gas Emissions Accounting Methodology and Reporting Guide. The results show that the B-R model in this paper is feasible and that the greatest amount of carbon emissions arises from the coal breaking link and coal transportation, which provides a basis for other coal mines to calculate carbon emissions. The B-R model lays a foundation for coal mines to formulate a carbon emission reduction system.

中国农业系统近40年温室气体排放核算

中国农业系统近40年温室气体排放核算

Operational carbon footprint of the U.S. water and wastewater sector’s energy consumption

Responding to global climate change requires better accounting of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) to develop targeted strategies for reducing carbon footprints. Energy demand is a major contributor to operational GHG emissions in the water sector. However, the United States struggles to track GHG emissions in this sector largely due to the absence of a centralized and routinely updated water database, which includes operational information. Previous research focused on estimating operational GHG emissions generated from energy used on site and GHG emissions generated from off-site electricity production, but consumed by the facility. Largely these studies have been conducted at single utilities or cities and rarely at a regional or country scale. In this study, we assess the carbon footprints of operational energy use for 76 wastewater utilities and 64 drinking water utilities across the United States. Additionally, we investigate water-related GHG emissions at a sub-annual scale through three case cities to understand how GHG emissions vary at the monthly scale. Per unit of water, indirect energy in the form of grid electricity is found to be the largest contributor of operational GHG emissions. We estimate the total drinking water and wastewater emissions associated with electricity, natural gas, and fuel oil consumption across the United States to be 26.5 × 109 and 16.2 × 109 kg CO2e, respectively. We find the average carbon footprint per volume of drinking water and wastewater emissions to be 0.46 kg CO2e/ m3 and 0.38 kg CO2e/ m3, respectively—equivalent to 2.1% of total emissions from the U.S. electricity sector each year. The research provides insights into operational GHG emissions of the water sector and advances the understanding of temporal variations in the life cycle of energy use. Through the research we suggest the need for further analyses of environmental impacts at the sub-annual scale and support continued accounting of the water sector.

A historical reconstruction of cropland in China from 1900 to 2016

Abstract. A spatially explicit cropland distribution time-series dataset is the basis for the accurate assessment of biogeochemical processes in terrestrial ecosystems and their feedback to the climate system; however, this type of dataset is lacking in China. Existing cropland maps have a coarse resolution, are intermittently covered, or the data are inconsistent. We reconstructed a continuously covered cropland distribution dataset in China spanning from 1900 to 2016 by assimilating multiple data sources. In total, national cropland acreage expanded from 77.72 Mha in 1900 to a peak of 151.00 Mha in 1979, but it consistently decreased thereafter to 134.92 Mha in 2016. The cropland was primarily distributed in three historically cultivated plains in China: the Sichuan Plain, the Northern China Plain, and the Northeast China Plain. Cropland abandonment was approximately 43.12 Mha: it was mainly concentrated in the Northern China Plain and the Sichuan Plain and occurred during the 1990–2010 period. Cropland expansion was over 74.37 Mha: it was primarily found in the southeast, northern central, and northeast regions of China and occurred before 1950. In comparison, the national total and spatial distribution of cropland in the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the History Database of the Global Environment (HYDE) were distorted during the period from 1960 to 1980 due to the biased signal from the Chinese Agricultural Yearbook. We advocate that newly reconstructed cropland data, in which the bias has been corrected, should be used as the updated data for regional and global assessments, such as greenhouse gas emission accounting studies and food production simulations. The cropland dataset is available via an open-data repository (https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.13356680; Yu et al., 2020).