WEC database tracks industry's greenhouse gas reduction programs

The World Energy Council Wednesday unveiled an electronic database that tracks energy company projects, coming on stream from 1999 to 2010, that are designed to reduce emissions of gases linked to purported catastrophic climate change.

Oct. 24, 2001

2 min read

Bob Williams
Executive Editor
Oil & Gas Journal

BUENOS AIRES, Oct. 24 -- The World Energy Council Wednesday unveiled an electronic database that tracks energy company projects, coming on stream from 1999 to 2010, that are designed to reduce emissions of gases linked to purported catastrophic climate change.

The database was developed under the WEC's pilot program on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It monitors voluntary projects designed to cut or offset GHG emissions when compared with business-as-usual projections.

WEC originally planned to identify and record emissions reductions of 1 billion tonnes/year of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e). The database now encompasses more than 700 projects in 92 countries with emissions reductions totaling more than 1.3 billion tonnes of CO₂e/year.

"WEC started this effort to demonstrate that industry around the world is already taking, and planning to take, action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a significant amount," said WEC Sec. Gen. Gerald Doucet.

Doucet said his organization has set a new target of identifying projects for reductions totaling 2 billion tonnes of CO₂e/year by 2005 and has extended the tracking time to 2010.

Anders Nordström, chairman of the GHG pilot program committee, noted that a cut of 2 billion tonnes of CO₂e represents about 6% of current annual global GHG emissions and is within the range of reductions required under the Kyoto Protocol on climate change.

"There seem to be many more projects under way that have not yet been recorded in the database, and we are inviting companies and countries to enter their projects in the database to provide a comprehensive global picture of actions that are anticipated over this decade," Nordström said.

Actions entailing GHG emissions mitigation measures include zero-GHG emissions technologies such as solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, tide, hydro, and nuclear power; conservation steps; efficiency improvements; and other programs, such as reforestation.

Use of and recording projects in the database is free of charge.