We have now offset another 25,000 ton CO2eq in a Gold Standard certified project! Thank you for making this happen!
This time, your contributions are funding the first ever wind farm in Indonesia. With 30 wind turbines reaching a total capacity of 75 MW, it is also the largest wind farm in all of South East Asia. Through this project, we are supporting Indonesia and its island Sulawesi to see beyond fossil fuels and stimulate both the development of the electricity grids and the national politics in a climate-positive direction.
Indonesia is a country that depends heavily on fossil fuels for its energy production. That in itself is not unique, but given its large population of 264 million, it is remarkable that there has been no wind power at all – until now. The potential for renewable energies in Indonesia is massive, estimated to 14 times their current demand. However, the country has very cheap coal, which sells domestically for less than the global market price, so the economic incentive for renewable energy is weak. In cases like these, the possibility to finance the development with sales of CO2-credits can be one solution to implement green energy projects.
This project has several benefits – Indonesians will now be able to see the positive impact of the wind power for themselves and we are proving the feasibility of this energy source in a local context. The project will also stimulate capacity development, as locals are recruited for the construction and operation of the facility. This breaking of new ground will facilitate for future wind energy projects. Moreover, it puts pressure on the development of the grids to become more flexible and interconnected, so that the electricity can be distributed in an efficient way.
The capital of Indonesia had a major power blackout earlier this year, highlighting the need for grid flexibility and a robust energy system. The politicians in Indonesia have also made a point to set the national target for renewable energy to 23% for 2025, which is twice as much renewables as in 2018 and therefore a significant contribution to the common goal of the Paris Agreement. Impressive! We hope that this is the first of many wind power plants in Indonesia, and are happy to see that there is already another one being built on the same island.
More information about this project in the Gold Standard registry (including verification and monitoring reports) HERE
2020 is just
around the corner, and it has to be the year we all step up our efforts to stop
climate change!
This needs to be a year of massive action, on all levels. Of course, we are all hoping for radical climate policy on national level, but we also have to be part of the transition on an individual level. That way, we signal to both politicians and big business that we are serious about wanting change! And we need to move towards minimal CO2 lifestyles, as fast as possible.
I have always travelled a lot, and it is a major part of my identity. The world is such a glorious place and I am so curious to experience it! I am convinced that it has helped me become both more informed about the complexities of today, but also more compassionate towards others. This, however, has had a massive CO2 footprint. Only in 2019, my flight emissions were 3,19 tonnes of CO2e.
Feeling regret about our past emissions is hardly helpful. We need to start somewhere, and it is never too late to do better. But if we want to stop climate change, we need to start now!
Therefore, my new years climate resolution is to stay on the ground to keep fossil fuels in the ground! I am keen to explore my more immediate surroundings by train, foot and other climate friendly means of transportation. After all, travelling in Sweden and Europe has a lot to offer! On top of that, knowing how many tonnes of CO2 I can keep from getting into the atmosphere is definitely a good motivation.
On a train through Austria in 2017. Those landscapes!
Kalle is already standing steadily with both feet on the ground! So his commitment to the climate and the environment for 2020 is to not buy any new electronics or clothes! The GoClimate blog has posts about electronics and sustainable fashion if you want some inspiration to join Kalle on his journey. A pair of jeans is estimated to emit 6 kg CO2eq, whereas a 15-inch MacBook Pro is 560 kg CO2eq – and that is not considering the potential pollution and ethical concerns regarding mining for minerals.
Cissi has worked a lot on her own emission sources, and for 2020 she wants to, at least, participate at twice as many climate strikes compared to 2019 and have a larger impact on her surroundings by influencing her tenant owners’ association. By talking to her neighbours, she is aiming to take the lead to make the apartment block more sustainable. That way, they can make collective decisions (perhaps some solar panels?) but also she can reach individuals in her immediate surrounding and lead by example.
Evelina wants to focus on food and soil health for 2020. She wants to lower her food waste, eat more locally produced and learn more about regenerative farming.
Our collaborator Marlena has decided to “be a more annoying customer” – to ask at the restaurant if they have sustainable (MSC certified) fish, if the taxi company has electric cars, etc. By doing so, she will voice the demand for sustainable offers from customers to service providers. Doing so, in a positive and encouraging way! Take the lead!
Are you also staying on the ground in 2020? What is your pledge for a cooler future? Let us know and join us in being part of the solution!
If you want to reduce your carbon footprint, you first need to know how big it is today. You need to know which parts of your footprint are the largest and how large they are in order to shrink it.
It can be extremely hard to know which changes you make that have the biggest impact. Knowing this ensures that you don’t spend most of your time and energy on something that will make a very small difference in relation to your emissions.
That’s why we are creating a series of blog posts showing you how to lower the different parts of an individual’s footprint, with the numbers and comparisons to show you where it might be worth making your changes, as we all have different lifestyles and our carbon footprints are all different.
Step 1 – calculate your carbon footprint
Here are some different tests you can try out. We suggest you try a few of them, as they are all different from each other and will together give a clearer picture of your ecological and carbon footprint.
In the upcoming parts, we will dig into the different categories below, providing examples of changes you can make and how much of a difference they can have.
We have now offset another 12,000 ton CO2eq in a Gold Standard certified project! Thank you for taking part in this!
Our most recent offsetting is a biomass project connected to the Svilosa pulp mill in Bulgaria, where the operations have been improved in order to use their waste for biofuels. Through this project, the biomass residues from the pulp production (mainly bark) are combusted in a specially designed biomass boiler to generate thermal energy in the form of water steam. This heat is then used directly in the production of the pulp, and thus the mill avoids buying energy from a nearby coal power plant, which they did before. The capacity of the biomass boiler is 19.732 MW (thermal).
This is an interesting project to finance because it is very clear exactly how much coal power we are avoiding, and it gives us maximum assurance that the amount CO2 avoided is accurate. The paper industry is very energy-intensive, so we can achieve significant impact by helping them transition to a more climate-smart production. Moreover, given the current state of consumption, many people concerned with the environment want to reduce the use of plastic. Paper is seen as a better alternative, which is why we think it is a particularly suitable industry to finance the transition of. Finally, this development is today classified as the best available technology, which means that we are helping this pulp become as modern and efficient as possible.
The pulp plant use FSC-labeled wood in its production, which indicates that they take a broader environmental responsibility, and they have also continued to invest in energy-efficient production after this effort. Another exciting aspect is that paper production is one of the industries where there is potential for developing so-called CCS technology, Carbon Capture and Storage, so that the plants can avoid even more emissions from the production.
When the project started, it was seen as an investment that would not have happened without this support from climate credits. This is what we denominate additionality when climate projects are being developed. Much has happened both in Bulgaria and globally since then with different national commitments and the development of international climate policy. We see this project as part of this transition process and something that we want to encourage. This factory is the only one of its kind in the region and it is valuable that they maintain a high standard as that sends the right signals both to neighbouring countries and to the EU. A sustainable industry also creates jobs and contributes positively to the country’s economy.
More information about this project in the Gold Standard registry (including verification and monitoring reports) HERE
British Dictionary definitions for planned obsolescence:
“The policy of deliberately limiting the life of a product in order to encourage the purchaser to replace it: Also called: built-in obsolescence.“
THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE
Contrived durability
This kind of planned obsolescence is of using physical material that will break or deteriorate faster than other options.
An example of this in electronics is for producers to purposely choose to use cheap plastic or soft metals that have a shorter lifespan than other alternatives and therefore making the product less durable.
Prevention of repair
This a well known planned obsolescence used by for example Apple, where it’s hard to repair or change battery, where you need special tools to even unscrew the screws used in the devices making it even harder for customers to repair themselves.
When the products are made difficult to impossible to repair yourself, it is often cheaper to buy a new product than to pay a specialist to repair it.
Batteries is one of the most common pieces of electronics that are prevented to be repaired. While the design of phones for example can be thinner when the battery is placed in a way to be irreplaceable, making the phone itself stuck with an aging battery and therefor losing it’s quality while the rest of the phone is still fully functioning.
The lowered battery performance is often one of the main reasons people feel the need to renew to a new phone, since getting a new battery isn’t a choice, and in many cases if it is replaces the warranty of the product can be lost.
PS. Are you looking to lower your carbon footprint and contribute to a more sustainable world? We would love to help! Take responsibility for the carbon footprint of your lifestyle now!
Perceived obsolescence
This is an obsolescence where consumers are made to think their product is no longer desirable or that it is old and out of fashion.
This is very common in fast fashion but also in the technology business, especially when in comes to mobile phones. Releasing new models once or more a year, with slightly better software or slightly different design quickly makes your new phone several seasons old.
Systemic obsolescence
This technique is to systematically make a product obsolete by altering systems or functions that won’t work with the older products.
Such as no longer being able to maintain or where the manufacturer stop supporting the systems.
Some examples:
New software updates that don’t work on older models or where old software programs don’t work on newer models as deliberate choice by the manufacturers.
Another example is where they remove their service to repair products of a certain age, and this is typically a problem with products that are designed not to be repaired by the consumer. Like with a built in battery for example.
However, luckily there are third parties who offer their service to repair most type of technology.
Programmed obsolescence
This is a very lucrative kind of obsolescence, where the products are programmed to stop functioning after a certain amount of uses. Such as x hours of use or x amount of printed papers on a printer.
Obsolescence by depletion
This example is where the products rely on secondary consumables.
One of the most common examples of this is the toners for printers that seem to come in an infinite amount of shapes. The manufacturers stop producing ink/toners for printer models after a certain amount of time, making it harder to find toners for your specific printer with time. Ending up creating a need to get an entirely new printer.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO COMBAT PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE?
France has recently taken strong measures against planned obsolescence, and businessmen will be liable to prison sentences and companies will be liable to fines of up to €300,000 if these kinds of practices are found to be performed.
Demand longer warranties for the products and spare parts guaranteed.
Recycle our electronic waste properly and demand manufacturers eliminate dangerous substances contained in these products.
Support those brands who are creating products that are made to last.
Don’t buy new. Go for second hand and vote with your dollars that you do not want to take part in this environmentally destructive business plan.
FOR MORE POSTS ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF ELECTRONICS:
MORE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF ELECTRONICS COMING SOON:
MINING FOR MINERALS
INTERNET IS BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
MODERN SLAVERY IN THE ELECTRONICS INDURSTY
PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE
PS. And remember, if you are looking to lower your carbon footprint and contribute to a more sustainable world, join us by taking responsibility for the carbon footprint of your lifestyle now!
We have now offset another 50,000 ton CO2eq in a Gold Standard certified project!
The project Santa Marta Landfill Gas Capture for Electricity Generation Project is a landfill gas to energy project. The projects involves the collection and utilization of landfill gas for generation of electricity.
Located in one of the most important landfills in the Santiago region of Chile, the project reduces greenhouse gas emissions by capturing, flaring and generating electricity from the methane gas (LFG) produced at the landfill. Methane is a powerful green house gas that is 28-36 more potent than CO2 over a 100 year lifespan.
The Santa Marta landfill spans over 700 acres and receives approximately 1.3 million metric tons of waste every year. The resulting LFG produces 28 MW of renewable energy into the regional grid.
This Gold Standard-certified project includes a plan to continuously support local communities through a nursery and day care in Lonquén, as well as investments in school infrastructure. This simultaneously creates new job opportunities for women staffing these facilities, and allows women working on the Santa Marta Landfill Gas Recovery Project to use the nursery while they are at work.
Do you get a new phone when your old one breaks, is beyond repair or just because you want to update to a more modern one?
What do you do with your old phone, laptop or other electronics when they no longer serve you purpose? Do they stay tucked in a drawer somewhere in the house, do you sell it, throw it away or recycle it?
Did you know thatelectronics contains valuable materials like gold, copper, silver and palladium? As well a lot of metals and materials that are harmful for people, animals and the environment?
Photo is a print screen of Evelina on her phone from the ZDF documentary No Plan B
E-WASTE
When electronic products come to the end of their life, they become waste. Electronic waste.
In 2016, around 45 millions tons of electronics were thrown away.
But what happens to the product once it’s discarded of, or preferably recycled?
“E-Waste is a term used to cover items of all types of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) and its parts that have been discarded by the owner as waste without the intention of re-use.”
WHERE DOES THE E-WASTE GO?
There’s a big chance it is shipped off to or dumped in Guiyu, China or Agbogbloshie, Ghana. Some people do run proper businesses recycling the e-waste that is shipped there according to agreements but in many cases, especially in Ghana a lot of the e-waste is illegally dumped there.
In the EU it is illegal to export e-waste to developing countries, and yet a lot of it does end up in these places anyways.
The way it is illegally imported is in disguise as used electronics (for second hand use) but the shipments are filled with or mixed with irreparable e-waste instead.
HOW IS THE WASTE HANDLED AND BY WHOM
In many places where e-waste ends up, it is poorly paid locals who disassemble the electronic waste, often in unsafe ways using toxic chemicals to separate the valuable components.
Many parts of the waste are also being burned, releasing heavy metals like lead, beryllium and cadmium which pollutes the soil, water and air.
While there are known health risks from dealing with lead and mercury, there has been little research on the effects on health and the environment with many of the other elements used in electronics.
But even when e-waste is recycled in safer conditions in countries like Australia, there’s still a high environmental cost from the industrial smelting.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE IT BETTER
The first step in making the life cycle of electronics safer and more sustainable, is to make sure the working electronics you have are being used by you or someone else, to make the need for new electronics smaller and to repair what can be fixed.
The second step is to recycle the electronics that are irreparable, and to make sure it is going to a certified e-recycling facility. When recycled, the components that normally takes mining to retrieve can be reused and therefore save resources and some pollution that comes with the mining. If you want to read an in-detail guide to the recycling of electronics, PCLiquidations offers great advice with a specific focus on the US market.
The third step is to stop changing your electronics before they are beyond repair. The cost of electronics is a lot higher than the price you pay in money.
OTHER POSTS ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF ELECTRONICS:
I came across “National Simplicity Day” which is all about simplifying your life, whether it’s decluttering your home or using your electronics less.
I saw this as a great opportunity to challenge my outlook on fashion.
I chose to wear one single dress for 30 days straight.
The dress is one of my favourite items – an organic dress from natural fibers that I got second hand from a clothing rental company that was selling off their old clothes to make space for new ones. So this dress has been pre-loved by many others before me.
Just imagine, not getting to or having to spend a single second for a month about what to wear!
30 days has passed, and I even wore the dress on day 31 because I wanted to.
But here’s my thoughts throughout and after this experience.
Oh but first. Yes, I washed the dress during this month. A few times. I have gotten this question so many times, so thought I’d put it here before getting started so you don’t have to read this thinking I walked around smelling bad for a month. Although it is worth mentioning that because the dress is made from natural fibers, airing it out worked perfectly fine the majority of the time.
You can read more on how to take better take care of your clothes so they last longer here:
I personally quit fast fashion several years ago, moved to sustainable and ethical brands. But I realized after a while that it was still using virgin materials in most cases, and that’s when I decided to quit new fashion as well.
Second hand and upcycled clothing are very easy to find these days when you live in larger cities and through thrifting apps or websites.
So I started buying more clothing than ever before. Because it’s thrifted, so I can get as much as possible without any impact, right?
Well, not really true.
I realized I need to go back to my minimalist approach to fashion.
DAY 1
I noticed a change in my behaviour on the first evening. When it was time to go to bed, I hung the dress up instead of throwing it on the ground as I normally do. I felt I had gained a different kind of respect for the item, knowing how important it would be to me the following 29 days.
Things I’ve done in the dress
Worked
Travelled to Stockholm
Travelled to Läckö Castle
Gone on a date
Gone on a second date with the same person, wearing the same dress both times
Been interviewed on Live TV
On live TV on the Norwegian show God Sommer Norge on TV2
CHALLENGES
I’m not gonna lie.
This wasn’t challenging for me at all.
I only experienced positive things during this month and I’d do it again.
As for weather conditions, I was lucky to not have a pretty stable weather throughout the month, but during colder days or evening I’d jump into a pair of stockings and put a turtleneck under the dress and if needed, a jacket on top.
I think that one of the things that made this challenge so easy was that I chose a garment that I already used a lot and knew that I loved and always felt good in. And that’s how I want all of my wardrobe to be like. Knowing that no matter what I put on, I feel great.
Having fewer items, but where all of them make me feel great when wearing.
WANT TO DO THE SAME CHALLENGE? HERE ARE MY TIPS
Choose an item you already wear often and that you always feel great wearing
Try to pick an item made from natural fibers
You can read more about natural and synthetic fibershere:
Since you’ll be washing the garment in the evening and let air dry during the night, try to opt for one that dries relatively fast
You can always mix up the look with the help of accessories and different hair- and makeup styles
Tell people about the challenge and why. Not only might it make you feel more comfortable seeing your coworkers or class mates every day wearing the same thing (chances are most people won’t even notice) but it also brings awareness to the cause
It doesn’t have to be a dress. It could be a pair of trousers, a blouse or other
Looser fit makes it less likely to get the item smelly from arm sweat (cause even with deodorant, it can happen)
For more posts about Fast Fashion check these out:
We have now offset another 30,000 ton CO2eq in a Gold Standard certified project!
The project has distributed and installed 18,870 biogas digesters for local households in China. In the digesters, pig manure is treated anaerobically in order to recover biogas. This biogas is then used as thermal energy to replace the coal for cooking and water heating.
The project leads to the reduction of coal consumption and consequently the reduction of carbon dioxide emission. Meanwhile, the recovery and utilization of biogas from biogas digester will reduce Methane emission that would otherwise have been emitted to the atmosphere. Methane is a powerful green house gas that is 28-36 more potent than CO2 over a 100 year lifespan.
The project covers 27 townships at Hezhang County, Guizhou Province of China.
To live a more sustainable and environmentally friendly life, we first need to educate ourselves on what changes we can make and which of our habits are the worst from an environmental perspective. But a lot of people don’t have the time to spend hours researching these things and need short, fast and easy guides on how to make better choices. Parents especially have less time to change to better habits that will be part of making the future for their children better.
So here is a guide on how you can shop what you need more sustainably.
Second Hand shopping online
Location: Not only does online thrifting allow more people to shop sustainably due to lack of time, but also bringing the option to those who do not have physical second hand-stores close to where they live.
Please do keep in mind to try to shop from within your own country, or as close to you as possible to keep the emissions for transportation down.
Search engine: A lot of the apps and websites where you can buy pre-loved items make it easier to find specific things you’re looking for, compared to wandering around in the physical stores trying to find x, y, z. Through the search option, you can search for specific brands, items and sizes. Especially the part of being able to search for sizes makes it easier and more inclusive for people with larger sizes, as most of what is sold in vintage and thrift shops are sizes S-L.
Notification options: If you can’t find what you’re looking for, you can in some apps and websites choose to get notifications if an item is added that match your search word. This saves you time so that you don’t have to check for it every single day, but can rely on the notification to let you know.
Follow people with similar taste, size and hobbies: In some apps, like TISE and DEPOP, you can follow specific people making items put out for sale by those people being displayed for you. That way you can create almost like an app that shows you the items of your interests, size and style.
Sustainable and ethical stores
While shopping for items that are already on this earth, to lessen the need fo using new resources, buying pre-owned or upcycled items is not for everyone. Perhaps you are looking for a specific kind of item and you just can’t find it on any of the online thrifting options.
There are stores who’ve made it easy for you to save you time from researching for all brands who use sustainably sourced materials and who used ethical practices for their workers. These stores, which you can find both online and in some cities, have done all of that work for you as they only stock items from brands who make the cut.
As there are many readers here from Sweden, I’ll mention a couple of these physical store options for you here. That way you can try the clothes on before purchasing. These all do have online shops as well for those who do not live in any of those cities.
You can go to some of these stores who sell only from ethical and sustainable brands, look at their list of what brands they are selling and go onto the websites of those specific brands and see all of their items, as the retailers with many brand only chose a few of the clothings from each brand.
Check out the website and app GOOD ON YOU where they amongst other things, research on different brands and rate them on 3 points – Environmental Impact, Labour Conditions and Animal Welfare. For brands that have been rated badly, they often offer “Good Swap” by showing brands with similar style of clothing but by brands who’ve been rated good.
Follow ethical fashion-gurus on social media. They often mention brands that are good, and call out Greenwashing when deserved. Some people I recommend following for ethical fashion is:
