Are some tonnes of CO2 better than others? Nick Blyth from IEMA in the Hotseat!

Join us here for the last of our ‘live’ discussions in the course: Achieving Carbon reductions – are some Tonnes of CO2 better than others? – and what do businesses need to transform?

Nick Blyth is Policy and Engagement Lead for the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA), leading on Corporate Sustainability, Climate Change and Natural Environment. Nick has worked to develop practitioner sourced evidence on Climate Change and has used this to inform national and international policy and practice. His work includes consultation evidence influential in the UK Government’s 2012 decision to introduce a mandatory Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reporting requirement for quoted Companies.

In 2014, Nick led work on IEMA’s Climate Change position statement which developed the business case for Climate action. He has developed guidance around adaptation and mitigation, has contributed to the British Standards for carbon neutrality and is the UK representative on the International Organization for Standardization’s Climate Change Coordinating Committee.

Nick’s work for IEMA is undertaken in close collaboration with many business professionals. In 2014 IEMA established a Climate Change and Energy Network (currently over 300 members) actively collaborating to share, exchange and promote good practice. Members from this network will also be invited to participate in this session.

Nick will be joining us in the course on Wednesday December 2 between 15.00 and 17.00 hours GMT (world clock). Nick will be responding to comments already posted and leading a discussion for those of you able to join him during that time.

If you are unable to join the live event, you can of course review the debate at the time of your choice.

It will be easier for you to find Nick’s comments if you Follow him:

Nick Blyth (FutureLearn profile)

Achieving Carbon reductions – are some tonnes of CO2 better than others? – and what do businesses need to transform?

Are some carbon and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reductions better than others? A discussion of carbon reduction opportunities from avoidance and energy reductions at source through to the merits and risks of carbon offsetting and green electricity tariffs. This session will consider these challenging questions along with perspectives on policy and wider developments to support business transformation.

In this session you will be able to raise and explore key questions that professionals are contending with in addressing the challenge of transforming organisations and creating low carbon businesses. Central to this challenge is the need to plan an approach over time and to evaluate options for energy saving and carbon reductions.

How should professionals review their options and what for example (if any) contribution can be made from compensation approaches such as paying a third party to offset your carbon emissions.

This session will get you thinking about:

• Are all tonnes of carbon (saved) truly equivalent?
• The challenges faced by businesses and the barriers and drivers for change
• The mix of opportunities for energy and carbon reduction available to businesses in their strategies and approach
• Issues and risks associated with compensation approaches such as carbon offsetting and the purchase green electricity tariffs – as well as their potential positive contribution
• IEMA’s GHG Management hierarchy as a tool to help professionals approach this challenge
• Important changes and developments such as the GHG Protocols Scope 2 accounting guidance (internationally) and UK policy changes and developments (e.g. Defra guidance and DECC Policies)
• The importance of longer term policy signals and developments needed to help businesses to transform

Post your comments and questions in the box below, either in advance, or during the ‘live’ session. Nick and IEMA colleagues will respond to as many of these as they can.