Published May 31, 2011
by jmedalye
The U.N. has made public its own carbon emissions for a second year in a row. In a new report, the U.N. found that its carbon emissions for 2009 were 1.7 million tonnes CO2eq in total, and 8.3 tonnes CO2eq per staff capita. It reports that more than 50% of the GHGs emitted by the U.N. are from air travel alone. Alarmingly, the U.N.'s goal is to reduce its GHG emissions by a mere 3% per year from 2009-2012. The UNFCCC accounted for 1,363 tonnes of CO2eq, most of which was also from air travel. This is concerning, given the fact that, despite COP after COP, and one round of international negotiations after another, the UNFCCC still has no serious plan of action to actually reduce GHG levels and avoid a temperature rise of the earth's surface. The report recommends that in order for the U.N. to achieve 'carbon neutrality', it should budget to purchase offsets and carbon credits under the Kyoto Protocol. In addition, sustainable procurement practices are recommend. These recommendations are unlikely to lead to its goal of carbon neutrality. The system of carbon credits and offsetting is in a dire state, with concerns over verification, fraudulent practices, and ongoing issues regarding the social injustices related to afforestation schemes, technology transfers, and land enclosures. In addition to these problems with offsetting, is the broader problem of addressing climate change via ecological modernist solutions that ignore the underlying social relations that cause GHG emissions in the first place.
For more, please read the U.N report.
Posted in: Blogs | Turning Up the Heat
