Other Global Warming Solutions

To reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that cause global warming, energy efficiency and carbon capture and storage are not the only possible solutions. Setting up carbon markets as part of the Kyoto protocol, creating carbon sinks, and industrial innovation all contribute to limiting these emissions.

Workers planting trees in the Peruvian forest as part of the Bello Horizonte project (Peru, February 2010), a Vittel project to offset the carbon emitted through their activities in France and Belgium.
© AFP / Marc Deville

CO₂ Emissions Credits and Carbon Markets

In 1997, about forty industrialized countries committed to reducing their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 5.2% compared to 1990 levels by signing the Kyoto protocol. As such, they undertook to comply with quotas restricting these emissions.







Every year, states that have not reached their quotas can sell their excess emissions credits to countries that have exceeded theirs. This ensures that commitments to reduce emissions are upheld.

Countries then sell their emission credits to a range of companies that are subject to emissions quotas because their activities release large amounts of CO₂. These exchanges take place on carbon markets organized at national or regional levels. In Europe for example, companies buy emission credit units on a specific market, the BlueNext. Each of these units consists of the right to emit one ton of CO₂.

Europe is promoting the creation of a global carbon market.

Also, industrialized countries can obtain additional emission credits (called carbon credits) in exchange for the support they provide to projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries. The UN issues certificates to these projects (wind or solar farms for example) specifying the emission reduction they provide.

In 2008, 60% of carbon credit trading took place within the European Union¹. Between 1997-2008, the carbon market allowed member states to reduce their carbon emissions by 2% compared to 1990 levels². Europe is also promoting the creation of a global carbon market that would include the United States and large emerging countries to strengthen the effectiveness of this approach in combating global warming.

Carbon Sinks- Natural Carbon Collectors

Our planet's forests, oceans, land surfaces, and sub-surfaces can store carbon for long periods and as such are veritable natural carbon reservoirs, known as carbon sinks. Growing trees use photosynthesis and the sun's rays to convert water and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates (which make up plant matter) and oxygen.

To reduce the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere, this process can be put to use in various ways. For instance:

  • Sustainable development of existing forests consists of removing limited amounts of wood and replacing each felled tree with a young sapling (growing trees capture more CO₂ than older trees).

  • Reforestation consists of replanting forests where these have been cleared to restore their capacity to absorb carbon. These operations are crucial given the extent of deforestation. According to UNEP (United Nations Environment Program), 14.8 million hectares of rainforest disappear every year - equivalent to the land area of Bangladesh³. In 2008, these forests stored about 15% of human-related CO₂ emissions⁴. In order to ensure that they continue to play this role, coastal ecosystems (such as mangroves) must be restored because they can capture and trap large amounts of carbon dioxide.

  • In areas that are not threatened by deforestation, carbon sinks can also be set up to help trap CO₂. To be effective, these sinks must meet a number of international standards (in particular in terms of the number of trees per hectare). For example, the Aussières carbon sink near Narbonne in Southern France has 900 trees per hectare. It is expected to capture 2,650 tons of CO₂ over an 80-year period, equivalent to the carbon dioxide emitted in a thousand flights between Paris and New York⁵.

Innovating to Reduce Industrial Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The industrial sector is innovating in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These innovations relate first and foremost to activities that emit the most CO₂ (oil refining, glass, steel, cement and paper manufacturing, and energy production). In these sectors, manufacturers seek to:

  • Use materials and components that generate as little CO₂ as possible during production (by using recycled products for example)

  • Use transportation methods that emit less CO₂ (hybrid or electric vehicle fleets)

  • Produce energy with as few CO₂ emissions as possible for use in industrial plants (furnaces, dryers, etc.).

In addition, industry stakeholders are contributing to research and education initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Since September 2010, the Total group has part-funded the Chair in Energy, Carbon and Environmental Sciences at ESPCI ParisTech (a Parisian university specialized in industrial physics and chemistry). Here, scientists and industry stakeholders work together to develop innovative technological solutions, focusing in particular on reducing CO₂ emissions. For example, this involves:

  • Reducing the number of stages in industrial processes to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions

  • Reducing the amount of components used in industrial processes - manufacturing these components generates CO₂ emissions.

Electric cars help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

True and False. It all depends on where the electricity used by these vehicles comes from. If the electricity used to drive the car is nuclear in origin, the CO₂ emissions savings are substantial because nuclear power plants have no greenhouse gas emissions. If the electricity comes from plants operated by natural gas combustion, the car's CO₂ will not be nil, but they will be less than if the electricity was produced in a coal-fired power plant for example.

[1] Source: European portal Euractiv, 2008.
[2] Source: European portal Euractiv, 2008.
[3] Source: UNEP (2009).
[4] Source: UNEP (2009).
[5] Source: Office national des forêts (2008).