Carbon Neutral GOVERNMENT Year in Review 2014 CARBON NEUTRAL GOVERNMENT | Year in Review 2014
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Carbon Neutral GOVERNMENT Year in Review 2014 CARBON NEUTRAL GOVERNMENT | Year in Review 2014 [ 2 ] CARBON NEUTRAL GOVERNMENT | Year in Review 2014 Contents MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTER . 5 BRITISH COLUMBIA’S PUBLIC SECTOR BY THE NUMBERS . 6 REDUCING PUBLIC SECTOR EMISSIONS . 8 SCHOOL DISTRICTS . 10 HEALTH AUTHORITIES . 12 CROWN CORPORATIONS . 14 UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES . 16 CORE GOVERNMENT . 18 WHAT IS CARBON NEUTRALITY? . 22 VERIFICATION . 24 APPENDIX A . 26 APPENDIX B . 28 [ 3 ] CARBON NEUTRAL GOVERNMENT | Year in Review 2014 B.C. was the first jurisdiction in North America to achieve CARBON NEUTRALITY in 2010 – and remains THE ONLY carbon neutral province or state ON THE CONTINENT . [ 4 ] CARBON NEUTRAL GOVERNMENT | Year in Review 2014 Message from the Minister THIS YEAR MARKS BRITISH COLUMBIA’S FIFTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR of achieving carbon neutrality across its provincial public sector. I am extremely proud of this unprecedented accomplishment, which further demonstrates British Columbia as a global climate leader. Carbon Neutral Government is fundamentally about leadership. B.C. was the first jurisdiction in North America to achieve carbon neutrality in 2010 – and remains the only carbon neutral province, territory or state on the continent. A Carbon Neutral Government saves energy costs for the provincial public sector, encourages projects that see reduced greenhouse gas emissions and helps drive the creation of a low-carbon economy. In this report, we highlight success stories from various organizations throughout the provincial public sector that are working hard to shrink their carbon footprint, cut energy costs and streamline services for future generations. I hope these stories help inspire everyone to join us in becoming carbon neutral. The Honourable Mary Polak MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT [ 5 ] CARBON NEUTRAL GOVERNMENT | Year in Review 2014 British Columbia’s Public Sector by the Numbers CARBON NEUTRAL green technologies. This year, 2014 EMISSIONS GOVERNMENT IS PART energy costs for the B.C. public AT A GLANCE: OF A COMPREHENSIVE sector were estimated at B.C.’s Public Sector APPROACH to transition $430,000,000. Reducing these British Columbia to a more costs helps to balance the } TOTAL GHG EMISSIONS: energy efficient and resilient budget or frees up funds for province. public services like education 767,583 Tonnes CO2e Climate change is a problem that and health care. } EMISSIONS THAT DO requires action from businesses, In 2014, B.C.’s public sector has NOT REQUIRE OFFSETS: industry, individuals, communities, seen a reduction in emissions 108,445 Tonnes CO2e* and governments alike, and of approximately 46,000 carbon neutral government tonnes CO e compared to 2010 } TOTAL OFFSETS 2 is about government taking emissions. Once the emissions are PURCHASED FOR 2014 responsibility for our own normalized for weather conditions, EMISSIONS: emissions. While B.C.’s public B.C.’s total public sector emissions 659,138 sector emits only a small portion have decreased by approximately Tonnes CO2e** of the province’s total emissions, 63,000 tonnes CO2e since 2010, } OFFSET INVESTMENT: achieving carbon neutrality in which is equivalent to taking B.C.’s schools, hospitals, post- approximately 13,000 cars off $16,478,250 secondary institutions, Crown the road. About half of this } TOTAL CARBON corporations and government decrease can be attributed to an NEUTRAL CAPITAL offices builds environmental increase in cleaner hydroelectric FUNDING DISTRIBUTED: awareness, demonstrates climate generation and a decrease in $14,500,000 leadership, promotes conservation reliance on higher emission and energy efficiency, and thermal power generation } ESTIMATED TOTAL supports the growth of B.C.’s compared to prior years. ENERGY COST: $430,000,000 * As per the Carbon Neutral Government Regulation, some of the reported emissions in the total do not require the purchase of offsets in order to reach carbon neutrality. This includes emissions from mobile or stationary combustion of biomass as well as emissions from bus fleets (e.g., school buses and BC Transit buses). ** Please note that due to routine adjustments to prior year emissions, an additional 2,953 tonnes CO2e of emissions were offset to ensure that all public sector organization (PSO) emissions were accounted for. A total of 662,091 tonnes CO2e of offsets were purchased this year. [ 6 ] CARBON NEUTRAL GOVERNMENT | Year in Review 2014 British Columbia’s Public Sector by the Numbers (continued) TOTAL EMISSIONS ACROSS THE PUBLIC SECTOR WHAT IS WEATHER 2010 2014 NORMALIZATION? 880,000 865,430 860,000 Buildings make up 844,869 840,000 836,498 approximately 77% of B.C.’s 820,486 820,857 820,000 813,143 provincial public sector 800,902 800,000 emissions, and these 781,929 782,042 780,000 emissions change from 767,583 760,000 year to year, often due 740,000 to differences in heating 720,000 and cooling requirements 700,000 that result from variability 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 in outside temperature. Emissions (TCO e) Weather Normalized Emissions (TCO e) 2 2 To enable year-to-year comparison, and show overall GREENHOUSE GAS (GHG) in the atmosphere, or “global building performance and EMISSIONS in this report are warming potential” (GWP), efficiency improvements, emissions are adjusted measured in tonnes of CO2e therefore they are reported on (carbon dioxide equivalent). an aggregate level as tonnes of for heating and cooling requirements by “normalizing” Six gases are in scope for CO2e. For example, CH4, now has emissions reporting in B.C.: a GWP of 25, indicating that its emissions. To do this, we take carbon dioxide (CO2); methane radiative forcing is 25 times that the average temperature (CH4); nitrous oxide (N2O); of CO2. In other words, releasing profile for a 30-year period hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs); one tonne of CH4 is equivalent (the “normal”) and calculate sulphur hexafluoride (SF6); and to releasing 25 tonnes of CO2, the number of days that perfluorocarbons (PFCs). Each which can also be reported as require buildings to use gas varies in its ability to trap heat 25 tonnes CO2e. energy to heat or cool – temperatures above or below 15 C. We then compare that to the current year to see if there was more or less energy required than normal. [ 7 ] CARBON NEUTRAL GOVERNMENT | Year in Review 2014 Reducing Public Sector Emissions "Since its inception, ACTIONS LEADING TO continue to reduce emissions and the Carbon Neutral REDUCTIONS IN GHG save money into the future. EMISSIONS come in many B.C.’S PUBLIC SECTOR is also Capital Program forms and sizes. B.C.’s public sector working with external partners to has distributed $39 organizations are developing decrease emissions and improve innovative projects – from new million to finance energy efficiency. One example buildings with state-of-the-art energy projects that of this is the Continuous green technologies to lighting Optimization Program that is will continue to reduce upgrades and behavioural jointly funded and managed emissions and save changes that save money and by BC Hydro and FortisBC. money into the future". change the way people think about energy use. The Continuous Optimization Program offers incentives, tools THE CARBON NEUTRAL and support to help participants CAPITAL PROGRAM get their buildings in good The Carbon Neutral Capital working order – and to keep Program was developed in April them that way. B.C.’s public sector of 2012 to help school districts organizations have participated throughout B.C. reduce their in the program as FortisBC and carbon footprint and save money. Last year, the program was BC Hydro customers since the expanded to include additional program began in 2009. Across funding for health authorities the public sector, 389 projects and post-secondary institutions, have been implemented, with and a total of $14.5 million was a savings of 43.5 gigawatt hours distributed to the public health, (GWh) in electricity (435 tonnes education, and post-secondary CO2e), and 348,101 gigajoules sectors. Since its inception, the (GJ) in natural gas (17,318 tonnes Carbon Neutral Capital Program CO2e) for a total reduction of has distributed $39 million to 17,753 tonnes of CO2e from finance energy projects that will the program.* [ 8 ] CARBON NEUTRAL GOVERNMENT | Year in Review 2014 Reducing Public Sector Emissions (continued) In 2014, six B.C. public TOTAL EMISSIONS ACROSS THE PUBLIC SECTOR sector organizations BY SOURCE 2010 2014 were recognized by 700,000 659,229 Canada’s 100 634,298 636,390 602,309 600,000 599,666 Greenest Employers, 500,000 400,000 including: BC Hydro, 300,000 BC Public Service, 155,596 155,341 154,877 154,677 200,000 154,156 100,000 Insurance Corporation 20,317 10,645 18,561 18,606 17,219 10,956 8,040 7,557 19,641 11,207 0 0 318 504 0 73 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 of BC, Provincial Buildings Weather Fleet (TCO2e) Paper (TCO2e) Travel (TCO2e) Fugitives (TCO2e) Health Services Normalized (TCO e) 2 Authority, University of British Columbia and University of Northern British THIS GRAPH ILLUSTRATES This is why the Carbon Neutral that, compared to energy costs, Government commitment focuses Columbia. carbon tax and offsets represent on reducing emissions and the a small fraction of their direct amount the public sector spends energy bill. on energy cost. ESTIMATED PUBLIC SECTOR BUILDING ENERGY COSTS COMMODITY COST PER UNIT VS. CARBON 2010 2014 400,000,000 342,368,03 350,000,000 339,802,44 311,092,83 7,728,14 288,460,02 300,000,000 27 250,000,000 200,000,000 150,000,000 4 4 1 1 100,000,000 9 50,000,000 28,362,48 27,359,37 26,975,031 26,975,031 26,239,013 22,931,29 0 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Energy Costs ($) Total Carbon Cost (carbon tax, offsets) ($) * The estimates for emissions reductions are based on the 2014 emission factors for electricity at 10 tCO2e/GWh.