Carbon Reduction Definitions
Information about Carbon Reduction
Here are a few definitions from separate sources...
ZERO Carbon vs Carbon Neutral (https://www.architectsstudios.com/zero-carbon-v-carbon-neutral-definitions/)
There are three important points to note regarding the concepts of zero-carbon and carbon neutral developments.
The first point is that, there is a subtle, but important, difference between what zero-carbon and carbon neutral actually mean:
Zero-Carbon implies that the operation of a development does not produce Co2 emissions . Carbon-Neutral implies operation of the building produces CO2 emissions and that these emissions from the operation of the building should be taken into account.
Emissions produced from the operation of a carbon neutral building are offset. It is the intent of the carbon neutral concept, that the building produce less C02 than a conventional building, rather than simply producing -and then offsetting -the same amount of carbon. This is practical – as it is likely to be easier and more cost effective to offset the minimum amount of C02 -and fulfill environmental and sustainability goals. Offsetting can be achieved by, for example, contribution of renewable energy produced on-site to the main power grid, by carbon sequestration on or off-site, or by investment in renewable energy projects off-site.
The second point is alluded to in the previous: for both sorts of developments, carbon is calculated as the sum of the emissions produced by the operation of the building e.g. the energy required for space heating/cooling, water heating & lighting, but in the case of the a carbon neutral building the emission from appliances use eg computers, fridges etc, are also taken into account. Recent clarifications in the UK is that Zero carbon is the minimum regulatory carbon required by the the building for function and includes space heating, water heating and lighting. Appliances are not included in this calculation. Zero Carbon is equivalent to Code for Sustainable Homes Level 5. Carbon Neutral is equivalent to Code for Sustainable Homes level 6. At the level 6 the emissions from house hold appliances are taken into account. It is more expensive to achieve a Carbon Neutral building than a Zero Carbon building..
The materials and energy used in the construction or end-of-life phases of the building are not included in the assessments. The embodied energy in the building is therefore also excluded from the assessments. Further, the emissions necessary to travel to and from these developments are not generally included in the assessments.
The third point is that the most attention and effort to date has been placed on new residential developments. That is not to say that industrial or public buildings, or retrofitted buildings of any kind, cannot achieve zero-carbon or carbon neutral status, but simply to note that the current focus of policy-makers and the public is on new residential housing stock .
Clarifications:
Low-Carbon Technologies -Air heat pump -Ground heat pump, -Combined Heat and Power (CHP), – Biomass or waste boiler or stove
Zero-Carbon Technologies – Solar thermal, Solar PV – Micro-wind, Micro-hydro
The phrase, 'Carbon Neutrality' was the New Oxford American Dictionary’s Word Of The Year for 2006.
Carbon neutrality, or having a net zero carbon footprint, refers to achieving net zero carbon emissions by balancing a measured amount of carbon released with an equivalent amount sequestered or offset, or buying enough carbon credits to make up the difference. It is used in the context of carbon dioxide releasing processes, associated with transportation, energy production and industrial processes.
The carbon neutral concept may be extended to include other greenhouse gases (GHG) measured in terms of their carbon dioxide equivalence—the impact a GHG has on the atmosphere expressed in the equivalent amount of CO2. The term climate neutral is used to reflect the fact that it is not just carbon dioxide (CO2), that is driving climate change, even if it is the most abundant, but also encompasses other greenhouse gases regulated by the Kyoto Protocol, namely: methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), perfluorocarbons (PFC), and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6). Both terms are used interchangeably throughout this article.
Best practice for organizations and individuals seeking carbon neutral status entails reducing and/or avoiding carbon emissions first so that only unavoidable emissions are offset.
The term has two common uses:
It can refer to the practice of balancing carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels, with renewable energy that creates a similar amount of useful energy, so that the carbon emissions are compensated, or alternatively using only renewable energies that don't produce any carbon dioxide (this last is called a post-carbon economy).
It is also used to describe the practice, criticized by some, of carbon offsetting, by paying others to remove or sequester 100% of the carbon dioxide emitted from the atmosphere– for example by planting trees – or by funding 'carbon projects' that should lead to the prevention of future greenhouse gas emissions, or by buying carbon credits to remove them through carbon trading. These practices are often used in parallel, together with energy conservation measures to minimize energy use.
The concept may be extended to include other greenhouse gases measured in terms of their carbon dioxide equivalence.
Climate-Positive, Carbon-Neutral, Carbon-Negative: what-do-they-mean
https://www.fastcompany.com/40583176/climate-positive-carbon-neutral-carbon-negative-what-do-they-mean
ZERO Carbon vs Carbon Neutral (https://www.architectsstudios.com/zero-carbon-v-carbon-neutral-definitions/)
There are three important points to note regarding the concepts of zero-carbon and carbon neutral developments.
The first point is that, there is a subtle, but important, difference between what zero-carbon and carbon neutral actually mean:
Zero-Carbon implies that the operation of a development does not produce Co2 emissions . Carbon-Neutral implies operation of the building produces CO2 emissions and that these emissions from the operation of the building should be taken into account.
Emissions produced from the operation of a carbon neutral building are offset. It is the intent of the carbon neutral concept, that the building produce less C02 than a conventional building, rather than simply producing -and then offsetting -the same amount of carbon. This is practical – as it is likely to be easier and more cost effective to offset the minimum amount of C02 -and fulfill environmental and sustainability goals. Offsetting can be achieved by, for example, contribution of renewable energy produced on-site to the main power grid, by carbon sequestration on or off-site, or by investment in renewable energy projects off-site.
The second point is alluded to in the previous: for both sorts of developments, carbon is calculated as the sum of the emissions produced by the operation of the building e.g. the energy required for space heating/cooling, water heating & lighting, but in the case of the a carbon neutral building the emission from appliances use eg computers, fridges etc, are also taken into account. Recent clarifications in the UK is that Zero carbon is the minimum regulatory carbon required by the the building for function and includes space heating, water heating and lighting. Appliances are not included in this calculation. Zero Carbon is equivalent to Code for Sustainable Homes Level 5. Carbon Neutral is equivalent to Code for Sustainable Homes level 6. At the level 6 the emissions from house hold appliances are taken into account. It is more expensive to achieve a Carbon Neutral building than a Zero Carbon building..
The materials and energy used in the construction or end-of-life phases of the building are not included in the assessments. The embodied energy in the building is therefore also excluded from the assessments. Further, the emissions necessary to travel to and from these developments are not generally included in the assessments.
The third point is that the most attention and effort to date has been placed on new residential developments. That is not to say that industrial or public buildings, or retrofitted buildings of any kind, cannot achieve zero-carbon or carbon neutral status, but simply to note that the current focus of policy-makers and the public is on new residential housing stock .
Clarifications:
Low-Carbon Technologies -Air heat pump -Ground heat pump, -Combined Heat and Power (CHP), – Biomass or waste boiler or stove
Zero-Carbon Technologies – Solar thermal, Solar PV – Micro-wind, Micro-hydro
The phrase, 'Carbon Neutrality' was the New Oxford American Dictionary’s Word Of The Year for 2006.
Carbon neutrality, or having a net zero carbon footprint, refers to achieving net zero carbon emissions by balancing a measured amount of carbon released with an equivalent amount sequestered or offset, or buying enough carbon credits to make up the difference. It is used in the context of carbon dioxide releasing processes, associated with transportation, energy production and industrial processes.
The carbon neutral concept may be extended to include other greenhouse gases (GHG) measured in terms of their carbon dioxide equivalence—the impact a GHG has on the atmosphere expressed in the equivalent amount of CO2. The term climate neutral is used to reflect the fact that it is not just carbon dioxide (CO2), that is driving climate change, even if it is the most abundant, but also encompasses other greenhouse gases regulated by the Kyoto Protocol, namely: methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), perfluorocarbons (PFC), and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6). Both terms are used interchangeably throughout this article.
Best practice for organizations and individuals seeking carbon neutral status entails reducing and/or avoiding carbon emissions first so that only unavoidable emissions are offset.
The term has two common uses:
It can refer to the practice of balancing carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels, with renewable energy that creates a similar amount of useful energy, so that the carbon emissions are compensated, or alternatively using only renewable energies that don't produce any carbon dioxide (this last is called a post-carbon economy).
It is also used to describe the practice, criticized by some, of carbon offsetting, by paying others to remove or sequester 100% of the carbon dioxide emitted from the atmosphere– for example by planting trees – or by funding 'carbon projects' that should lead to the prevention of future greenhouse gas emissions, or by buying carbon credits to remove them through carbon trading. These practices are often used in parallel, together with energy conservation measures to minimize energy use.
The concept may be extended to include other greenhouse gases measured in terms of their carbon dioxide equivalence.
Climate-Positive, Carbon-Neutral, Carbon-Negative: what-do-they-mean
https://www.fastcompany.com/40583176/climate-positive-carbon-neutral-carbon-negative-what-do-they-mean
