DT Vollmer – Page 17 – Resilient LLP (formerly DeMarco Allan LLP)

IPCC Finalizes Synthesis Report of the Sixth Assessment Report

23 March 2023 No Comments By DT Vollmer

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) announced the finalization of its Synthesis Report of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) during its 58th Session held in Interlaken, Switzerland, March 13-19, 2023. The IPCC also published a Summary for Policymakers (the Summary) in advance of the release of the Synthesis Report, as well as a Longer Report and a Presentation. The Synthesis Report integrates the main findings of the AR6 and provides an overview of the state of knowledge of climate change, its widespread impacts and risks, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. The Synthesis Report has been highly anticipated and is the last of the Sixth Assessment Report products, due for release in time to inform the 2023 Global Stocktake under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It provides an unprecedented level of scientific analysis and indicates that there are numerous, feasible, and effective options currently available to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapt to human-caused climate change. Media reports from the New York Times emphasized that the Earth is likely to cross a critical global warming threshold by 2030 without rapid and drastic reductions in global GHG emissions. Reuters, quoting from the Summary, noted that “there is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a livable and sustainable future for all”. This bulletin briefly highlights key findings of the Synthesis Report included in the Summary. The Summary is divided into the following three sections: Current Status and Trends, which covers the historical and present period. Future Climate Change, Risks, and Long-Term Responses, which addresses projected futures up to 2100 and beyond. Responses in the Near Term, which considers current international policy timeframes, and the time interval between now and 2030-2040. Current Status and Trends. The Summary notes that: Human activities, principally through emissions of GHGs have unequivocally caused global warming, with global surface temperature reaching 1.1°C above 1850–1900 in 2011–2020,…

International Women’s Day

8 March 2023 No Comments By DT Vollmer

This International Women’s Day (IWD), Resilient LLP celebrates the remarkable social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women and girls in Canada and around the world. IWD 2023’s theme, #EmbraceEquity, reminds us that we must continue to challenge gender stereotypes, call out discrimination, draw attention to bias, support diversity, and seek out inclusion as we all work towards achieving gender equality. Resilient is proud to be a woman-led organization that is gender, 2SLGBTQIA+, racially and culturally inclusive and committed to providing clients with advice that benefits from the diverse and inclusive perspectives of our professionals. We encourage everyone to amplify the voices of women and girls – today and every day – and participate in one of the many events supporting IWD as we seek to create a more just, equal, and equitable world. For further information or to discuss the contents of this bulletin, please contact Lisa DeMarco at lisa@resilientllp.com.

ECCC Publishes Refrigeration Offset Protocol; Key Updates on Other Protocols

28 February 2023 No Comments By DT Vollmer

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has published the Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Refrigeration Systems, Version 1.0 protocol (the Refrigeration Protocol). ECCC also published a new version of the Landfill Methane Recovery and Destruction, Version 1.1 protocol which was first published on June 8, 2022. The Refrigeration Protocol supports Canada’s commitments to phase down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, wherein developed countries agreed to gradually phase down HFCs starting in 2019 to 15% of calculated baseline levels by 2036. This bulletin briefly summarizes the Refrigeration Protocol and provides important updates on protocol development under Canada’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Offset Credit System. The Refrigeration Protocol Eligible projects under the Refrigeration Protocol may register in Canada’s GHG Offset Credit System if the following conditions are met: Location. The project must be located in a province or territory in Canada. Additionality. GHG emission reductions generated by the project must not already be incentivized by carbon pricing and must not occur as a result of federal, provincial or territorial regulations or where a project proponent is required to retrofit or replace a pre-existing refrigeration system or its refrigerant. Baseline conditions. The system used in the baseline scenario must be either a stand-alone medium- or low-temperature refrigeration system, centralized refrigeration system, condensing unit, chiller, commercial air conditioning system or a heat pump. Pre-existing refrigeration systems must be operating for a minimum of three years prior to the project start date. Eligible project activities. The proponent can retrofit a pre-existing refrigeration system to use an eligible refrigerant, install a new refrigeration system containing an eligible refrigerant, and if applicable, destroy HFCs contained in refrigerant taken out of a pre-existing refrigeration system. Eligible refrigerant. The refrigerant used in the project scenario must have a global warming potential (GWP) lower than values provided…

B.C. Releases Draft Forest Carbon Offset Protocol 2.0

23 February 2023 No Comments By DT Vollmer

The B.C. Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (the Ministry) has released the latest draft of the B.C. Forest Carbon Offset Protocol 2.0 (the Protocol). The Protocol is the long-awaited updated version of the first version of the Protocol which was introduced in 2011 and repealed in 2015. The Protocol is expected to enable new forest carbon offset projects in B.C. This bulletin briefly summarizes key updates to the Protocol and related proposed amendments to the Greenhouse Gas Emission Control Regulation (the Regulation). The Protocol contains both a methodology for carrying out certain emission offset projects that remove emissions with forest sinks and reservoirs, and guidance associated with such projects. In addition, the Protocol creates legal requirements that project proponents, validation bodies, and verification bodies must follow for the proponent to obtain offset units under the Greenhouse Gas Industrial Reporting and Control Act. The Ministry noted that the Protocol has several substantial changes from earlier draft versions including: further refined eligibility; reporting and maintenance requirements; and the addition of further guidance, equations, tools and definitions. The Ministry also announced the following proposed amendments to the Regulation to be brought into force prior to the publishing of the Protocol: creating and clarifying definitions regarding the identification and treatment of reversals during the crediting period; distinguishing between “avoidable reversals” and “unavoidable reversals”, defining each as follows: “avoidable reversals” are reversals where the project proponent substantially increased the risk that the reversal would occur by failing to comply with commitments to maintain carbon sequestration levels that are set out in project plans, or requirements to maintain carbon sequestration set out in protocols or covenants, or the project proponent failed to take appropriate measures in relation to the avoidance of the risk that the reversal would occur; “unavoidable reversals” are reversals that are…

EU to Require Verification of Corporate “Green Claim”

17 February 2023 No Comments By DT Vollmer

The European Commission (the Commission) is expected to table a recently leaked proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on green claims (the Directive) that will require European Union (EU) member states to impose “dissuasive” penalties on organizations that make false environmental claims. The objectives of the Directive are to (i) set out detailed EU rules on the substantiation of voluntary green claims; (ii) enable consumers to act on reliable information about the sustainability of products and traders; and (iii) provide for members states to set up a system of penalties. This bulletin briefly summarizes the leaked Directive. General provisions (Chapter I): Sets out the scope of the Directive and provides that it will apply to environmental claims made on products available on the EU market and environmental claims on traders that provide activities on the EU market; and Clarifies that the Directive only applies to voluntary environmental claims and does not amend any other EU legislation that already establishes requirements in terms of information provided to consumers and does not apply to sustainability information involving messages or representations that may be either mandatory or voluntary pursuant to the EU or national rules for financial services, such as banking, credit, insurance and re-insurance, occupational or personal pensions, securities, investment funds, payment and investment advice. Substantiation and communication of environmental claims (Chapter II): Establishes harmonised requirements for the substantiation and communication of all types of environmental claims, including labels. Establishes the detailed requirements which methodologies, used by traders to collect evidence to substantiate the environmental claim, must be compliant with, and incentivises the use of the Environmental Footprint methods; Establishes the detailed requirements to be complied with by traders when communicating a claim that is substantiated according to the Directive; Requires that environmental labelling schemes must comply with certain requirements with regards to their governance and transparency; and Requires regular review of and updates to…