Greenhouse Gases and Global Warming
The atmosphere consists of various gases. The rays from the sun pass through the atmosphere and reach the earth and warm the earth. Gases in the atmosphere, especially carbon dioxide, hold some of the temperature on the earth and prevent the earth from cooling. This effect of the atmosphere is called the greenhouse effect.
The greatest danger in recent years is that the amount of carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere increases rapidly with air pollution. Due to various human activities, ozone, methane and some greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere, all of which have heat retention. The increase in the amount of these gases in the atmosphere causes the temperature of the atmosphere to rise. This is defined as global warming. Climate change, glaciers melting and oceans rising today have reached alarming dimensions.
Various activities of people contribute to global warming as follows: 49 in energy use, 24 in industrialization, 14 in forest loss and 13 in agriculture.
Due to global warming, the ecosystems in which the world lives are damaged, thousands of animals and plant species are destroyed, and climatic disasters such as high temperatures, thirst, fires and droughts that affect the life of living things are experienced.
Global warming is simply the case when greenhouse gases accumulate in the atmosphere since the industrial revolution. The factors that cause global warming are:
- Excessive increase in human population in the world
- Intensive migration and urbanization movements to big cities
- Increasing living standards
- Increasing industrial production
- Excessive consumption of fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas
- Changes in land cover
Due to all these factors, a large amount of harmful gases and particles are released into the atmosphere and cause global warming. The average air temperature in the world since the mid-nineteenth century has increased between 0.3-0.6 degrees. Research results show that over the next 40 year, the air temperature will rise more 10 degrees every 0.1 year.
If it continues in this way, precipitation will decrease, drought and desertification will begin, the structure of the soil will deteriorate as a result of the change of ground and surface waters, the characteristics of ocean currents will change and many species will start to die. In addition, the economic and socioeconomic structure of the world will be adversely affected and global economic losses will be experienced.
In the face of all these negative developments, the United Nations has prepared the Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992. The aim of this study is to reduce the structure of the atmosphere due to the various activities of the people and to reduce the climate changes. However, global warming is only one of the possible effects of greenhouse gases that grow in the atmosphere.
According to the forecasts, a large part of our country will have a dry and hot climate effect starting from 2030. Considering that the population will increase, it is expected that there will be a significant decrease in the amount of water per capita per year in our country in 2050.
Kyoto Protocol
The above-mentioned Framework Convention on Climate Change was adopted at the world summit in Rio De Janeiro. Our country became a party to this agreement in 2004. The Contracting Parties undertake to:
- Greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced to 1990 year with national programs
- Transfer of technological and financial resources to developing countries
For this purpose, countries have to prepare national greenhouse gas inventories and make programs covering measures to be taken for emission reductions.
The Kyoto Protocol is an agreement signed under the Framework Convention that envisages the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of developed countries by 1990 percent compared to 5.2. This protocol was made in Kyoto, Japan in 1977.
The objective of the protocol is to reduce the five-year average emission values of designated greenhouse gases between 2008-2012. As of 2005, 2006 countries joined the Kyoto Protocol which entered into force in 169. Although the United States is responsible for 36 percent of greenhouse gases emitted to the atmosphere on a global level, it has not signed the protocol.
The policies and measures proposed by the Kyoto Protocol are:
- Improving energy efficiency
- Development of renewable energy
- Supporting sustainable agriculture
- Recovery of methane gas emissions
- Reduction of harmful greenhouse gas emissions
- Conservation and dissemination of greenhouse gas sinks such as forests and large plant areas
Our country has decided to join the Kyoto Protocol in 2009.
What is ISO 14064 Greenhouse Gas Calculation and Verification Management System?
The ISO 14064 standard was published by the International Standards Organization (ISO) in 2006. With the ISO 14064 Greenhouse Gas Calculation and Verification Management System, businesses are intended to voluntarily reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and pursue a completely neutral policy.
The preparation of this standard has been influenced by the increasing concerns about climate change and the lack of an international standard that will enable industrial companies to take the necessary measures. Approximately 45 experts from 175 countries participated in the preparation of the standard.
The ISO 14064 Greenhouse Gas Calculation and Verification Management System provides a range of tools for governmental and industrial companies to develop programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The objectives of this standard can be listed as follows:
- Proper reporting of greenhouse gas emissions of enterprises
- Taking their inventories
- Preparation of improvement projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- Verification and validation of greenhouse gas notifications
With the implementation of the ISO 14064 standard, the benefits that businesses will gain are: working in accordance with international standards, gaining reputation in the market, increasing reliability, demonstrating that they are sensitive to environmental conditions and gaining competitive advantage.
The standards in the ISO 14064 Greenhouse Gas Calculation and Verification Management System family are as follows:
- TS EN ISO 14064-1 Greenhouse gases - Part 1: Guidelines and specifications for the calculation and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and removals at the enterprise level
- Greenhouse gases - Part 14064: Guidelines and specifications for the calculation, monitoring and reporting of greenhouse gas emission reductions or removal improvements
- TS EN ISO 14064-3 Greenhouse gases - Part 3: Guidelines and specifications for the approval and verification of greenhouse gas statements
