Definitions
A useful glossary from EPA Victoria and RMIT is located here.
Acronyms
CDM Clean Development Mechanism
CEM Continuous Emission Monitoring
CH4 Methane
CER Certified Emission Reduction
CCX Chicago Climate Exchange
CO2 Carbon Dioxide
CO2-e Carbon Dioxide Equivalent
EPER European Pollutant Emission Register
EU ETS European Union Emissions Allowance Trading Scheme
GHG Greenhouse Gas
GAAP Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
HFCs Hydrofluorocarbons
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IPIECA International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association
ISO International Standards Organisation
J I Joint Implementation
N2O Nitrous Oxide
NGO Non-Governmental Organisation
PFCs Perfluorocarbons
SF6 Sulphur Hexafluoride
T&D Transmission and Distribution
UK ETS United Kingdom Emission Trading Scheme
WBCSD World Business Council for Sustainable Development
WRI World Resources Institute
Some useful links
The global authoritative source is the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC):
http://www.ipcc.ch/
If you are after global and local news stories, try:
http://www.enn.com/
The Clean Energy Regulator site is now the best single source of Australian regulatory information:
http://www.cleanenergyregulator.gov.au
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol group, comprising large energy companies such as BP and Shell, large accounting/consulting partnerships KPMG and PwC, and Australian and Canadian government representatives, is at:
http://www.ghgprotocol.org/about-ghgp
They have published a range of useful guides. The most famous, and the single best guide to measuring and understanding carbon emission measurement and reporting is the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Standard, previously called the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, A Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard, but usually simply referred to as the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. Despite the imposing title from a prestigious group of contributors, it is an easily readable document, and is highly recommended. It is available at no cost at
http://www.ghgprotocol.org/standards/corporate-standard
The Protocol was the basis of the International Standard and then the (almost identical) Australian Standard, ISO/AS 14064:2006.
Carbon Intelligence carries out Carbon Footprint Statements, Project Validation and Verification of both Statements and Projects according to these Standards.
Whilst a Standard is inevitably a drier document than the Protocol, it is a practical “how to” document as well as being authoritative. These Standards are divided into three parts:
- Part 1 is the most relevant for an organisation starting their Carbon journey.
- Part 2 is about carbon reduction and carbon offset projects, which will become important as 2011 and the Australian Carbon Pollution Reduction (Emissions Trading) Scheme approaches.
- Part 3 is about Validating these projects, and about Verifying Carbon Footprint Statements and Reduction Projects.