Panha Khmer

My Family at Sway Rieng Province!

2009-09-29T18:48:00.000-07:00

My Family at Sway Rieng Province!

We are all responsible...

2009-09-13T21:45:00.000-07:00

We are all responsible........

.....Because everybody contributes to greenhouse gas emissions on a daily basis

How often do you emit GHG?

..... while using energy

- TV

- air conditioner

- computer domestic appliances

- car

- plane

- washing clothes

- drying clothes

- using a dish washer

- cooking

..... while wasting energy

- By using too much paper

- By turning on the light when there is no need

- By throwing waste away without thinking of recycling it

Nature can clean up 3.3 billion tons CO2 equivalent per year.

Humans generate 8 billion tons CO2, i.e. almost 5 billion tons CO2 accumulate in the atmosphere every year.

By:

What about Cambodia?

2009-09-09T03:31:00.000-07:00

What about Cambodia?

Developing countries are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change

Focus on Cambodia's Prey Long forest:

256,000 people directly depend on the this forest for survival yet there are still illegal exports of wood amounting to billion dollars each year.

In the past, elephants were widespread and in large numbers throughout most of Cambodia. Now their range is limited to only a few remaining forests in the northern and north-eastern part of the country.

The Cardamom Mountains in the south-west are also one of the last refuges for elephants in the wild.

Wild Siamese crocodiles are diminishing because of habitat alteration. They are now restricted to inaccessible swamps and river stretches in the more remote parts of the country.

Cambodia is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, as its economy is agriculturally-based and, like most other developing countries, it has a limited capacity to adapt to the impacts of climate change.

No Rain

Flood

Floods have accounted for 70% of rice production losses between 1998 and 2002. Drought accounted for 20% of losses.

Low-lying areas, including beach resorts, seaports, coastal fisheries, and mangroves forests, may become submerged with rises in sea levels.

Vector-borne diseases, in particular malaria, may become more widespread under changing climatic conditions; and high poverty rates and poor infrastructure make malaria treatment unaffordable for 45% of the population who do not have access to public health facilities.

"When the plane is going to crash, it doesn't matter whether you are in economy or in first class." Greenpeace

By:

Our daily life is threatened

2009-09-09T02:59:00.000-07:00

....our daily life is threatened

Climate change will transform the physical geography of the world and affect all its inhabitants

Temperature changes, sea level rise and precipitation changes will have drastic consequences especially in the following areas:

Health

If the global average temperature increases by more than 2C 200 to 600 million people will face famine.

The distribution of mosquito bourne diseases is changing as higher altitudes become warmer and more inhabitable for mosquitoes. (CHO 2005)

Agriculture

Declining crop yields could leave hundreds of millions without the ability to produce or purchase sufficient food.

In 2003, Europe experienced a heat wave which caused the death of 35,000 people and the loss of billion dollars, such occurrences could be common place by the middle of the century.

Forest

Vegetation is more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change than animals.

For example, the Amazon rainforest could be subjected to significant drying as a result of climate change. One model, for example, finds that he Amazon rainforest could be significantly, and possibly irrevocably damaged by a warming of 2 - 3C

Water resources

Glaciers are the water tanks that fill our rivers.

Ice melt will eventually threaten one-sixth of the world's population.

Rise of 2C temperature will lead to 1-4 billion people of water shortages.

Coastal areas

Coastal areas will be seriously affected in South East Asia and in large coastal cities such as Kyoto, New York, Cairo and London.

Numerous low-lying islands will disappear.

By 2050, 200 million people may become permanently displaced due to rising sea levels, heavier floods, and more intense droughts.

Wild life

Ecosystems will be particularly vulnerable to climate change, with around 15-40% of species potentially facing extinction after temperature increase of 2C

Ocean acidification, a direct result of rising carbon dioxide levels, will have major effects on marine ecosystems, with possible adverse consequences on fish stocks.

The impacts of climate change are not evenly distributed: the poorest countries and people will suffer earliest and most!

By:

Fighting globally against climate change change

2009-09-07T21:05:00.000-07:00

Fighting globally against climate change change!

The UNFCCC*, Kyoto Protocol and a range of informal partnerships cooperation, and a foundation from which to build further collaborative action.

The Kyoto Protocol is an international policy response

Background

The test of the Protocol was created at a conference of the UNFCCC* help in Kyoto in 1997.

The Protocol entered into force in 2005 for its 168 ratifying members.

Target

It omposes quantified greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets on industrialized countries.

The Protocol's ultimate aim is to encourage countries to cut overall greenhouse gas emissions by at least 5% below 1990 levels in 2008-2012.

Compliance

If a countries emissions exceed its assigned amount, the party must make up the difference between its emissions and its assigned amount during any subsequent commitment periods.

Developing countries were not assigned emissions reduction targets. They can benefit from certain mechanisms under the Kyoto Protocol to finance clean technology projects.

Carbon trading makes both ecological and economic sense. The market mechanism ensures that the reductions in emissions are made where the cost of reduction are lowest. However some perverse impacts are arising, which demand greater emphasis on environmental and social objectives for the carbon market.

The Protocol incorporates 3 flexible mechanisms to assist parties in achieving compliance:

1) The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM):

CDM facilitates corporate and government investment in emission reduction projects in developing countries. CDM projects generate tradable carbon credits known as Certified Emission Reductions (CERs).

2) Joint Implementation (JI):

JI projects involve developed countries implementing emission reduction projects in other developed countries and produce tradable credits known as Emissions Reduction Units (ERUs).

3) Emissions Trading (ET):

ET allows countries with emissions targets under the protocol to buy and sell emissions allowances (allocated as their emissions cap) to assist in achieving their emissions targets.

* The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change's ultimate objective is stabilization of GHG concentrations in the atmosphere at al level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.

The Kyoto mechanisms have failed to address the poverty issue.

Kyoto Protocol is not enough

2009-09-07T20:54:00.000-07:00

Kyoto Protocol is not enough!

The Kyoto Protocol fails to adequately address developing countries' problems.

Although the Kyoto Protocol incorporates some measures to address the problems faced by developing countries, few of the real benefits are at the community-level.

This is particularly evident in the CDM, which is intended to implement clean energy projects in developing countries with clear social benefits. Barriers impeding the effectiveness of the CDM

- the expense and bureaucracy involved in registering CDM projects.
- the need for expert consultancy.

As a consequence there is only one projects which is part of the Kyoto protocol in Cambodia!

The biggest polluters do not reduce their GHG emissions enough!

There are a broad consensus that a 60% reduction in GHG emissions is needed by 2050 to avoid dangerous impacts of climate change.

Some countries like USA or Australia have not ratified the protocol. Many countries will not achieve their targets. Major polluters is the develiping world which have ratified the Protocol are not required to reduce carbon emissions under the present agreement (most notably Indea, China).

Voluntary action is needed:

as individuals, families, companies or institutions, we should activity support the basic objectives of the Kyoto Protocol

Measure, reduce......

Self awareness is the first step; to examine at your lifestyle and measure your "climate footprint" (greenhouse gas)

This aim can be achieved through energy efficiency, energy saving measures and by replacing fossil fuels with renewable energies.

.....and offset

All greenhouse gas emissions cannot be eliminated, but it is possible to support emissions reduction elsewhere. After all, the climate is global: any positive step anywhere ultimately benefits to all.

Individuals, companies and institutions that want to reduce their climate change impacts, but are unwilling or unable to directly reduce their emissions, can determine whether emissions are really offset and whether local communities are benefiting.

Through "My climate" www.myclimate.org or "CO2 solodaire" www.co2solidaire.org trevelers, corperations, travel service providers, and other can take concrete action to fight global climate change by investing in certified carbon offset projects that help to neutralize the negative impacts of their air and ground travel, home energy consumption and hotel stays.

Voluntary carbon offsets with GERES not only provide finance to clean up the climate but also improve the livelihoods in Cambodia.

GERES / FABS partnership Pioneering carbon neutrality in Cambodia

2009-09-04T21:47:00.000-07:00

GERES / FABS Partnership Pioneering Carbon Neutrality in Cambodia

Business case

There is no existing carbon neutral label for the hospitality industry, but developing and/ or implementing a carbon neutral label is a beneficial and affordable process.

What is carbon neutrality?

Concept: zero net emissions
Process:

1. Conduct emissions inventory
2. Calculate carbon emitted
3. Reduce resource consumption where possible
4. Use renewable resources where possible
5. Purchase offsets equivalent to remaining emissions.

Offsetting adds value to business:

1. Raises corporate profile
2. Saves money, by encouraging reductions in resource use
3. Encourages preparation for future carbon constraints
4. Improves corporate values & staff motivation

A new approach

"Being a carbon friendly business is something that all companies should consider. We at the FCC decided it was time to make a difference, little as our change may help. By utilizing GERES Cambodian carbon programs we are helping save the planet ."
FCC General Manager Anthony Alderson.

Food & Beverage Solutions (FABS)

FABS manages FCC (Phnom Penh and Angkor): Cafe Fresco, Pacharan tapas restaurant and bar, The Quay Hotel (which will be the first carbon neutral hotel in Cambodia, set to open in autumn 2007).

FABS plans to purchase carbon offsets from the GERES Cambodia Fuel-wood Saving Project (CFSP), which engineers, markets and distributes improved cook-stoves that reduce CO2 emissions while improving living standards in Cambodia.

GERES Cambodia

GERES is developing a label for the hospitality industry. The label will be based on a Green Leaves rating system (comparable to the star system) that
will be piloted by FABS. GERES will provide:

1. Detailed carbon inventory
2. Advice on how to reduce emissions
3. Quote for offsets
4. Simple, customized monitoring tools
5. Staff Training

More Cambodian women (87% of stove users) will receive improved stoves that simultaneously:
. Reduce emissions that are both damaging to the atmosphere and human health
. Save charcoal, which reduces demand for wood and therefore decreases deforestation
• Reduce money spent on wood and
charcoal, which means that more income can be spent on needs such as health and education.

The Cambodia Carbon Facility (CCF)

A platform launched by GERES Cambodia to facilitate investment in quality carbon offsets, by:

1) Assisting organizations or companies to calculate their carbon emissions, as well as opportunities to reduce their emissions, such as improving efficiency, sharing resources and using renewable energy.

2) Supporting sustainable development projects that disseminate clean technologies and reduce poverty.

3) Designing baseline studies to develop carbon project documents, management and monitoring systems and emissions calculation methodologies,

4) Assisting participants in the carbon market, including providing guidance on how to source Kyoto-accredited service providers and reach equitable deals with carbon offset buyers and sellers.

CCF: making carbon finance work for poverty alleviation

GERES Cambodia

2009-09-04T21:40:00.000-07:00

GERES Cambodia

GERES, Groupe Energies Renouvelables, Environnement Solidaritê is a French non-profit organization. It was created in 1976 by French academics and engineers concerned that the oil crisis would hinder development in West Africa. They started researching and disseminating renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions for developing countries.

Today, GERES is a truly international NGO, with over 160 staff from 15 countries. Operational teams stem from economics, technical and scientific backgrounds.

GERES operates permanent offices with regional operations in South East Asia, Himalayas, West Africa, Maghreb and Mediterranean Europe.

GERES Cambodia. 30 staff from Cambodia, Indonesia, Netherlands, France, UK, Australia and Japan, working in four expert units:

1-Energy studies & policies

National Wood Energy Working Group, G.I.S, biofuels, rural development, energy policy advice and capacity building, field and national level studies and surveys.

2- Climate change

Climate change awareness, capacity building for project developers, project development, carbon finance, carbon audits, procurement of high quality carbon offsets.

3- Applied research

Energy efficient stoves for domestic use (urban, rural), renewable fuels, energy plantations/ forestry, green charcoal, briquettes, agricultural waste and solar cookers.

4- Extension

Technical training, mar¬keting, advertising, pro¬motion, sales monitoring, quality control, quality assurance.

The Cambodia Fuelwood Saving Project

Traditional stoves consume a lot of energy. By using Improved Cook Stoves (ICS), a family can save 22% of charcoal and the ICS lasts around three times longer than traditional cookstoves; thus, the ICS not only cuts carbon emissions, but saves money for the users to spend on important needs such as health and education.

218.877 ICS units sold and 177,459 te02 emission reduction

An effective solution to climate change requires integrating environmental protection and social development.

Green Day

2009-08-23T19:12:00.000-07:00

The Climate is Changing!

There is now a broad consensus that climate change is real.

The impacts are already being felt all around the world.

In the last 100 years, the global average temperature has increased by around 0.74 C.

By 2050, the global average temperature is projected to be 2.5 C warmer than today.

“We call the result global warming, but it is causing a set of changes to the Earth’s climate, or long term weather patterns, that varies from place to place.

As the Earth spins each day, the new heat swirls with it, picking up moisture over the oceans, rising here, settling there.

It’s changing the rhythms of climate that all living things have come to rely upon.”

The greenhouse effect is the natural warming of the earth's atmosphere.

This effect is caused by certain gases (greenhouse effect gases) in the atmosphere which trap energy from the sun and keep heat from escaping.

Human activities have intensified the greenhouse effect.

The current stock of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is equivalent to around 340 parts per million (ppm) CO2 equivalent, compared to 218 ppm in per-industrial times.

These concentrations have already caused the world to warm by more than 0.5 C.

Under a BAU (business-As-Usual) scenario, the stock of greenhouse gases could more than triple by the end of the century.

It would give at least a 50% risk of exceeding 5 C global average temperature change during the following decades.

This would take humans into unknown territory. (Stern report 2006)

Warning: CO2 concentration should remain below 550 ppm in order to limit temperature increases to the 3 C (compared to pre-industrial levels) that scientists concede is necessary to avoid the most dangerous impacts of climate change.