Greenhouse Gas Reduction Determined by Additionality
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by: DanielStouffer
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Companies that have facilities which use refrigeration and air-conditioning systems or heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems have to measure changes which are imposed upon them due to greenhouse gas emissions. Additionality is a measure which compares the level of emissions prior to implementation with the levels after a greenhouse gas reduction project has been introduced.
Before a greenhouse gas reduction project is implemented, a monitoring and verification (M&V) plan must be developed to quantify and verify results. The additionality metrics included in the plan should explain when, how and who will be conducting the monitoring and verification process. Generally, software developed by specialists in the area is used to streamline the M&V process.
Prior to a greenhouse gas reduction project, facilities that use refrigerant undertake a project specific assessment, determining additionality. Current greenhouse gas emission levels are assessed, and once the project is underway, emission levels are then compared to the baseline. In this way, actual reduction in greenhouse gas emissions can be calculated.
Specific industries have specific performance assessments, as used to determine additionality. For example, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system manufacturers or refrigeration and air-conditioning system manufacturers may measure performance improvements as compared to existing standards. This will apply for particular appliances or processes in relation to the reduction of greenhouse gas.
As global climate change is significantly affected by greenhouse gas emissions, so additionality plays a very important role in determining a reduction project's effectiveness. Many different industries and sectors are involved in greenhouse gas offset projects, for example, the methane capture and recovery projects in landfills, reforestation, and renewable energy efforts.
For businesses, it is important from an accounting standpoint to show the benefits of a greenhouse gas reduction program. In order for it to be a true emissions reduction, additionality criteria must be met. Ongoing monitoring and verification are key components to ensure actual reductions are real and have long-term sustainability. For facilities developing methods to reduce their use of refrigerant gas, automation of monitoring and tracking exists through software and web based applications developed by software providers who specialize in this area.
Part of any additionality equation is an examination of how permanent the project will be and a determination of any risk factors involved. The issue of leakage should be addressed and properly accounted for through monitoring and verification.
Within the United States and overseas, the debate continues regarding funding. Whether or not funds should be made available to companies to enact programs aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions is under question. As a benchmarking system for certain industries is under development, the determination of funding would require feedback through additionality to show that the project went beyond regular business activities. As an example, funding would not be made available if the project would have occurred anyway due to conventional business improvement.
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Daniel Stouffer has much more information on the importance of additionalityand how the refrigerant-tracker can be of use to you.
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