South Pole 制定綜合的策略，將氣候行動轉化為世界各地的公司、政府和組織的長期商業機會，並且自 2006 年以來一直是去碳化事務的先鋒。South Pole 也是一家領先的專案開發商，在 50 多個國家的可再生能源、林業、農業、工業、家庭和公共機搆提供了近 1000 個專案。透過氣候金融的運作，South Pole 已經減少了超過十億噸的二氧化碳排放，為特別容易受到氣候變化影響的弱勢社區提供了社會福利，並幫助在開發中國家創造了近 10 萬個就業機會。
我們的溫室氣體減少策略
Title:從基準年 2019 年到目前為止，我們已減少範圍 1 和範圍 2 的溫室氣體排放量 12%，並減少範圍 3 排放量 26%。我們持續大舉投資在製造、配送、程序和政策，以加速減少溫室氣體排放量，符合 2015 年的《巴黎協定》。
完整的氣候策略會含包所有的方法，例如：減少、消除和抵換。
事實上，除了減少溫室氣體排放計畫和與 South Pole 合作的氣候專案以外，我們最近還和 Climeworks 簽訂了 5 年的合約，積極地從空氣中直接抽取二氧化碳 (參閱此處以瞭解更多資訊)。
每個經過認證和外加的氣候解決方案都是有效的。採取所有可用的方法和解決方案是很重要的，而非只採用單一方式。因此，在與 South Pole 合作方面，我們選擇了 3 個主要專案，針對保護生物多樣性、收集甲烷和水力發電三個領域採取多元化的行動。
活水小型水力發電
Title:為中國偏遠山區提供乾淨能源
Subtitle:同樣地，中國山區湍急的河流可以用來為其偏遠地區和更廣泛的區域發電，但建立水力發電廠需要投注大量資金。在該專案開展之前，當地的生活條件不佳。在中國 80% 的能源需求依靠燃煤發電站的那段時間，這些地區沒有固定的電力供應，而且沒什麼區域性的投資。
活水小型水力發電 (Huóshuĭ Small Hydropower) 具有 95 座小型水力發電廠。這些小型發電廠的產能從 0.1到 14 兆瓦不等，每年提供的可再生能源足以為 50 多萬個一般中國家庭供電。這些發電廠的川流式發電設計，能夠在對環境造成最小影響的情況下做到。
- 專案標準：社會碳標準、VCS 認證碳標準
影響：
- 每年減緩相當於 36 萬 9 千噸的二氧化碳排放量 (SDG13)
- 每年產生 74 萬 MWh 的可再生能源 (SDG7)
- 捐助聯合國 SDG 4、8 和 5
Rimba Raya 生物多樣化保護區
Title:保護婆羅洲的熱帶泥炭沼澤森林並改善當地生活
Subtitle:Rimba Raya 泥炭沼澤森林位在印尼婆羅洲島的加里曼丹省。在本專案開始之前，這些具有廣大多樣性生物的熱帶泥炭地，已被省政府規劃成四大區域，用來種植棕櫚樹以生產棕櫚油。
Rimba Raya 生物多樣性保護區保護著 91,215 公頃豐富的熱帶泥炭沼澤森林，受到當地護林員監控，以及利用衛星和航空測量圖像進行監測。該專案除了保護生態系統的多樣性和婆羅洲猩猩等瀕臨滅絕物種的棲息地外，還阻止為生產棕櫚油而計畫砍伐 47,000 公頃森林來減少溫室氣體排放。
Rimba Raya 專案不僅可以將碳封存起來，保護當地野生動物的棲息地；還可以促進當地的永續發展，特別是在環境教育和經濟能力建設方面。
專案標準：
- 天氣、社群和生物多樣性 (CCB) 標準 (Verra)
- VCS 認證碳標準 (Verra)
影響：
- 分發 2,162 個淨水器
- 保護 47,237 公頃的森林
- 減緩 3,500 萬二氧化碳的排放
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).
