Greenhouse Gases and GHG Inventories: An Introduction

1. Greenhouse Gases and GHG Inventories: An Introduction October 19, 2011

2. Purpose • You will be asked whether your organization has conducted a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory and established GHG emissions reductions goals. • This presentation provides a brief introduction to GHGs and GHG emissions inventories.

3. Executive Order 13514 • E.O. 13514 requires Federal agencies to reduce their emissions of GHGs. • As part of this effort, GSA is researching issues and information pertaining to introducing GHG emission considerations into the supply chain. • Currently, there is no requirement for our suppliers to inventory and reduce the GHG emissions associated with their operations or the products and services they supply. • However, we are beginning to alert our suppliers to Federal interest in reducing supply chain-related GHG emissions.

4. What Are Greenhouse Gases? “Greenhouse gases” trap heat in the atmosphere. The six principal GHGs that enter the atmosphere because of human activities are: • Carbon dioxide • Methane • Nitrous oxide • Perfluorocarbons • Sulfur hexafluoride • Hydrofluorocarbons

5. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) • Carbon dioxide is the most prevalent GHG • Common sources of C02 are: • Tailpipe emissions from vehicles • Power plants that generate the electricity you use

6. Methane • Common sources of Methane are: • Landfills – The decaying waste • Wastewater treatment

7. Nitrous Oxide • Common sources of nitrous oxide are: • Tailpipe emissions from vehicle • Fertilizer from farms

8. Fluorinated Gases • Hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride are all man-made gases. • Common sources of fluorinated gases are: • Coolant from your air conditioner or refrigerator • Electric power transmission

9. Emissions of GHGs are divided into three types, known as Scopes. • Scope 1 emissions are direct emissions from sources owned or controlled by an entity, such as vehicle emissions. • Scope 2 emissions are from the generation of electricity purchased by an entity, such as emissions from power plants.

10. GHG Scopes Cont’d: • Scope 3 emissions are a consequence of an entity’s activities but from sources not owned or controlled by the entity, such as emissions associated with employee travel, emissions from supplier operations, and energy use associated with purchased products and services.

11. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Partnership Programs and Tools • EPA has partnership programs for energy efficiency and global climate change www.epa.gov/partners/programs/index.htm#global • EPA offers tools and references to assist companies with GHG inventories and reducing GHG emissions • Waste Reduction Model (WARM) • Recycled Content (ReCon) Tool • Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculator for Individuals • Corporate GHG Resources

12. Waste Reduction Model (WARM) • WARM is a web-based calculator to help solid waste planners and organizations track and voluntarily report GHG emissions reductions and energy savings from several different waste management practices – recycling, composting, landfilling, and combusting. • Estimates provided by WARM are intended to support GHG measurement and reporting initiatives. WARM is intended as a planning tool and not an accounting tool. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/waste/calculators/Warm_home.html

13. Recycled Content (ReCon) Tool • ReCon helps companies and individuals estimate life-cycle GHG emissions and energy impacts from purchasing and/or manufacturing materials with varying degrees of postconsumer recycled content. • The ReCon Tool calculates GHG emissions and energy consumption related to purchasing and/or manufacturing activities using analyses of baseline and alternative recycled-content scenarios. • For example, the user canestimate the GHG emissions and energy benefits of purchasing office paper with 35 percent recycled content instead of 25 percent recycled content. • Emissions and energy impacts are calculated using a life-cycle perspective (i.e., what impacts will this purchasing or manufacturing decision have on emissions and energy use associated with the manufacture and disposal of a given material). http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/waste/calculators/ReCon_home.html

14. GHG Emissions Calculator for Individuals • In your home or on the road, daily activities cause emissions of GHGs. Individuals can produce GHG emissions directly by burning oil or gas for home heating or indirectly by using electricity generated from fossil fuel burning. • Within the United States, per person emissions can vary depending on a person’s location, habits and personal choices. For example, the types of fuel used to generate the electricity a person uses can lead to different levels of emissions. A power plant run on coal emits more GHGs per unit of electricity than a power plant that uses natural gas. How much you drive and your vehicle's fuel efficiency, as well as time spent idling in traffic, also affect the level of emissions. In addition, the amount of recycling done by a person in his or her home can affect emissions by reducing the amount of methane-generating waste sent to landfills. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ind_calculator.html

15. Corporate GHG Resources • EPA has phased down its Climate Leaders Partnership Program. • However, many of the tools developed by EPA and used by Climate Leaders partners to reduce their GHG emissions are still available for use on EPA’s website. http://www.epa.gov/climateleaders/ • This includes a step-by-step description of how small businesses can calculate their company-wide GHG inventory. http://www.epa.gov/climateleaders/smallbiz/index.html

16. Ways to help the environment and reduce your carbon footprint • Install energy saving light bulbs • Buy Energy Star office equipment • Turn off computers and lights at night • Institute teleworking • Bike to work • Recycle • Car pool • Eliminate bottled water