Energy conservation key to cutting CO2

CONSERVE energy or fear the consequences is the warning being sent out to Yorkshire firms.

The no nonsense message was given at an energy conference hosted by Yorkshire Chemical Focus – the industry led membership organisation for the region's £2.2bn chemical sector.

Guest speakers included two of the country's most renown climate change specialists – Archie McCulloch, aide to the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change, and co-author of guidelines for the Kyoto Protocol, and Dr Nick Campbell, environment manager for Arkema and chairman of the Business Europe Climate Change Working Group.

Delegates were told that the greenhouse effect and global warming were indisputable facts and that carbon dioxide (CO2) was a major concern because of its long term effects.

“There is CO2 is today's atmosphere that was put there during the reign of Henry Viii and the CO2 that we produce in a few seconds lasts for hundreds of years,” Mr McCulloch told the audience.

“It's my prediction that in the next 100 years, CO2 will increase in the atmosphere at twice the rate it has increased since the industrial revolution, with a resulting rise in global temperatures of 2 to 3 degrees C.”

Mr McCulloch also said that the planting of trees to offset carbon emissions was a short-term solution.

“This delays the problem for the life of the tree, 20-200 years. After that, it naturally returns the CO2 to the atmosphere, unless you make it into furniture, which delays it for a further few years,” he said.

For Dr Campbell the politics surrounding carbon offsetting was the subject of focus.

But although he warned that negotiations between the developed and developing countries were likely to be tense and lengthy, he was confident that a global agreement would be reached.

“Maybe by 2010, I believe we'll see an agreement to reduce greenhouse gases by 20% by 2020 and 50% by 2050,” he said.

Companies were given a five point plan to help them improve reduce emissions where possible, improve energy efficiency, improve energy conservation, continue monitoring processes, prepare for future constraints.

Earlier this year, regional development agency Yorkshire Forward launched Carbon Action Yorkshire – an intitiative designed to get the region's businesses committed to reducing their own emissions by 20% by 2010.

It's widely accepted that the UK's target of 50% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions can never be met by renewable energies alone and that energy conservation is the most effective single measure to combat climate change.

Mike Smith, head of sustainable development at Yorkshire Forward, said that as major energy users, the region's chemical companies had a unique opportunity to have a real impact on this agenda.

“Initiatives like YCF and the Environmental Technologies CIC at the University of Hull are in place to help companies make the necessary changes,” he added.