Difference between revisions of "GHG Emissions Sources"

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== Definition ==
 
== Definition ==
'''GHG Emissions Sources''' are any identifiable physical artefacts that at any time during their lifecycle act as emitters of [[Greenhouse Gas Emissions | green house gas]], that is they release into the Earth's atmosphere any of the seven gases mandated under the Kyoto Protocol and to be included in national inventories under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
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'''GHG Emissions Sources''' are any identifiable physical artefacts that at any time during their lifecycle act as emitters of [[Greenhouse Gas Emissions | green house gas]], that is they release into the Earth's atmosphere any of the seven gases mandated under the [[wikipedia:Kyoto Protocol | Kyoto Protocol]] and to be included in national inventories under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ([[UNFCCC]]).
  
GHG Emissions may be due to chemical processes that occur in contact with the atmosphere (combustion, chemical processing) or leaks.
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Physically, GHG Emissions may be produced due to:
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* ''current ongoing'' chemical processes that occur while in contact with the atmosphere (combustion, chemical processing) or  
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* through leaks of ''previously generated gases'' from their containers.
  
== GHG Protocol Categories ==
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The [[GHG Protocol]] identifies the following high level categories<ref>The Greenhouse Gas Protocol, A corporate accounting and reporting standard, Revised Edition 2008</ref>:  
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In turn the main chemical processes can be classified as either
* Stationary combustion: combustion of fuels in stationary equipment such as boilers, furnaces, burners, turbines, heaters, incinerators, engines,  flares, etc.
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* combustion, where the primary aim is energy generation
* Mobile combustion: combustion of fuels in transportation devices such as automobiles, trucks, buses, trains, airplanes, boats, ships, barges, vessels, etc.
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* process emissions, where the primary aim is some chemical or mechanical process
* Process emissions: emissions from physical or chemical processes such as CO2 from the calcination step in cement manufacturing, CO2 from catalytic cracking
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in petrochemical processing, PFC emissions from aluminum smelting, etc.
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* Fugitive emissions: intentional and unintentional releases such as equipment leaks from joints, seals, packing, gaskets, as well as fugitive emissions from coal piles, wastewater treatment, pits, cooling towers, gas processing facilities, etc.
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In turn combustion can be classified as either:
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* stationary, where the combustion process takes place in a stationary facility
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* mobile, where combustion happens in mobile facility (in the context of transport)
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The above emissions modalities are forming the [[GHG Emissions Taxonomy]].  
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== GHG Mapping to Entities ==
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Mapping (asigning) a quantum of GHG emission to an entity can be on the basis of their production or consumption role and it will typically involve the definition of a [[GHG Inventory Boundary]]
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* In a corporate reporting context, every [[Business Sector]] has processes, products, or services that generates direct and/or indirect emissions from one or more of the above broad source categories.  
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* In a [[Project Finance]] context, each project finance subcategory would have its own footprint
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* In a geographic reporting context (city, region, country) it is the sum of residential, commercial and institutional activity within a defined boundary that generates emissions
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== See Also ==
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* [[GHG Sink]]
  
 
== References ==
 
== References ==

Latest revision as of 15:10, 5 September 2023

Definition

GHG Emissions Sources are any identifiable physical artefacts that at any time during their lifecycle act as emitters of green house gas, that is they release into the Earth's atmosphere any of the seven gases mandated under the Kyoto Protocol and to be included in national inventories under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Physically, GHG Emissions may be produced due to:

  • current ongoing chemical processes that occur while in contact with the atmosphere (combustion, chemical processing) or
  • through leaks of previously generated gases from their containers.


In turn the main chemical processes can be classified as either

  • combustion, where the primary aim is energy generation
  • process emissions, where the primary aim is some chemical or mechanical process


In turn combustion can be classified as either:

  • stationary, where the combustion process takes place in a stationary facility
  • mobile, where combustion happens in mobile facility (in the context of transport)


The above emissions modalities are forming the GHG Emissions Taxonomy.

GHG Mapping to Entities

Mapping (asigning) a quantum of GHG emission to an entity can be on the basis of their production or consumption role and it will typically involve the definition of a GHG Inventory Boundary

  • In a corporate reporting context, every Business Sector has processes, products, or services that generates direct and/or indirect emissions from one or more of the above broad source categories.
  • In a Project Finance context, each project finance subcategory would have its own footprint
  • In a geographic reporting context (city, region, country) it is the sum of residential, commercial and institutional activity within a defined boundary that generates emissions

See Also

References