Climatelinks’ Post

Let’s forget about global warming and focus on human health! Most of you know that the transportation system contributes to the largest amount of the produced Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions in the US. GHG emissions have a significant adverse impact on human health, but GHG emissions generally go unnoticed in transportation and infrastructure-related projects! - As a transportation planner, traffic engineer, or urban planner, have you ever considered GHG emissions in the decision-making process? - I trust the answer is no for most of you. Guess what! At Hillsborough County, we developed two user-friendly GHG emissions estimation tools based on Vehicles Miles Traveled (VMT) at two levels of resolution, roadway and county/regional, for a more sustainable and equitable transportation system! Florida Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) has invited me to present the GHG emisisons estimation tools on May 14th, 2024 at 10AM (ET). You don’t want to miss it! After attending the webinar, I trust that your perspective to transportation and urban planning will be so much different. With the GHG tools, you will be able to illustrate the impact of different strategies, such as applying differnet percentages of mode shift, different Market Penetration Rates (MPRs) of EVs and e-buses, different percentages of heavy trucks, etc. The tools will significantly contribute to more comprehensive decisions. We are in the process of converting the tools to a user interface, which means that you can benefit from our work. Use the below link to register and please spread the word to maximize the benefit of our innovative tools.

The Second winner of the 2024 OWWA / WEAO Climate Action Award is Durham Region (The Regional Municipality of Durham) - winner for the GHG Reduction / Mitigation Stream! The Region of Durham developed a long-term greenhouse gas strategy specific to its water and wastewater assets which aligned with the Region’s Corporate Climate Action Plan commitment of net-zero by 2045. The strategy includes a comprehensive GHG inventory inclusive of process emissions of methane and nitrous oxide, re-baselining its historical inventory, established interim GHG reduction targets, developed an action plan for GHG reduction, and identified areas for future improvement to move towards the 2045 net-zero target. Durham Region’s framework for developing the strategy has already been levered by other Ontario municipalities. The strategy was developed by Jacobs.

We have updates on Washington’s climate action front! 🌎 Join us on Monday, Jan. 29 at 10 a.m. for a public webinar to hear about the first phase of climate action planning and progress of the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) program. Washington secured a $3 million grant for Phase 1 of CPRG under the Inflation Reduction Act. The federal funding, channeled through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, aims to empower state governments, municipalities, tribes, and territories in developing robust climate action plans. Phase 1 focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and harmful air pollutants. The upcoming quarterly webinar will spotlight Washington’s Priority Climate Action Plan, featuring a regional greenhouse gas inventory and a set of priority measures for maximum impact on greenhouse gas reduction, air quality, and equity. Save the Date: Monday, Jan. 29, 10 a.m., Register: https://bit.ly/42l1km5 Further information: https://bit.ly/4aZU6aV The vital climate action planning aligns with the 2021 State Energy Strategy, driving us towards a sustainable, resilient, and clean energy future. Let’s ensure Washington remains a fantastic place to live, work, and play for generations to come. 🌲

Visual LCA tools have been on development… but have you seen one focused on construction products, and correlated with US legislation? That’s our latest development in Climate Earth 🤩 #LCAtools #LCAsoftware

Carbon offsets allow organizations to offset GHG emissions by supporting projects that remove emissions elsewhere. Download our white paper to learn how project managers can ensure offsets align with their climate strategies and are valid and credible. https://okt.to/6QwTAb #CarbonOffsets #GHG **This article appears in the September 2023 issue of EM Magazine, a copyrighted publication of the Air & Waste Management Association (A&WMA; www.awma.org).

I'm delighted to share that I've completed the online course on "Living with Climate Change & Water Management," gaining valuable insights into climate change and water management. The key topics covered include, 1️⃣Living with a Climate Change 2️⃣Issues & Challenges in Water Management 3️⃣Towards Sustainable Water Management 4️⃣Individual & Community Actions I'm dedicated to applying this knowledge to contribute towards achieving the SDGs. #Unifec #Sustainability #ClimateChange

The challenges facing water management imply overcoming technical, legal and regulatory obstacles. These are some of the ways in what Climate Change can drive innovative solutions to one of the most important issues in the immediate future.