What are GHG emissions?
Greenhouse gases, such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone, absorb and emit thermal infrared energy, creating the greenhouse effect that raises the average temperature of the Earth's surface. Without these gases, the average temperature would be about -18° C (0°F) instead of the current 15° C (59°F). Since the start of the Industrial Revolution (1750), human activities have increased methane concentration by over 150% and carbon dioxide by over 50%. Carbon dioxide accounts for 3/4 of global warming. It takes thousands of years to cycle out of the atmosphere, while methane causes the most remaining warming, lasting in the atmosphere for an average of 12 years.
As a result of the emissions of these gases, the global surface temperature has risen 1.2° C (2.2°F). If the current emission rates continue, the temperature will surpass 2.0° C (3.6°F) by 2040-2070, a level that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) considers dangerous. Most carbon dioxide emissions come from burning fossil fuels, such as coal, petroleum, and natural gas. Methane emissions, on the other side, are caused by agriculture. This is why a target has been set for Net-Zero emissions by 2050.
The world is already experiencing the effects of climate change, with more frequent occurrences of drought, heat waves, heavy rain, floods, and landslides.
Furthermore, rising sea levels, ocean acidification, and biodiversity losses result in rapid climate changes. For global warming to stay below 1.5 degrees Celsius, carbon neutrality by the middle of the century is a must. This goal was established in the Paris Agreement and signed by 195 countries and to reach this objective, the European Commission released the European Green Deal in December 2019, intending to make Europe climate-neutral by 2050.
Why do we have to report emissions?
To keep global warming to 1.5°C, we must transform our lifestyles and the way businesses operate. According to numbers, it is safe to assume that how we've lived and worked so far can no longer be sustainable. We must change our relationship with the environment and create a new system that provides a win-win situation for the climate, nature, and people.
The first thing we must do is implement these changes to identify what needs to be done to change. We need to fully and clearly understand where the emissions are coming from and how catastrophic they are. Companies must identify and disclose their emissions. Businesses can significantly mitigate climate change since they are responsible for most of the world's emissions. Unless businesses move towards Government targets, the objectives can not be achieved.
Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP)
The Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) program that requires significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions to report their emissions to the EPA. The program was established in 2009 as part of the EPA's Climate Change Initiative and was designed to promote transparency and accountability in GHG emissions reporting. The GHGRP requires significant sources of GHG emissions, such as power plants, industrial facilities, and natural gas and petroleum systems, to report their GHG emissions to the EPA annually.
The program requires these sources to submit information on their estimated emissions, emission reduction efforts, and energy consumption. The EPA uses the data collected from the GHGRP to inform national and international climate strategies, evaluate the effectiveness of existing GHG emission reduction programs, and identify areas for further GHG emission reduction efforts.
GHG Emissions Reporting with VesselBot
VesselBot's advanced technology allows you to accurately monitor and report upstream and downstream transportation emissions by collecting, cleaning, harmonizing, and enriching your emissions data, streamlining the reporting process. This way, you can compare your company's performance to industry averages and identify areas for improvement via informed decision-making.
Finally, transitioning from average to primary data takes time. At VesselBot, we encourage companies to embark on this journey based on their current data maturity level, whether they are using averages, percentages, or market-based approaches. By evolving your processes step-by-step, you can eventually reach the level of using primary data, aligning with industry trends.
VesselBot can be your strategic partner in accurate and reliable Scope 3 emissions reporting. By providing accurate and reliable emissions data for all modes of transportation (sea, air, and land).