GLOBAL WARMING

Rising temperatures, drought and water shortages, melting glaciers and icecaps and extreme weather conditions bring the problem of global warming into our collective consciousness. The need to address this global concern, both on an individual, business and government level, has never been more immediate. We must act now to build a future that is less reliant on fossil fuels for energy and instead harness the efficiencies of renewable resources to fuel our homes, businesses and modern lifestyles.

1. What causes global warming?

The industrialized world along with our modern lifestyle has largely led to warming of our planet. The earth’s atmosphere is delicate and thin, and we humans have changed its composition by increasing the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Greenhouse gases are gases in the atmosphere that hold in heat, such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. These gases play the important role of maintaining the earth’s temperature at a comfortable 59oF and without these gases the earth’s surface temperature would drop to 0oF. However our industrialized and modern world produces too much greenhouse gas to maintain this balanced arrangement. It is estimated that 80% of the greenhouse gases we produce are C02. When we burn fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal we release C02 into the atmosphere.

When the sun’s energy enters the atmosphere, instead of heating the earth and re-radiating the excess heat back into space the extra greenhouse gases trap more heat and as a result the temperature of the earth’s atmosphere and oceans is getting dangerously high.

2. What are the potential impacts of global warming?

Global warming, according to the Stern Review: The Economics of Climate Change will have the following impacts on the globe if we do not act now:

• Melting glaciers will initially increase flood risk and then strongly reduce water supplies, eventually threatening one-sixth of the world’s population, predominantly in the Indian sub-continent, parts of China, and the Andes in South America.
  

• Declining crop yields, especially in Africa, could leave hundreds of millions without the ability to produce or purchase sufficient food. At mid to high latitudes, crop yields may increase for moderate temperature rises (2 - 3°C), but then decline with greater amounts of warming. At 4°C and above, global food production is likely to be seriously affected.
  

• In higher latitudes, cold-related deaths will decrease. But climate change will increase worldwide deaths from malnutrition and heat stress. Vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever could become more widespread if effective control measures are not in place.
  

• Rising sea levels will result in tens to hundreds of millions more people flooded each year with warming of 3 or 4°C. There will be serious risks and increasing pressures for coastal protection in South East Asia (Bangladesh and Vietnam), small islands in the Caribbean and the Pacific, and large coastal cities, such as Tokyo, New York, Cairo and London. According to one estimate, by the middle of the century, 200 million people may become permanently displaced due to rising sea levels, heavier floods, and more intense droughts.
  

• Ecosystems will be particularly vulnerable to climate change, with around 15 - 40% of species potentially facing extinction after only 2°C of warming. And ocean acidification, a direct result of rising carbon dioxide levels, will have major effects on marine ecosystems, with possible adverse consequences on fish stocks.

Note: All changes in global mean temperature are expressed relative to pre-industrial levels (1750 - 1850).
<< Read the full version of the Executive Summary of the Stern Review >>

3. Is it too late?

The BBC Weather Centre states that “even if we stopped CO2 emissions immediately, the effects of what we've already done would still influence our weather for years to come.”

However many commentators suggest that it is not too late to reduce the extent of the climate change as well as the rate at which we experience the impact of climate change. We must act now, on a local and global scale, to reduce emissions and in turn reduce the damage we are having on the environment. If we can slow down the rate of change we will be much better able to adapt to the changes.

The common message is that there is no rewind button on climate change; that we must take action now and we don’t have a lot of room for error and so we must get it right the first time.

4. Why is World Expeditions dedicated to reducing our carbon emissions and investing in renewable resources?

• Core to World Expedition’s philosophies on travel and the way our business operates is our commitment to Responsible Tourism. Since our inception we have set the industry standards on Responsible Tourism practices and so it is a natural progression for us to take responsibility for the emissions produced as a result of our business.

• We have an obligation to ensure the long term interests of the world’s natural environments as well as the preservation and diversity of the cultures of the world.

• We have a vested interest to ensure that the world’s natural and cultural assets are accessible to our future generations.

• The costs of unchecked global warming to our business are great and devastating if we don’t act now.

• We believe the developed world has a moral obligation to support the developing nations like China and India to come out of poverty. These developing nations will require energy to lift the standard of living in their countries and we must ensure that they have access to affordable renewable energy in order to build their economies. In fact if we don’t act now it is suggested that the poor nations of the world will suffer the most from the impacts of global warming.

• The aviation industry is the number one fastest growing contributor of CO². With more people flying more often, travellers around the world must take responsibility for the impact they have on the environment. If you are committed to environmentally responsible travel, like we are at World Expeditions, we strongly encourage you to neutralise your air travel, as we do for all of our staff travel.

5. What does becoming Carbon Neutral mean to World Expeditions?

We consider the process of becoming carbon neutral a three pronged approach and we are currently embarking on the following process:

1. Measure: The first step towards becoming carbon neutral is to understand our environmental footprint in terms of the amount of carbon emissions we produce during the operation of our business. With  the assistance of Climate Friendly we will calculate our CO2 emissions in line with the provisions of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard (GHG Protocol) developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) together with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). Under the above protocol, emissions are categorised into 3 scopes:

i.      Scope 1: all direct emissions generated by the company (typically petrol, diesel, refrigerant leaks, process waste and emissions) 

ii.      Scope 2: emissions from purchased energy (typically electricity) 

iii.      Scope 3:  emissions from other indirect sources (typically from purchased material, products or services such as flights purchased from airline carriers.

World Expeditions will carry out complete audits on scope 1 and 2 levels for all our World Expeditions offices and products. In the first instance we will also conduct an audit on the flights purchased from airline carriers for staff travel.

2. Reduce: Once we have an understanding of the amount of emissions we produce at each of these levels we will then set about reducing our emissions across all World Expeditions offices. We have outlined below how we intend to make reductions on our carbon emissions.

3. Neutralise: Climate neutrality simply means that unavoidable greenhouse emissions that our business produces have been balanced out or neutralised through investing in projects that prevent the equivalent amount of emissions being released into the atmosphere. World Expeditions through Climate Friendly supports renewable energy projects like wind and solar energy that directly address the root cause of global warming through replacing fossil fuels with clean energy production. When we neutralise our emissions we are going a step beyond canceling our emissions – we are also accelerating the transition to a clean energy future and contributing to the technologies that are the long-term solutions of climate change. It is Climate Friendly’s policy to only support projects that contribute towards sustainable development and have proven benefits to the local community and as such the projects we will support are in transitional countries such as China and Turkey.

6. How is World Expeditions reducing our carbon footprint?

Office Efficiencies

The beginning of a new year - 2008 - will see the implementation of our plan to reduce our emissions across all of our offices. The following initiatives will be put in place:

Lighting

• Replace all lighting to the more energy efficient light bulbs

• Ensure all office lighting is switched off after hours

• Replace all CRT processors with Flat Screen processors in all offices

• Use Laptop computers where ever suitabl

Equipment

• Check the energy rating when we buy appliances such as fridges and kitchen appliances

• Program ENERGY STAR setting in the ‘sleep’ modes on our office computers, printers/photocopiers

Staff

• Educate staff about our energy saving initiatives

• Educate staff about how they can save energy in their homes

• Encourage staff to walk or take public transport to travel to and from work.

Paper Use

• Print our entire brochure range on paper approved by WWF Australia Forest and Trade network

• Continue our paper recycle program in all offices

• Use recycled paper in all photocopy/printers in all offices

Electricity

• Cut pollution and save money by using clean, efficient energy technology in all our offices.

Staff Air Travel

• Reduce our staff's environmental impacts from air travel by using video-conferences for meetings.

Carbon Neutral Adventure Holidays

It is estimated that of the total carbon emitted on one of our adventure holiday packages that up to 92-925% of emissions will be produced by air travel. This is why offering our travellers the ability to neutralize their air travel was the first step in our quest reduce carbon emissions associated with our company.
However because we believe in this process in its entirety we will also be working with Climate Friendly during 2008 to audit each and every one of our adventure holidays to determine the carbon footprint of each holiday. Once we know the carbon emissions produced on each trip by internal flights, road transport, accommodation and food we will then include the equivalent offset amount in the cost of the trip making the land component of all our trips carbon neutral.

Our Travellers

Since November 2007 when our travelers book their flights with us, we have included the amount that it costs to neutralise their air travel on their tax invoice. It is then up to the traveler to decide whether they will pay the full amount (a return airfare) or half the amount (a one-way airfare) to neutralise all of or part of your air travel or they may choose to not neutralise their air travel at all.

We use Climate Friendly’s air travel calculator which is based on factors from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Greenhouse Gas Protocol. Air travel emissions are complex calculations and values vary between providers. We believe that Climate Friendly's calculator is the most accurate available and reflects the current scientific consensus.

7. Why have we aligned with Climate Friendly?

Founded by former CSIRO scientist Joel Fleming, Climate Friendly is an organisation dedicated to positive, meaningful and real action to rapidly address global climate change. Since 2004 Climate Friendly has been helping its customers neutralise emissions from business, home, travel and other activities. The integrity and quality of Climate Friendly’s service has attracted a host of progressive companies, government bodies and leading environment groups from all across the world, including WWF internationally, Australian Conservation Foundation, Tim Flannery and Greenpeace.

Climate Friendly supports renewable energy projects like wind and solar energy that directly address the root cause of global warming through replacing fossil fuels with clean energy production. So we are assured that when we neutralise our emissions that we’re going a step beyond canceling our emissions – we’re accelerating the transition to a clean energy future and contributing to the long-term solutions of climate change.

Climate Friendly’s air travel calculator uses in-house algorithms and factors from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, a joint initiative of the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Their air calculation methodology was one of only two in the world given the highest rating by the respected Tufts Climate Initiative at Tufts University (USA).

Recently Climate Friendly was named as one of the four most credible flight neutralising companies in the world by an independent study done by Tufts University. Here is a link to the Tufts University report, which goes into great detail about why flight calculations are and need to be complex to address climate change impacts.  At the bottom of the report you will see a list of “Companies we liked best” and it is here that you will see Climate Friendly listed.

<< To learn more about the methodology Climate Friendly uses to ensure the integrity of their calculations >>

8. Which renewable energy projects will my carbon credit be directed to?

We choose to support projects that contribute towards sustainable development and have proven benefits to the local community and as such the projects we will support are in transitional countries such as China, India and Turkey. The credits come from projects that build sustainable energy, offering a long term solution to climate change. All projects are premium quality and comply with Kyoto Protocol mechanisms.

Climate Friendly’s sourcing principles are supported and endorsed by NGOs internationally and guarantee that all of our carbon credit projects:

• Address the root cause of climate change - they only select projects that effect the rapid transition to a sustainable energy future.
• Are permanent - they only select credits from renewable energy projects that are guaranteed to permanently reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Are verifiable - All of their projects are verified by independent, third party experts and are real and tangible.
• Are synchronous - The abatement from their renewable energy projects are closely matched to the time our customers' emissions occur.
• Are additional - their projects are over and above 'business as usual', i.e. projects that would not occur without outside investment through carbon credits.
• Are project/community based - they do not purchase credits from projects that are allowance-based, such as those that are part of complying with national emissions reduction legislation.
• Contribute to sustainable development - they select projects with broader environmental and social benefits beyond climate change.
• Are exclusive - they ensure that there is no double counting of carbon credits from the projects we select.

Wolongtu wind farm in China

Climate Friendly has purchased the renewable energy credits from a wind farm project in China’s far north near the Mongolian boarder. The 40 wind turbine project on Wolongtu Mountain, Kangbao County, near Zhangjiakou City in China’s Hebei province is already in operation and is generating some 30MWhs of clean energy a year, displacing the use of polluting coalfired electricity in the region and preventing more than 30,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas pollution from entering the atmostphere. The project meets Kyoto Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Project standards and has the additional benefit of providing much needed energy security to a remote region that previously suffered from unreliable energy sources.

9. What is a carbon credit?

One carbon credit represents 1 Tonne of CO2 that is prevented from entering the atmosphere and causing climate change. The carbon credits from international renewable energy projects that World Expeditions support are an internationally recognised measure of how much greenhouse gas reduction a renewable energy project is creating.

When you purchase a carbon credit what exactly happens?

• You receive the rights to the emissions you saved. You can say “I have funded a project that saved X tonnes of CO2.”
  

• You are giving a financial incentive that makes renewable energy projects viable. Without it renewable energy projects would not be built.
  

Why this helps the clean energy industry?

Renewable energy currently costs more to produce than burning fossil fuels. The extra income renewable generators earn from selling carbon credits is the key factor that helps make renewable energy sources economically viable so that we can make the urgent transition from unsustainable polluting energy to clean sources. This is necessary to address climate change.

10. Why have we chosen to invest in renewable resources as opposed to carbon sequestration (tree planting)?

Although World Expeditions acknowledges that tree-planting can play a role in a global greenhouse gas abatement strategy, we do not feel it is a credible and effective way to source carbon credits. A reason we choose to work with Climate Friendly is because they focus on renewable energy solutions, a more effective approach that actually reduces emissions. Tree-planting (carbon sequestration) schemes will generally produce cheaper, lower quality carbon credits as they are simply less effective in combating global warming for the following reasons:

• Climate change is largely caused by greenhouse gases from the energy sector (about 80% of all emissions); therefore our focus is on the energy sector. Forestry projects do nothing to lessen society’s dependence on fossil fuels for energy generation and they do not prevent emissions.

• Trees take decades to sequester CO₂ as they grow, meaning your greenhouse emissions will continue to contribute towards global warming for many more years. It’s difficult to justify ‘carbon neutrality’ claims with up to 100 years pay back time.

• It cannot be guaranteed that a new forest will be permanent. It will eventually be likely to succumb to disease, pestilence, fire, drought or logging therefore releasing the CO₂ into the atmosphere once more.

• Estimations of how much CO₂ a forest can/will store can differ vastly depending on the calculation method used e.g. Whether other pools of carbon (e.g. soil, leaf litter) and other factors are taken into account.

• Large-scale monoculture plantations often used can have negative impacts on the environment and forest communities.
  

11. Why is there such a difference in the emissions produced across difference carbon calculators?

There are two major differences how Climate Friendly approach flight emissions compared with all others:
1.       How and what Climate Friendly calculates emissions: When calculating the climate impact of air travel Climate Friendly takes into account the emerging insights from leading scientific sources, including the IPCC to reflect the full impact of flying at high altitude rather than just emissions from burned fuel. This makes a big difference to the end result. We believe it is very important that our travellers are aware that just neutralising fuel burning in association with flights is not true neutralising. 
2.       What kind of credits are purchased to neutralise the flight emissions: there are a good many “junk” credits that neither reduce emissions nor are market priced. Climate Friendly only purchase independently verified renewable energy credits that meet the highest international standards such as the Gold Standard and the Kyoto Protocol Clean Development Mechanism to guarantee that the emission savings actually occur.

It is important to keep in mind that when a half measure on the climate impact of your flight is combined with a cheap carbon credit the end pricing will be significantly cheaper. If you feel that the cost of your carbon credit is too expensive we believe it is better for you to commit to just half of the offset rather than pay for a cheap ‘junk’ credit.

For further information about World Expeditions committment to becoming carbon neutral contact our CEO, Sue Badyari sue@worldexpeditions.com.au