Page 28 - aruba-today-20200213

A28 SCIENCE
Thursday 13 February 2020
BP lays out long-term ambition to achieve net-zero emissions

By DANICA KIRKA indication of whether the
Associated Press company accepts that
LONDON (AP) — Energy there will be a major reduc-
producer BP said Wednes- tion in the global demand
day it wants to eliminate for its hydrocarbon fuels.''
or offset all carbon emis- BP said it plans to help cus-
sions from its operations tomers reduce their emis-
and the oil and gas it sells sions by cutting in half the
to customers by 2050, amount of greenhouse
though it remains unclear gases produced by the
how it would achieve such fuels it sells by 2050. The
an ambitious target as the company also said it will in-
company comes under crease investment in ``low
pressure to help combat carbon businesses'' and put
climate change. less money into oil and gas
London-based BP's goals in- businesses in coming years.
clude becoming a net zero It said it would install moni-
emitter in its own produc- toring equipment at all oil
tion of energy but also to and gas processing plants
reduce the carbon dioxide by 2023 as it seeks to re-
created by its customers as duce the amount of meth-
they use that energy - the Police officers stand near activists outside BP's headquarters to mark the first day of the oil ane the facilities release
bulk of emissions from the company's new chief executive Bernard Looney, at St James' Square in London, Wednesday Feb. into the environment by
industry. Doing so would 5, 2020. 50%.
require not only a shift to Associated Press On a broader level, the
cleaner energy sources but company said it would
also coming up with new we need a rapid transition setting the destination in a "bold strategic move" that work to promote policies
technologies to offset emis- to net zero,'' CEO Bernard GPS. will put pressure on other that move society toward
sions or extract CO2 from Looney said in a statement. "We're starting with a des- oil companies to follow net-zero emissions. BP said
the atmosphere. "We all want energy that is tination,"' he said. "The de- suit. But he said they don't it will stop "corporate repu-
As such, BP's announce- reliable and affordable, but tails will come.'' go far enough if the world tation advertising'' and shift
ment was less of a de- that is no longer enough. It Other energy companies is going to meet the goal that spending toward pro-
tailed restructuring plan must also be cleaner.'' have expressed similar am- of limiting global warming moting carbon reduction.
and more of a statement In a presentation in Lon- bitions as public awareness to 1.5 degrees Celsius over Looney said society will
of intent from a company don that featured climate of climate change - and pre-industrial levels. have to invest trillions of
that is trying, like the wider scientists, investors and the energy industry's role in "The oil and gas industry dollars "in replumbing and
energy industry, to ensure journalists, Looney ac- emitting CO2 - has grown. can only survive the next rewiring the world's energy
its long-term viability as the knowledged that targets Bob Ward, policy and few decades if they take system.''
world decreases its reliance and more specifics would communications direc- ownership of the rapid He stressed that BP's com-
on fossil fuels in an effort to follow. He compared the tor at the Grantham Re- transition to zero-emissions mitment is to eventually
fight climate change. announcements, which search Institute on Climate energy,'' Ward said. "How- reach net-zero emissions
"The world's carbon budget come only two weeks into Change and the Environ- ever, what is lacking from both for its own operations
is finite and running out fast; his tenure as CEO, as being ment, called BP's plans a BP's announcement is any and for the fuels it sells.q

Global energy-related carbon

emissions flat in 2019

BERLIN (AP) — Global en- fuel switching from coal to rest of the world rose by al-
ergy-related emissions of natural gas, and higher nu- most 400 million tonnes last
heat-trapping carbon di- clear power generation," year, led by higher coal use
oxide remained steady last the Paris-based agency in Asia.
year, with declines in rich said. "Other factors includ- The IEA's executive direc-
countries balancing out ed milder weather in sev- tor, Fatih Birol, expressed
a rise in poor nations, ac- eral countries, and slower hope that annual emissions
cording to data published economic growth in some of CO2 would only decline
In this Tuesday, June 5, 2018 file photo, steam rises in the air from Tuesday. emerging markets." in future.
the brown coal power plant Schwarze Pumpe in the Lusatia,
(Lausitz) area in Germany. The International Energy The country with the big- "We now need to work
Associated Press Agency said emissions gest drop in energy-related hard to make sure that
of the main man-made CO2 emissions was the Unit- 2019 is remembered as a
greenhouse gas stayed at ed States, which recorded definitive peak in global
33 gigatons in 2019, even a fall of 2.9% to 4.8 gigatons emissions, not just another
as the world economy on the back of coal-fired pause in growth," Birol said
grew by 2.9%. power plant closures and in a statement "We have
"This was primarily due to lower demand for electrici- the energy technologies
declining emissions from ty. The European Union saw to do this, and we have to
electricity generation in its emissions fall by 5% to make use of them all."
advanced economies, 2.9 gigatons, while Japan's Reducing emissions of CO2
thanks to the expanding dropped 4.3% to just over 1 and other greenhouse gas-
role of renewable sources gigaton in 2019. es is key to curbing climate
(mainly wind and solar), By contrast, emissions in the change.q