misa going green v3

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Going GreenBuilding a Sustainability Plan that Lasts

Karen Mayfield, C.Tech, MCSE,Managing Principal, eSolutionsGroup

Douglas Smith, P.Geo,Project Manager,

Conestoga-Rovers & Associates

June 3, 2009

Introduction

The goal of sustainability is to “meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs1”

1 As defined in the 1987 Brundtland Commission entitled Our Common Future, and as adopted by the Global Reporting Initiatives (GRI) Sustainability Reporting Guidelines.

Today’s Agenda

• Drivers of Sustainability• Regulatory Status in Canada• Applicable Guidance Documents• Greenhouse Gas Emissions• Five Milestones for Climate Change• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)• Achieving Stakeholder Support

Agenda


Key Drivers of Sustainability

• Regulatory – new laws in some areas of GHG management…more to come

• Public awareness – political messages,

• Public image – municipalities seeking recognition as leaders

• Public pressure

Key Drivers of Sustainability

• Municipalities with effective sustainability plan can:– Save money in operational costs– Benefit from grants and government

incentives– Reduce costs to address compliance and

waste issues– Build community support and approval

Agenda


Regulatory Status in Canada

• Inconsistent across provinces, and undefined as a whole

• Applicable regulations include:– Kyoto Protocol– Canada’s Turning the Corner– Western Climate Initiative– Alberta Environment


THIS IS ALL GOING TO CHANGE!!!


• In 2009, the US EPA listed six greenhouse gases as substances that contribute to air pollution

• United States is moving towards establishing a nation-wide framework (conflicts with Canada’s proposed framework)

• Proposed Waxman-Markey Bill

• Regulatory status in Canada dependent on what happens in the United States

Partners for Climate Protection

• Network of 183 communities throughout Canada (and growing)

• Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

• Five milestones:– Creating a greenhouse gas emission inventory– Set an emissions reductions target– Develop a local action plan– Implement a local action plan– Monitor progress and report results

Agenda


Recognized Guidance and Metrics

• Global Reporting Initiatives – Reporting Guidelines

• WBCSD-WRI – The Greenhouse Gas Protocol

• International Standard ISO 14064 - Greenhouse Gases – Guidelines

• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

• and many others…

Agenda


Greenhouse Gas Emissions

• What are they?– Greenhouse gas emissions are the main

cause of human induced climate change and are governed by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate change.

– As a result, different national and international regulations and incentive systems aim to control the volume and reward the reduction of GHG emissions.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Substance CO2-EquivalentCarbon dioxide (CO2) 1

Methane (CH4) 21Nitrous Oxide (N2O) 310

Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) 140 – 11,700

Perfluorocarbons 6,500 – 9,200

Sulphur Hexafluoride 23,900

Perfluorocarbons 6,500 – 9,200

Source: USEPA Climate Leaders

Agenda


Five Milestones for Climate Change

• Creating a greenhouse gas emission inventory

• Setting an emissions reductions target

• Developing a local action plan

• Implementing a local action plan

• Monitoring progress and reporting results

http://www.sustainablecommunities.fcm.ca/partners-for-climate-protection/

Part 1: Creating a Greenhouse Gas Inventory

• Select a small sample of representative departments that comprise the most significant emission sources

• Identify major emission sources for each of these departments

• Calculate baseline footprint for these Facilities through a Pilot Study

Part:1 Creating a Greenhouse Gas Inventory

• Develop a data collection management system that:– Breaks out each major emission source type;– Quantifies the amount of each fuel consumed;– Defines what sources of fuel combustion are

used at the Facility; and– Identifies any processes that emit GHGs.

Part:1 Create a Greenhouse Gas Inventory

• Baseline Assessment for reporting year

• Identify any major sources of GHG emissions

• Modify and incorporate improvements

• Review the calculation methodologies and the reporting formats prior to full corporate-wide implementation.

Part:1 Creating a Greenhouse Gas Inventory

• Do not “re-invent the wheel”

• Incorporate existing tracking mechanisms or emission calculation tools already used

Part 2: Setting Emissions Reductions Targets

• Engage stakeholders to determine their expectations

• Evaluate and assess data to determine where improvements can be made

• Compare departments and municipalities as a whole

Part 2: Setting Reduction Targets

• Evaluate potential emissions reductions versus costs, return on investment

• Set targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions aggressively; ensure realistic

• Assess if improvements may be subsidized by tax incentives, stimulus money, or other financial incentives

Part 3: Developing a Local Action Plan

• Stakeholder engagement

• Data analysis of all departments to look for means of reducing carbon footprint.

• Analyze data to identify outliers – Areas that excel– Areas where improvement needed

Part 3: Develop a Local Action Plan

• Where outliers, or extreme values are identified, confirm the validity of the data entered

• Conduct an analysis of the operations at these departments

• At departments where environmental performance is abnormally low, review the data to identify the source(s) of the elevated impacts

Part 4: Implement a Local Action Plan


• Strategically invest in measures that will maximize your results for your costs.

• Ensure transparency throughout the implementation process

• Accurately document any improvement made, including costs versus savings and reductions

Part 5: Monitoring Progress and Reporting Results


• Report on the emissions, and prepare a detailed strategy for reducing emissions at:– (a) Department level;– (b) Divisional level; and– (c) Municipal level.

• Identify other KPIs relevant to operations


• Department Level– Identify the major sources of environmental issues,

and key means for reducing or mitigating emissions in the future;

– Identify capital and operating costs and timing for improvements,

– calculate return on investment (ROI) and payback period.

– Assess ROI based on improvements to energy efficiency and emission control, and also on operational cost savings (improved energy efficiency).


• Division Level– Address areas where positive initiatives have been

implemented to improve energy efficiency and to reduce emissions, and areas where improvement is required;

– Identify how the emissions compared to draft targets, and industry averages / standards (if any);

– Identify specific areas to reduce emissions and to improve energy efficiency at a division level.


• Municipal Level– Summarize overall emissions and energy use of at a

municipality– Identify improvements implemented, and areas where

further improvements are appropriate– Identify key initiatives at the municipal level (i.e.

behavioural base) to improve energy efficiency and to reduce emissions

– Identify priority projects, including objectives and action plans to reduce emissions and improve energy efficiency.

Agenda

• Drivers of Sustainability• Regulatory Status in Canada• Applicable Guidance Documents• Greenhouse Gas Emissions• Five Milestones for Climate Change• Key Performance Indicators

(KPIs)• Achieving Stakeholder Support

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Quantifiable metrics used to communicate a company’s performance

• Set of KPIs selected based on review of:– Global Reporting Initiatives– United Kingdom Department of Environment,

Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)– Discussions with key corporate personnel

Sample List of KPIs

• Greenhouse Gas Emissions

• Air Emissions

• Biodiversity

• Energy

• Raw Materials Used

• Environmental Compliance

• Environmental Expenditures

• Transportation

• Waste Management

• Water Management

Air Emissions

• Quantifies acid rain precursors, ozone depleting substances, and other air toxics, including:– Sulfur oxides (SOx)– Nitrogen oxides (NOx)– Carbon monoxide (CO)– Particulate matter (PM)– Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

Biodiversity

• Tracks localized impacts on the environment and facility’s efforts to minimize those impacts

• Evaluates organizations activities and how they affect protected species and protected habitat

• Limits to evaluation can be subjective

• Difficult to track and quantify objectively

• Quantification of energy used by organization

• Direct Energy Use – energy produced on-site (i.e., furnaces, boilers, generators, etc.)

• Indirect Energy Use – energy produced off-site and used by the company (i.e., electricity)

Energy

Raw Materials Used

• Reports organizations’ reliance on virgin raw materials vs. reused, recycled, or recovered waste materials

• Substitution of raw with reused materials may result in GHG offsets

• Perform initial screening to determine if potential GHG offsets warrant further assessment

Additional KPIs

• Environmental Compliance

• Environmental Expenditures

• Transportation

• Waste Management

• Water Management

Agenda

• Drivers of Sustainability• Regulatory Status in Canada• Applicable Guidance Documents• Greenhouse Gas Emissions• Five Milestones for Climate Change• Key Performance Indicators

(KPIs)• Achieving Stakeholder Support

Achieving Stakeholder Support

• Target audiences:– Community at large (taxpayers and voters)– Area business– Potential new businesses– Federal and provincial governments– Special interest parties


• Consensus has been reached when all members of a group can agree on a single solution or decision, and each can say:

• I believe that you understand my point of view

• I believe that I understand your point of view

• Whether or not I prefer this decision, I will support it because it was reached openly and fairly


• Public and targeted group meetings– “My opinion counts”

• One on one “champions” development– From opponents to proponents


• PR, Media outreach– Keep informed

• Print and online– Information and communication

• Recurring council meeting agenda item– Published council minutes

– Media uptake


Communicate. Communicate. Communicate.

Government Grants and Funding

www.sustainablecommunities.fcm.ca

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For more information

Karen [email protected]

Douglas [email protected]