Carbon Strategy lending led to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions – BBC News

The so-called carbon credits involves the issuance of certificates for the release of a ton of carbon dioxide or any other gas in another volume, the effect of which on the Earth’s atmosphere equivalent to that of a ton of CO2. If any industry or country exceeded the quota of emissions that put him on the Kyoto Protocol, it is obliged to redeem the carbon credits in an appropriate amount. Accordingly, if some industrial enterprise has introduced improvements in the production process and reduce emissions, it may receive a certificate, and then resell his partner, taking care less about the environment.

The benefit is obvious for all. Industry reduces the amount of emissions through the introduction of new, more beneficial to the environment of technology and at the same time receiving additional funding for its further development.

This strategy, apparently, was to reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the environment, but according to a new study, in reality, everything turned out exactly the opposite.

As the author of the new work, the culprit – a loophole in the joint implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, which has enabled many countries to earn and sell carbon credits, which turned out to be unreal.

The fact that the mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol compels countries and their production does not reduce emissions, and to burn gases waste instead of throwing them into the environment (in this case CO2 equivalent gas obtained less than the set tonne). The cost of credit is higher than the cost of such “destruction”, as a result, the company burns gas, and then gets credit for its decline, remaining benefit from this approach. Unnecessary the loans sold and then on the market, led to an overall increase in emissions into the atmosphere.

One of the offenders, according to the findings of researchers at the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), turned out to Russia and Ukraine.

“The existence of a mechanism for joint implementation of the Kyoto Protocol has led to the fact that greenhouse gas emissions were at 600 million tonnes higher than could have been,” – said the study’s authors Lambert Schneider (Lambert Schneider) and Anya Kollmuss (Anja Kollmuss).

The excess emissions standards has been very significant. In Russia alone, four chemical plant received 28-33 million “extra” credit since 2011, said Schneider. Leader in the number of loans is Ukraine, followed by Russia. Together, the two countries possess 90% of global emission credits. Recall that the United States, China and India, which are among the largest producers of greenhouse gases, did not sign the Kyoto Protocol, that is, and do not take their obligations to reduce emissions.

Details of the research Schnaydera – article the journal Nature Climate Change, and in the official document.

At the moment, climatologists and environmentalists are most concerned about the impact of the Paris conference, which must be signed by a new international climate treaty. The event is scheduled for December 2015 and may repeat the mistakes of the previous years. The agreement, to be signed at the Paris Conference, will come into force in 2020 and will replace the Kyoto Protocol.

Many countries do not want to change the situation. This can lead to the fact that in the future industries of these countries will continue to receive and sell loans, which will not correspond to the actual reduction of emissions.