South Pole ontwikkelt uitgebreide strategieën waarmee klimaatactie omgezet kan worden in bedrijfsmogelijkheden op de lange termijn voor bedrijven, overheidsinstellingen en organisaties van over de hele wereld, en is al sinds 2006 toonaangevend op het gebied van koolstofvermindering. South Pole is ook een toonaangevende projectontwikkelaar en heeft bijna 1000 projecten mogelijk gemaakt op het gebied van hernieuwbare energie, bosbeheer, agricultuur, industrie, huishoudens en openbare instellingen in meer dan 50 landen. Aan de hand van klimaatfinaniciering heeft South Pole meer dan een gigaton aan CO2-uitstoot voorkomen, sociale voordelen geleverd aan kansarme gemeenschappen die met name kwetsbaar zijn voor klimaatverandering en geholpen om bijna 100.000 banen in ontwikkelingslanden te creëren.
Onze strategie om de uitstoot van broeikasgassen te verminderen
Title:We hebben tot nu toe, met 2019 als uitgangsjaar, al een vermindering van 12% onder scope 1 en 2, en van 26% van de uitstoot onder scope 3 gerealiseerd. We blijven aanzienlijk investeren in onze productie, distributie, processen en beleidsregels om onze uitstoot van broeikasgassen verder te verminderen en onze bedrijfsvoering in overeenstemming te brengen met het akkoord van Parijs uit 2015.
Een volledige klimaatstrategie bevat alle methodologieën, zoals vermindering, verwijdering en compensatie.
Naast onze ambitieuze verminderingsplannen en de klimaatprojecten met South Pole, hebben we onlangs een vijfjarige overeenkomst met Climeworks ondertekend, om CO2 rechtstreeks uit de atmosfeer te halen (meer informatie vindt u hier).
Elke beschikbare, gecertificeerde klimaatoplossing is een goede optie. Het is belangrijk om gebruik te maken van alle beschikbare maatregelen en oplossingen, en niet slechts van één. Daarom hebben we, in samenwerking met South Pole, 3 belangrijke projecten gekozen om onze focus te verdelen onder de volgende gebieden: het beschermen van de biodiversiteit, het opvangen van biogas en waterkracht.
Pequena Central Hidroelétrica de Huóshuĭ
Title:Energia limpa para as comunidades das remotas montanhas da China
Subtitle:Do mesmo modo, os poderosos rios das zonas montanhosas da China podem ser aproveitados para gerar eletricidade para as suas comunidades remotas e para a região mais vasta, mas as centrais hidroelétricas exigem investimentos substanciais para a sua instalação. Antes do projeto, as comunidades locais viviam em más condições de vida. Numa altura em que 80% da procura energética da China era satisfeita por centrais elétricas alimentadas a carvão, estas comunidades não tinham um acesso fiável à eletricidade e havia pouco investimento regional.
A Pequena Central Hidroelétrica de Huóshuĭ consiste de 95 pequenas instalações centrais hidroelétricas. As instalações de pequena escala variam em capacidade de 0,1 a 14 MW, e em conjunto fornecem energia renovável suficiente para alimentar mais de meio milhão de lares chineses em média todos os anos. O seu desenho de passagem pelo rio permite-lhes fazê-lo com um impacto ambiental mínimo.
- Normas do projeto: SocialCarbon, VCS Verified Carbon Standard (Norma de de carbono verificado da VCS)
Impactos:
- 369.000 toneladas de CO2e (equivalentes a dióxido de carbono) mitigadas todos os anos (SDG13)
- 740.000 MWh de energia renovável gerada anualmente (SDG7)
- Contribuições para os ODS 4, 8 e 5 das Nações Unidas.
Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve
Title:Preserving Borneo's tropical peat swamp forests and improving local lives
Subtitle:The Rimba Raya peat swamp forests are located in Central Kalimantan province on the island of Borneo in Indonesia. Before the project was established, these immensely biodiverse tropical peatlands were scheduled for conversion into four palm oil estates by the provincial government.
The Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve protects 91,215 hectares of rich, tropical peat swamp forests which are monitored by local rangers as well as by satellite and aerial imagery. As well as preserving ecosystem diversity and the habitat of endangered species like the Bornean orangutan, the project reduces emissions by avoiding the planned deforestation of over 47,000 hectares of forests for palm oil production.
The Rimba Raya project not only sequesters carbon and protects habitat for local wildlife; it also promotes local sustainable development, particularly regarding environmental education and economic capacity building.
Project standards:
- Climate, Community & Biodiversity (CCB) Standards (Verra)
- VCS Verified Carbon Standard (Verra)
Impacts:
- 2,162 water filters distributed
- 47,237 hectares protected
- 3,500,000 tonnes of CO2e mitigated
Lan Dokmai Waste-to-energy
Title:Reducing climate impacts and helping with sustainable biogas
Subtitle:Thailand is one of the largest producers of Tapioca starch, which forms an important part of the economy. Unfortunately, starch production is a carbon-intensive process that not only damages the environment but also produces strong-smelling methane emissions from the wastewater that affect the quality of life in surrounding areas.
Rather than allowing the methane to escape freely into the atmosphere, the project captures the gas in order to produce clean electricity. This electricity powers production at the local starch factory; as a result, the air is cleaner and less fossil fuel needs to be purchased. This means that revenue can be generated to support social and educational activities in the community.
With less methane emissions, the quality of the air surrounding the plant has improved dramatically. In addition to this, new jobs and training opportunities for modern technologies are provided by the project. The treated wastewater is much cleaner and can be used for fish farming and irrigation of nearby fields, even the wastewater sludge is given to farmers and recycled for fertilizer.
Just like the renowned Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4) is also a greenhouse gas (GHG), so its presence in the atmosphere affects the earth’s temperature and climate system. Methane is emitted from a variety of anthropogenic (human-influenced) and natural sources. Methane is the second most abundant anthropogenic GHG after carbon dioxide, accounting for about 20% of global emissions, and is also more than 25 times as potent as carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere. Therefore, reducing methane emissions has a significant effect on limiting global warming.
Project standards:
• Gold Standard (WWF)
• CDM Clean Development Mechanism (UN FCCC)
Impacts:
- 20,000 tonnes of CO2e
- 2,100 m2 of cleaned wastewater
- 2,200 litres of fossil fuels saved
Frequently Asked Questions
What are carbon credits and how do they work?
Projects must adhere to a rigorous set of criteria to pass verification by third-party agencies and a review by a panel of experts at a leading carbon offset standard like Verra or Gold Standard. After an organization or an individual buys a carbon credit, the credit is permanently retired so it can't be reused.
What makes a good climate action project?
How do I know that the emission reductions are actually happening? What does additionality mean?
For transparency, carbon credits are assigned serial numbers and are issued, transferred and permanently retired in publicly accessible emission registries.
Additionality means that the reductions in emissions achieved by the project must be “above business as usual". That means they would not have happened unless the project was implemented. By purchasing high-quality and verified carbon credits you are directly funding climate action and sustainable development.
What are the different types of climate action projects?
- The first avoids greenhouse gas emissions, for example replacing fossil fuel-derived energy with energy from renewable sources.
- The second removes emissions from the atmosphere, for example, planting more trees, which sequester - or capture - carbon from the atmosphere and store it in liquid or solid form.
- The third captures and destroys emissions, for example capturing methane–a GHG many times more potent than carbon dioxide–from wastewater.
Our global partner South Pole has hundreds of different climate action projects, which cover the following areas:
- Nature-based-solutions (reforestation, land restoration, forest protection, sustainable land management and agriculture)
- Renewable energy (hydropower projects, wind projects, solar power and geothermal)
- Community projects (improved cookstove technology, access to safe water)
- Waste-to-energy (biogas from landfill or industry, and biomass).
