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Prony Wind Power project

CO2 emissions from the power sector need to decrease by at least 60% by 2030. With a large variety of technologies available, from biomass to solar energy, renewable projects play a key role in accelerating the low-carbon economy by replacing fossil fuels from the energy mix. The GoClimate community is now supporting Gold Standard certified Prony Wind Power project in New Caledonia, situated in the South Pacific.

Generating sustainable energy from wind 

Islands of the Pacific Ocean, like New Caledonia, face serious environmental and socioeconomic pressures that are excelled by climate change. Pacific Island nations are already severely affected by extreme weather, and their inhabitants are amongst the world’s most vulnerable communities to the growing effects of climate change. Yet in New Caledonia, 80% of energy demands are still met by fossil fuel power plants. New Caledonian authorities have however set ambitious targets – aiming to have 100% of publicly distributed energy originating from renewable sources by 2025.

The Solution


Prony Wind Power includes a total of six wind farms located at two different sites on the island, supplying electricity to the local grid. The Kafeate and Prony sites consist of 116 wind turbines with a total capacity of 31 MW, with an estimated yearly production of 40 GWh of emissions-free, renewable electricity.

The Impact

Prony Wind Power is helping to drive the clean energy transition in regions where there are no previous resources to do so. The project has also boosted local economies by creating job opportunities, while also spreading technological know-how and awareness of climate issues across the island. Prony’s success is a tribute to the viability and value of sustainable development in small island nations, promoting climate action, and ultimately increasing climate resilience in the Pacific Island region.

The following SDG’s are supported:

https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/

So far, the GoClimate community has avoided 23 871 ton of CO2 emissions through this specific project!

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Climate smart office! 

Moving to a new office is exciting – and by setting the right requirements from the start, it is a great opportunity to reduce your carbon footprint in both the short and long term. This is why we have put together some tips on what is good to have in mind in order to create the right conditions.

Choosing the space

There are various standards for a sustainable building, both international ones but also ones that can vary from country to country. Some to keep an eye out for are the following:

LEED standard – Leadership in Energy and Environment Design

WELL certified – focusing on employee well-being

Another thing to keep in mind is that you want to be close to public transport links if possible, so that employees and visitors can get there in an environmentally friendly way. Another thing to consider where relevant, is to offer safe bike storage for employees opting for biking to work.

Electricity

To think about:

Choose green electricity 

Heating – what is the energy source?

Other factors you may be able to influence are insulation, energy use and LED lights.

Ask the landlord about this at an early stage when you are considering options and make it clear that it is an important criteria – allowing you to negotiate good terms from the start. Electricity use, heating and cooling systems are usually quoted per sqm in the contract, so it is easy to compare if you are looking at several options of premises.

Regarding lighting, you may want to consider whether it is possible to have motion sensors so that the lights are automatically turned off when the office is empty. Or, alternatively, the option to turn off/on centrally at certain hours of the day in all or part of the premises.

You could also look at the possibility of installing your own solar panels on the roof. If you are located in a part of the world where electricity is expensive or particularly “dirty” (if you are Germany based, for example, energy is likely to be coal-fired) this may be particularly relevant. 

Purchasing and choosing IT and electronics

For companies where efficient technology is key, it is important to find good strategies to reduce emissions related to this. There is much to be gained by planning ahead to make good purchases, so that a new purchase does not result in older equipment being obsolete when matched with the new equipment. See our blog post on ‘Planned Obsolescence’ to see what you can do to avoid the pitfalls.

Servers

We’ve written a blog post on the carbon footprint of servers before, which provides good guidance. The quick answer is that the most energy efficient are cloud servers that use green energy. What are your options? Spending a bit of time on doing your research here could make a big difference.

Purchasing electronics

If there is a lot of new equipment to be purchased, make sure you have reasonable contracts with suppliers for service. How long is the warranty? How long is the expected lifespan?

The product description will often state how long a product’s lifetime is, which is an indication for you when it comes to setting standards for upgrades. Dell and Apple laptops have an estimated lifespan of four years, and monitors are estimated at 6 years, but that’s probably on the low side.

An important question is, how long will the product live up to your technical standards? Longevity is often determined by our sense of trend[1]. Apple phones are used a year longer than Samsung despite being technically equivalent (54.5 months vs. 67 months). A product replacement policy should be based on an understanding of this.

Emission benchmarks:

Iphone 11 128GB – 77 kg CO2e

MacBook Pro 15-inch – 334 kg CO2e

Dell desktop computer – 500-600 kg CO2e

Dell monitor – 500-800 kg CO2e

Logitech mouse – just under 3 kg CO2e

In general, Fairphone ranks highest in terms of environmental standards, followed by Apple, then HP and Dell[2]. Logitech also has an ambitious sustainability policy.

Furniture

The footprint of an average office chair is 76 kg CO2e (Antov & Pancheva 2017), about the same as a smartphone. Furniture averages 20-80 kg CO2e per product, with sofas and office chairs having the largest footprint. Of the materials used, steel and foam plastics have the biggest impact. From a broader sustainability perspective, there is much to be gained from investing in sustainable furniture, as good quality extends its lifespan and the furnishings do not need to be replaced.

When choosing an interior design agency, there are options specializing in reuse – research to find your best local options!

Here are some suggestions for companies selling recycled office furniture: 

https://allforsale.se/en/ – Swedish company selling throughout Europe, larger quantities available

https://recycledbusinessfurniture.co.uk/ – UK 

https://www.sustainableofficefurniture.com.au/ – Australia

If you choose to buy new, choose products from companies that make a commitment to the environment, and choose those with a low carbon footprint. 

If you have end-of-life furniture that you want to replace, many companies offer to collect the furniture to ensure that it is recycled properly. Also, see if you can donate or sell furniture that is no longer of use to you.

Refurbishment

When refurbishing, it is important to consider that different materials have varying carbon footprints, with concrete often coming up as a high carbon footprint option. Wood is generally a good material from a sustainability perspective, but there are an incredible number of aspects to consider here. Improving insulation, for example, can be a good investment from a climate perspective, but it depends on many small choices that the person you hire for remodeling should know more about.

Other

Plants soak up carbon dioxide and look good. Whether they actually improve indoor air quality is a matter of debate, but they do contribute a sense of well-being that is overall beneficial.

Add any additional tips you would like us to include, in the comments section!

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Guide to setting a climate policy

Setting a climate policy does not have to be hard or time consuming, it could be a few simple guidelines that could help employees a lot in their everyday decisions. Here are some examples of what can be included in a climate policy:

Food
We serve vegetarian or vegan food as a standard. Meat is available as an add on. We reduce our food waste by informing employees that there is food left over for them to take home.

Travel
We prioritise digital meetings and train travel. We do not fly domestically. Locally, we travel fossil-free.

Suppliers
We choose suppliers with their own climate and environmental policies in place.

IT equipment
We use IT equipment such as computers and mobile phones as long as they are in working order. They are replaced only when necessary. We give new employees the opportunity to choose second-hand equipment.

Purchasing
We prioritise buying second-hand office furniture, fittings, kitchen equipment, etc.

Couriers and transport
We work with fossil-free couriers.

Pensions
We encourage and facilitate our employees to choose pension suppliers that help rather than hinder climate action.

Giveaways
We do not use giveaways to avoid unnecessary consumtion.

We spread the word
We talk to our customers and suppliers about our climate-friendly choices, spreading the word!

Do you want help getting started with your company’s climate work?

Send us an email to [email protected] and we’ll take it from there!

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Fuel efficient stoves in Honduras

The GoClimate community is supporting a Gold Standard project financing fuel efficient stoves in Honduras. The installation of these improved stoves does a lot of good. Indoor toxic smoke is being avoided , CO2 emissions are being reduced, trees are saved and new job opportunities created. The non-profit organization selling the carbon offsets to finance the stoves is called Proyecto Mirador.

Open Fire Cooking Causes Problems

Honduras boasts the fourth largest rainforest in the world, but deforestation is occurring at an alarming rate. One of the causes for deforestation is that wood is used as fuel. To lessen deforestation is crucial. Forests help keep our climate stable and regulate our water supply, in addition to providing home to many animal species. Along with the climate crisis, the loss of biodiversity is one of the current and most severe threats to the planet today.

The collection and burning of firewood for cooking is a time intensive task in Honduras, usually a burden for women. It destroys precious village-side forests and causes smoke-related health issues. According to the WHO, close to 4 million people globally die each year prematurely from illness attributable to household air pollution from inefficient cooking practices using polluting stoves paired with solid fuels and kerosene.

The project

The fuel efficient stoves combine clean combustion technology with local Honduran cooking practices. They are sold at an affordable price. The combustion process is more clean and efficient, compared to the traditional open fire system. Less fuel is needed and smaller branches can be used. This helps save the forests.

The toxic carbon monoxide is reduced by 79 percent, while the methane emissions are reduced by 94 percent. Reducing methane has a substantial positive impact on the climate. It’s a powerful greenhouse gas and the second largest contributor to global warming.  The gas has a global warming potential over 80 times that of carbon dioxide over a 20-year horizon. Methane has a shorter lifetime in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide – only twelve years, compared to up to hundreds for CO2 – so cuts in methane will limit temperature increase faster than cuts to carbon dioxide.

The project has the potential to mitigate 225 000 tonnes of CO2 yearly. To understand how much this is, the EU average CO2 emissions per person and year is 6.8 tonnes. 225 000 tonnes correspond to the emissions of more than 30 000 people living in Europe. 

Economic Benefits

Apart from the positive impact on the environment and Honduran people’s health, the Mirador project provides economic benefits. Women now have more free time for other activities, and can spend money previously reserved for fuel on other essentials. A microenterprise program also runs alongside this project, training entrepreneurs and providing specialized parts to build and install the stoves. 17 thriving microenterprises have expanded to provide 170 local jobs in areas where reliable employment is difficult to find.

The following SDGs are supported

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Clean Water Project in Cambodia

The GoClimate community has contributed to a ceramic water purifier project in Cambodia. The project helps improve public health, avoid CO2 emissions and reduce deforestation. Previously, no ceramic water purifier programs have been commercially viable in Cambodia. With the assistance of carbon finance, this project is economically sustainable.

In total, the project has the potential to provide clean drinking water to an estimated 312,000 households over 7 years. GoClimate’s offsetting 6,700 tonnes CO2 is a part of this. Thank you to all our members who have contributed!

The Importance of Clean Water and the Problems with Getting Access to It

In Cambodia, the majority of the population boils water (to make it safe for drinking) on wood fire stoves. Many people do not use any sort of purifying process at all. Drinking unpurified water can lead to illnesses, where young children are particularly vulnerable. In fact, according to the World Economic Forum, lack of access to safe drinking water is one of the biggest threats to humanity today. 

In the cases where the water is boiled, the smoke from the fire can have very harmful effects on respiratory health. Women and children are particularly exposed, spending a lot of time doing household work.  

Boiling is an energy intensive and time-consuming purification method, often involving burning wood. Burning wood leads to emissions of CO2, as well as to deforestation. To lessen deforestation is crucial as forests help keep our climate stable and regulate our water supply, in addition to providing home to many animal species. Along with the climate crisis, the loss of biodiversity is one of the most severe threats to the planet today.

The Solution

The project sells ceramic water purifiers to families across Cambodia. Once the water has passed through the ceramic filter the clean water is stored in a plastic container, giving safe drinking water at just a turn of the tap. No wood is needed, easing the pressure on Cambodia’s vulnerable forests. In addition, the CO2 emissions that would have come from boiling are omitted. 

Other Benefits

Cleaning water through ceramic water purifiers is good for the forests and the climate. 

Furthermore, as indoor smoke is reduced, respiratory health improves, while clean drinking water is an essential component to combatting diarrheal illness. The overall public health is improved, and this helps stimulate economic activity. Rural households save the cost for buying wood, as well as save the labour spent on preparing the water. Their resources are freed up for other activities.

The filters are produced at a purpose-built factory in Cambodia providing employment opportunities to locals. The filters have a number of low-interest financing options and many are sold to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) who offer them at a subsidised price.

The project contributes to the following SDGs:

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Low-carbon Public Transport in Delhi

In busy Delhi, with more than 18 million inhabitants, air pollution is a big problem. In addition to causing severe health problems – air pollution caused 1.9 million deaths worldwide in 2019- the emissions from traffic harm us and our one and only planet.

To address this, GoClimate has contributed to the Gold Standard project Regenerative braking technology for DMRC. This project aims at transforming the public transport system operated by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). By increasing the system’s energy efficiency, the project has the potential to mitigate CO2 emissions by on average 47 000 tonnes per year. This reduction corresponds to cutting the yearly emissions from nearly 10 000 people living in India.

Technological Innovation

The project increases energy efficiency in the DMRC transport system by replacing old car brakes with new regenerative braking technology. The regenerative braking technology conserves electrical energy, reducing energy consumption from the electricity grid, leading to cuts in GHG emissions. As of 1st June 2021, DMRC has constructed a massive transport network of around 389 km with 285 stations, meaning that many people are able to commute in an energy efficient way.

What else has the project contributed to?

The project has created both new jobs and training opportunities. The project owner also engages in a number of community initiatives, for example creating the popular Delhi Metro Museum.

This project contributes to the SDGs 4, 7, 8, 9 and 13.

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The GoClimate Business Calculator

Our carbon footprint calculator for businesses allows you to report on your activities yourself. By inputting data on the most relevant emission factors, you can conduct an automatic calculation which shows your climate impact. This is the easiest solution for service companies or SMEs who want to get a quick overview of their climate emissions.

The calculations are compatible with the GHG protocol for many service companies. To learn more about how the calculations are done, please read our methodology here.

Our ambition is to help small and medium sized companies get a handle on their climate emissions in a manageable way, rather than dig into a full Scope 3 analysis of companies with more complex production chains. If you however need help with larger tailor-made calculations, please contact us at [email protected].

The Business Calculator covers the following emissions:

  • heating
  • electricity
  • servers
  • flights
  • business trips by car
  • meals
  • coffee
  • fruit
  • waste management
  • purchases of IT-equipment

If there are other types of activities or purchases that you would like to include in your calculation, you can do so in the “other” field. Here are some examples of what can go into this category and the carbon footprint of each activity or purchase. Please note that some emissions are stated in grams and some in kg.

Furniture

Office chair 72kg
Shelf 18 kg
Table 160*180cm 35 kg
Cabinet 100 kg

Drinks & Snacks

Wine bottle 1040g CO2e
Wine glass (150 ml) 208g CO2e
Soft drinks (33 cl) 170g CO2e
Beer (473ml/1pint) 500g CO2e

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Biogas generation in Thailand

Cassava starch production is a large industry in Thailand. It serves many purposes and is among other things used for food, animal feed and industrial purposes. As with all production, it however has its downsides. The main one being that the industrial process generates large amounts of wastewater, which emits methane when stored in open lagoons, as is the norm.

Capturing methane

GoClimate and its members have contributed to the Gold Standard project CYY Biopower Wastewater Treatment Plant in Thailand. By installing a closed anaerobic system, the methane emissions (a greenhouse gas 21 times more potent than CO2) are captured. Methane has a shorter lifetime in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide – only twelve years, compared to up to hundreds for CO2 – so cuts in methane will limit temperature increase faster than cuts to carbon dioxide.

Double gain

The captured methane is reused as biogas. The biogas can be used both as thermal oil replacement in the starch manufacturing process and also for generating clean energy for own use and sale to the grid. The emissions of the potent methane are avoided, and the energy sourced from the burning of fossil fuels is displaced.

Social sustainability

As all Gold Standard certified projects, this project is also socially sustainable. The project has significantly improved local air and water quality and the carbon revenue it generates provides jobs for locals, while also supporting social and educational activities. The clean wastewater is used to irrigate nearby fields and allows fish farming, enabling local communities to increase their income.

The SDGs and the numbers

The project contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals number 6,7,8 and 13.

97,000 tonnes of CO2 are mitigated annually, on average. Based on that the world average CO2 emissions per person was 4.9 tonnes (2019), this corresponds to reducing the CO2 emissions from nearly 20,000 people each year.

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Clean Electricity from the Indian Sun

India is the world’s fourth largest emitter of carbon dioxide. With its rapid population growth, energy demands continue to increase. This is why GoClimate has chosen to support a large-scale solar plant – the Gold Standard certified Greenko Renewable Energy Project, in Madhya Pradesh in central India.

India is heavily dependent on fossil fuels where coal is the largest source of energy. It stands for 70% of the country’s energy. For the climate, a shift towards more renewable energy is crucial.

The solar plant in numbers

With its annual average production of 328,000 MWh, the Greenko project has the capacity to supply nearly 400,000 people in India with clean energy every year. The solar plant could in other words generate enough electricity to cater for a middle sized city.

Each year, 308,000 tonnes CO2e on average are mitigated. In 2020 (a year incused by the pandemic) the CO2 emissions per capita in the world were 4.62 tonnes. This means that the climate benefits from the solar plant are equal to avoiding the emissions caused by nearly 70,000 people.

How the location of the solar plant is chosen

This large scale solar plant generates green electricity that goes directly to the Indian grid. The Gold Standard certificate is a hallmark and an insurance that the location for the solar panels is carefully chosen. They are often installed in desert-like environments where there is a lot of radiation from the sun and little vegetation, where the panels do not negatively affect the local ecosystem. No forests shall be cut down to make space for a solar plant, neither shall arable land be used.

New jobs in the local community

When a project of this scale is to be built in a small village, it is fundamental that they develop a good relationship with the local community. All Gold Standard certified projects have a grievance mechanism which enables community members to register and voice concerns.

On top of the project’s climate benefits, this project contributes towards the local economy through the creation of 12 jobs and has conducted 6 trainings to educate staff.

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Efficient Cookstoves in Central China

– less wood and better health

GoClimate is happy to have contributed to reducing another 8,000 tonnes of tonnes of CO2e emissions together with its members. This has been done through supporting the Gold Standard WWF Meigu High Efficient Cook Stove Project, for the third time. The project is located in the Shaanxi Province in the Central China mountains. It contributes to decreasing deforestation and protecting a giant panda habitat. In addition, the local community benefits from improvement in health and time savings. 

How is it done?

The project is based on a process of reconstructing inefficient built-in stoves for cooking and heating into being 70% more efficient. As the thermal efficiency is improved, the new cookstoves use substantially less woodfuel. Another benefit is the chimney that filters out toxic smoke.

The project operates in the Ningshan County towns of Huangguan, Xingchang and Simudi. Theses towns are near Huangguanshan Nature Reserve in Ningshan County in the Shaanxi Province. Due to the inconvenient traffic and the weak power supply system and high electricity price, there is no other power solution to replace the wood consumption. Making the use more efficient is of utmost importance.

For the planet

Not only is the climate helped by the 1,000 tonnes CO2e mitigated as less wood needs to be collected and burnt, but the deforestation pressures on the local giant panda habitat are eased. For decades, the deep mountain communities of Shaanxi’s Ningshan County in Central China have collected their woodfuel from the nearby Huangguanshan Nature Reserve. To lessen deforestation is important. Forests help keep our climate stable and regulate our water supply, in addition to providing home to many species. The crucial giant panda habitat is currently threatened and  violated, harming the rare pandas and other wildlife. Despite reports on the giant panda population slowly increasing, it remains one of the rarest, most vulnerable bears in the world. Habitat preservation is therefor key. Along with the climate crisis, the loss of biodiversity is one of the current and most severe threats to the planet. 

Gains for the local community

Every year, indoor air pollution causes many deaths. Women and children being the ones most involved or exposed to this environment are worst affected. The project has the potential to make everyday life a little bit safer for the local community through decreased indoor toxic smoke.

Furthermore, time is freed up for local residents to focus on more productive tasks, like working for income. The chopping and collecting of woodfuel is done faster, when less is needed.