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SnippETS for 9 May 2019
Welcome to our latest SnippETS newsletter.
This issue of Snippets allows us to introduce the Zero Carbon Bill, which was tabled in Parliament yesterday. It reinforces the message from Bell Gully, that businesses need to plan for climate change now. Climate change is now a national emergency in the UK , should we also declare this in NZ? The young and the old are doing what's needed to try and bring about positive change in the way we all think about climate change. We also look at what zero emissions means to each of us, what is happening in global wind generation, and a call to action around options for renewable thermal energy.
The New Zealand Zero Carbon Bill was welcomed into Parliament yesterday. The main themes in the Bill are that it is aimed to limit warming to 1.5C and is a legally binding objective. Agriculture is being drawn into the Bill, although reduction targets are modest. Reduction targets differentiating between Methane and other GHG have been set. At this stage, only the ACT Party has declared they will oppose this legislation. Read more.....
A recent report by law firm Bell Gully says NZ boards need to start planning for climate change now, or risk being caught out by the Zero Carbon Bill when it becomes law. Until now, complying with the Emissions Trading Scheme has been more of an administration hassle than a serious cost of business, but that's about to change as unit prices rise sharply under proposed changes to the scheme. Business must adapt or risk getting left behind.Read more.....
The UK is leading the way on action against climate change by being the first government in the world to declare a formal climate and environment emergency. Both the Labour and Conservative parties are supporting this motion, and both hope it can set off a wave of action from parliaments and governments around the globe. The UK are pledging to work as closely as possible with countries that are serious about ending the climate catastrophe. What is a very serious issue is now being treated as such. Read more.....
Does New Zealand also need to declare a climate emergency? We hope you think we do, and based on that presumption have included a link here to a petition that is circulating regarding this. If you think we do need to do the same as the UK, please sign the petition before 30 May.
The old expression “Out of the mouths of babes” means that incredible wisdom, insight and honesty may come from children. This is most certainly the case with sixteen year-old Greta Thunberg, as she continues to read the riot act to politicians and bring attention to the lack of action on climate change, with prose like “Avoiding climate breakdown will require cathedral thinking,” she said. “We must lay the foundation while we may not know exactly how to build the ceiling.” Read more.....
At the other end of the age pendulum you can often encounter people who want to do good towards the end of their life. This is certainly the case with legendary investor Jeremy Grantham. Jeremy is an investor who has grasped the concepts of anthropogenic climate change and limits to growth. He is now trying to bring about change in the investment community, as well as devoting 98% of his net worth to bring about positive change. Read more.....
Global sustainable investing assets surged to $30 trillion in 2018, with investment in this area growing by a third since 2016. Sustainable investment assets, which includes environmental, social and governance (ESG) and impact investing have grown 34 percent worldwide since 2016, according to the Global Sustainable Investment Alliance (GSIA). The study was wide ranging and certainly suggests that sustainability is the new hot investment sector. Read more.....
‘This report will change your life’: what zero emissions means. Although focusing on the UK, there are so many crossovers to other nations it’s worth sharing. A zero emissions future means big changes; petrol and diesel vehicles will be gone, no gas heating, electrification of everything, more new trees, less flying and less meat. Change will have a personal, possibly inconvenient, but ultimately positive impact on the global community. Read more.....
With a lot of discussion around how humans are negatively impacting the planet, it’s time to look at some of the more sustainable infrastructures that humans have built - wind farms. This article looks at eleven of the world’s biggest wind farms, including the world’s largest soon to be 20,000 MW onshore Chinese Gansu Wind Farm and 630 MW offshore London Array. And the wind farm with the highest utilisation factor goes to Wellington’s West Wind. Read more....
Although the push for renewable electricity generation is going strong, there are not enough market-ready thermal energy options to help transition thermal loads to renewable sources. So more than a dozen organizations — including Cargill, General Motors, L’Oreal USA, Mars and the city of Philadelphia — are demanding more, by all signing the Renewable Thermal Buyers’ Statement, a call-to-action with the intent of driving more options for companies interested in buying renewable electricity. Read more....
This week in Innovation, a novel blend of old and new technology is helping Australian researchers combine renewable energy and low-cost thermal storage to deliver heat for industrial processes.
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