零碳运输：超越尾管

This article series is sponsored by 3Degrees and produced by the TriplePundit editorial team.

寻求较低碳足迹的公司越来越多地采用电动汽车和替代燃料，这些燃料可提供零或至少碳中性的尾管排放。但是，舰队的尾管只是一个复杂的排放网络中的一分，涉及车辆制造商，公司及其供应商，消费者，客户，员工和承包商。

脱氧于尾管以外的网络似乎令人生畏，但是公司正在越来越有机会通过战略性碳补偿以及替代燃料和车辆电气化来解决其运输足迹。

Why transportation?

Historically, coal-fired power plants have been the main driver of greenhouse gas emissions, and the global economic expansion of recent years has contributed to a令人担忧的排放增加来自煤炭发电厂。

但是，在美国，发电部门继续shed coal at a rapid pace。在这里，运输已经成为最有影响力的排放来源。

The most recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency inventory of家用温室气体排放显示了过去发电的运输环境，分别为GHG总数的29％和28％。

Transportation emissions have the potential to pull further ahead in the coming years as the U.S. power generation sector continues to decarbonize, with both coal and natural gas giving way to more renewable energy.

挑战和机遇

While it's become more common for companies to invest in renewable energy to lower their emissions footprint from power generation, few companies currently attempt to offset transportation emissions.

Part of the problem is the difficulty in taking stock of those emissions throughout the value chain.

然而，衡量和解决运输是一个挑战，可以从底线上获得回报，因为公司的股票绩效与其愿意之间存在牢固的相关性disclose and manage greenhouse gas emissions。

For example, in a recent study, CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project) notes: “Corporations that actively manage and plan for climate change secure an 18 percent higher return on investment (ROI) than companies that don’t—and a 67 percent higher ROI than companies who refuse to disclose their emissions.”

无需重新发明运输轮

幸运的是，为其运输价值链寻求有影响力的脱碳策略的公司不必从事猜测。

Scores of leading global companies including 3M, Ford, General Electric, Shell and many more have already “road-tested” the emissions inventory standards outlined in the温室气体协议, which is currently the most widely-used accounting tool for greenhouse gas emissions.

该协议根据公司可以直接控制来源的程度将组或“范围”分配给排放。范围1涵盖了公司拥有或以其他方式控制的来源的排放。范围2涵盖了公司可以通过其能源购买可以间接控制的排放。

The most challenging group is Scope 3. It covers all emissions in the value chain, both on the supply side and for the end user, including emissions that the company has no control over.

Science-based targets and strategic carbon offsets

尽管解决范围3排放涉及的挑战，但350多家领先的公司已经建立了3个目标，其中包括运输排放作为全球的一部分Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)。

SBTi enables companies to inventory their emissions and focus on strategic hotspots in line with global greenhouse gas targets. This science-based, holistic approach also helps companies focus their offset strategies in areas that directly impact their value chains.

The California-headquartered renewable energy and climate solutions specialist3度is one firm that recognizes the effectiveness of addressing Scope 3 goals through strategic carbon offsets.

Mark Mondik, the company’s vice president of carbon markets, describes how carbon offsets can be an especially effective strategy for companies that have little leverage over their downstream emissions.

The key is to think about carbon offsets as a “medium-term” solution that has a ripple effect on the entire transportation sector, contributing to decarbonization over the long run, Mondik said.

在线购物网络ETSY提供了一个例子。该公司没有直接控制与每年在其网站上数百万交易有关的运输和运输排放。

Mondik解释说：“我们正在与车队所有者和电动汽车充电设备所有者谈论将其设施用于碳补偿，因此像Etsy这样的买家可以为这些偏移付费，并帮助补贴新的充电站。”

乘车共享的巨型Lyft提供了另一个例子。该公司不拥有其驾驶员使用的车辆，这意味着其几乎所有的车队都涉及范围3排放。反过来，Lyft的抵消策略围绕减少车辆制造的排放，着眼于以100％可再生能源为动力的自动驾驶电动汽车主导的未来。

通往零碳运输的道路

尽管各个公司可以通过车队管理和战略偏移为运输的脱碳做出重大贡献，但共识正在建立变革的步伐必须加速全球，以避免灾难性气候变化的影响。

That means stronger policies and market incentives are imperative. “The fueling infrastructure we have now was built up over many years with public policy incentives,” Mondik noted. Winding down those entrenched incentives is a matter of dismantling outdated policies and creating new ones that address the need to accelerate climate action.

A policy-based approach is especially urgent considering the potential for the transportation sector to grow throughout the foreseeable future.

Mondik指出：“如今，我们开展业务的方式，尤其是随着电子商务的增加，可能会对增加的运输排放产生影响。”“全球贸易对空气和海洋排放也有很大影响。同时，运输成本已经下降，需求增加了。”

换句话说，零碳运输不仅是可能性。这是必需的。