Week 3 Carbon Accounting and Systems Flashcards
Why measure carbon emissions?
- manage targets
- allocate budgets
- make predictions
- monitor progress
- accountability
aka you can’t control what you don’t measure
What are resource accounting methods?
The amount of emissions (kgCO2eq) associated with a good/service/activity.
Life cycle analysis (LCA) and environmental footprinting (EF).
Difference between direct and indirect emissions.
Direct - emissions that result from sources directly associated with the activity.
Indirect - emissions that result from the activity but occur at sources from another entity.
What is production-based accounting?
Emission accounting at the point of production. Where goods pass from human to environment
What is consumption-based accounting?
Emissions embedded in goods/services we are consuming. AKA “embodied emissions” or “demand sided approach”
What is Scope 1,2,3?
Scope 1: direct emissions associated with energy use.
Scope 2: Indirect emissions from electricity.
Scope 3: Indirect emissions from everything else, e.g. Materials.
Difference between net and gross accounting
Gross: Total emissions
Net: Total emissions with deductions accounted
What is systems analysis?
Analysing the components of a system and how they work together.
- what are the component parts?
- how are they related or not?
- what is their function and how do we measure it?
Why use systems analyses?
- Show relationships and how things are connected.
- See the reaction/impact of an influence across the system.
- Consider the perspectives of different stakeholders.
Why use systems thinking?
Use systems thinking to tackle adaptive complex problems.
What happens when we cross planetary boundaries?
Impacts worsen, response gets harder
What is doughnut economics?
Economy is sustainable inside the ‘safe space’ defined by the ecological ceiling (limit to how much you can exploit) and the social foundation (minimum service you can provide)
Te Ao Maori perspective on doughnut economics
ecological foundation promoting a thriving society
What is a system?
A collection of things working together as part of a whole
