SUMMARY BROCHURE

I P I E C A S Y M P O S I U M
Cambridge MA, USA, 15–16 October 2001

Long-Term Carbon
and Energy Management:
Issues and Approaches

IPIECA

International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association

 Long-term Carbon and Energy Management: Issues and Approaches

INTRODUCTION
EXECUTIVE
S ustained efforts will be required to address
concerns about climate change while at the
same time meeting the growing needs of society
S U M M A RY
for energy. To advance understanding of the
actions and policy frameworks that can
contribute to long term energy and carbon
E fforts to reconcile society's growing
demand for energy to alleviate poverty
and promote economic and social
management, IPIECA convened an
development, while promoting efforts to
international symposium in October
mitigate the risk of climate change, pose a
2001. The symposium brought
fundamental challenge. Recent scientific
together experts from academia,
assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel
business and government to share
on Climate Change (IPCC) project a rise of
views on climate change science,
1.4 to 5.8 °C in global average surface
long-term energy supply and
temperature between 1990 and 2100 for
demand, prospects for
scenarios where greenhouse gas (GHG)
technological developments and
emissions are unabated by measures intended
policy framework options.
to mitigate climate change. While the IPCC
did not ascribe any confidence level to their
Four primary questions were addressed:
projections, an MIT analysis, using a
● What guidance does climate science give for
different methodology, finds a rise of
carbon management?
between 0.9 and 5.3 °C (at 95 per cent
● What guidance does long-term energy
confidence levels based on the assumptions
demand give for carbon management
used) over the same time period. The
strategies?
projections are determined in part by
● What can technology offer to address both
scenarios for GHG emissions over the next
carbon management and energy supply?
century and in part by computer models of
● What will be required of long-term policy
the climate system’s response to these
approaches to address energy and carbon
emissions. Considerable uncertainty remains
management?
concerning future levels of emissions and
climate response, and both will require
This booklet summarizes the IPIECA Climate
continuing research if we are to have proper
Change Working Group’s understanding of the
technical guidance for policy decisions.
presentations and discussions at the symposium.
Ensuring that estimates of the overall response
This summary has not been reviewed or endorsed
to climate change are based on sound science
by the presenters or their parent organizations.
will require long-term climate change research
The complete unedited presentations and papers,
to better characterize essential underlying
prepared by the 33 speakers at the symposium,
climate processes and the basis for scenarios
are available on the attached CD. The
and forecasts of future emissions.
Symposium papers can also be downloaded from
the IPIECA website (www.ipieca.org).
Energy use is a principal component of global
greenhouse gas emissions. Forecasts of energy
We are grateful to all the participants for their
demand show that fossil fuel usage will
effort and contributions throughout the
increase as a result of economic growth
symposium. The symposium and this publication
globally, especially in developing regions.
are part of an ongoing effort by IPIECA to provide
Growth in oil use is expected to accompany
constructive input on key climate change issues.
growing demand for transportation with this
IPIECA Symposium, Cambridge MA, USA, 15–16 October 2001
sector accounting for an increasing percentage of
global emissions. Coal and gas consumption is also
projected to rise, primarily to meet increasing
power demand. Resource availability is not expected
to limit this growth as fossil fuel supply appears
sufficient, especially when expected advances in
discovery, extraction, processing, and end-use are
considered. The projections show that fossil fuels
will continue to be the primary economic supply
choice to meet growing energy demands.
Technology offers a range of shorter- and longer-
term prospects for mitigating emissions growth
associated with energy demand. Significant
improvements in energy efficiency are expected over
the next century, although this alone is expected to
only slow emissions growth. Energy production
from renewable sources and other non-fossil-fuel
technologies (e.g. hydro, wind, nuclear, geothermal,
biomass and solar) are expected to grow. However, it
was noted that non-hydro renewables are growing
from a very small base, while hydro and nuclear face
challenges if their share is to grow significantly in
the future. Economic and political realities may
not permit these new sources to grow sufficiently
to substantially retard emissions growth,
particularly over the next two to three decades.
Therefore, no single energy supply option is
currently envisaged to meet all global energy
needs, suggesting a portfolio approach may be the
most viable option in addressing both energy
demand and carbon management. Technology can
also slow emissions growth from increased use of
fossil fuels. Development and utilization of
technologies to capture and store CO2 (both by
biological ‘sinks’ and in underground formations)
offer significant potential for reducing net CO2
emissions. More work is needed to reduce the cost
and operational complexity associated with these
options before they can be expected to be deployed
on a sufficient scale to affect global emissions levels.
Should it become necessary to control emissions
sufficiently to stabilize atmospheric GHG
concentrations in the long term, net emissions would
need to be reduced substantially below expected
future levels. Some speakers emphasized that to
stabilize the atmospheric concentration of CO2
would require net emissions of CO2 worldwide to
eventually approach zero. This is in direct contrast to
forecasts of increasing energy demand growth. If
such stabilization were needed, it would present a
major challenge for public policy to balance emission
mitigation with societal demand for improvements in
living conditions and associated energy growth.
The current focus of international climate change
policy has been on commitments to near-term
GHG reduction targets by developed countries
during the 2008–12 period. Accomplishment of
these objectives would have little impact on
atmospheric concentrations. Commitments
beyond 2012 have not yet been negotiated. In the
face of other development challenges, climate
change will likely remain a relatively low priority
for most developing countries. Consequently,
near-term greenhouse gas mitigation action in
these regions will be taken only when it supports
other developmental goals, such as increasing
energy supply or addressing health and welfare
issues such as urban air pollution.
Long-term strategies should consider all sources of
emissions and all options for balancing energy
supply and carbon management while providing
for everyone’s energy needs. These strategies must
be flexible, and adaptable to future advances in
climate science and technology. The long-term
stabilization objective of the Framework
Convention on Climate Change cannot be met
without the successful development and global
deployment of affordable and innovative energy
and emissions reduction technologies. These
technologies are likely to take decades to develop
and deploy. In the shorter and medium term,
activities including increased technology
development, deployment of current economically-
viable technologies, use of market-based
approaches, and increased research on the risks of
future climate change appear to be the best
approaches to enable a successful long-term
solution to energy supply and carbon management.
 Long-term Carbon and Energy Management: Issues and Approaches

WHAT GUIDANCE DOES CLIMATE SCIENCE

GIVE FOR CARBON MANAGEMENT?

Long-term risk from the build-up of greenhouse gases (GHGs)

One objective of long-term carbon management is to develop options that mitigate the risk
of severe impacts from a human-induced change in climate. Over the past century,
concentrations of GHGs and the average temperature of the Earth’s surface have both
increased. Concern regarding future change is founded on projections of climate change
over the next century, most of which are of significantly greater magnitude than that
observed over the past century. Fundamental to these projections is a build-up of GHGs in
the atmosphere, potentially leading to an increased alteration of the Earth’s energy balance.
In particular, a fraction of net emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) are expected to accumulate
in the atmosphere for centuries to millennia; the oceans, plants and soils would take up the
remaining fraction. To stabilize the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere would,
therefore, require the eventual cessation of net CO2 emissions worldwide.

Climate change projections over the next century

Projections of climate change are made using climate system models driven by scenarios of
future emissions. For a given scenario of increasing GHG concentrations, today’s limited
climate system models produce different results for expected climate change because they
make different assumptions about critical but uncertain climate processes. For the scenarios
considered, where no climate change mitigation is assumed, the IPCC presents a range from
1.4 to 5.8 °C for global average surface temperature rise between 1990 and 2100. Using a
different methodology, MIT predicts a rise of between 0.9 and 5.3 °C (at 95 per cent
confidence levels based on their assumptions) over the same time period. The low end of
this range of projections is the same order of magnitude as the 0.6 + 0.2 °C global average
temperature increase observed over the last century, while the upper end of the range is
similar to the temperature increase that has occurred since the end of the last ice age.
Projected changes in regional precipitation, however, differ even in sign between models.
This range of projections is a consequence of scenarios for how GHG emissions may
change over the next century, and how the climate system may react to these emissions.
Uncertainty in future emissions and uncertainty in climate system response both contribute
to this range. Of course, there are limits to the predictability of future emissions over a
century, since future emissions depend on human choices yet to be made and technologies
yet to be invented.

Uncertainties in climate system response

Ranges of model projections are the result of our limited understanding of key climate
processes and, at some scales, the limited predictability of the system. Important are climate
processes that affect climate sensitivity—the equilibrium increase in global surface
temperature that would occur if CO2 concentrations were doubled and held at that level.
Feedbacks from clouds, sea ice, and water vapour affect climate sensitivity. Climate
sensitivity is typically assumed to fall in the range from 1.5 °C to 4.5 °C, leading to a factor-
of-three range in long-term projections of future temperature. Our limited understanding
IPIECA Symposium, Cambridge MA, USA, 15–16 October 2001

of, for example, the alternative ways clouds respond to increases in CO2
could account for this range in climate sensitivity. Additional sources of
uncertainty include ocean circulation shifts, carbon cycle response, aerosol-
cloud interactions and ecosystem effects.

Comparison of climate models to observed climate records

Considerable effort has gone into the collection of climate data and the comparison of this
data to results from climate models. Refinement of model resolution and modelled physics
has allowed an improvement in the simulation of patterns of current climate and climate
variability. However, in part, the performance of models is tuned by adjusting uncertain
parameters so that results will not be too much at odds with observations. Ad hoc tuning
procedures make it difficult to assess the ability of models to predict future climate change.
The global surface temperature record, to date, shows periods of warming, particularly over
the past few decades. A particular focus has been on attempts to attribute changes in past
temperature to alternative causes: increases in GHGs, aerosols, solar forcing, volcanoes, land
cover change and internal variability. Climate models have also been calibrated to past
climate records in attempts to limit the range of uncertainty in future projections. These
studies, however, rely on modelled factors such as the interactions of aerosols with clouds—a
factor which is poorly understood but known to exist. Nevertheless, continued acquisition of
data may further constrain the range of climate model projections and better quantify the
risks of climate change.

Scientific research and its role in carbon management

There has been a significant level of government funded research on the science of global
climate change over the past decade. Research has led to better awareness of the
complexities of the Earth system. A more certain estimate of climate sensitivity, however, has
not been achieved. Furthermore, recognition of additional contributors to uncertainty has
led to a widening range of projections. The need for continued research to better determine
key aspects of the climate system, like the processes affecting climate sensitivity, remains.
Given the importance of forecasting climate change, climate research remains a key
component of the overall response to the risk of climate change. Through research and
further acquisition of data, we expect that the assessment of climate change risks will evolve
with time and that the overall response to climate change should evolve with the emergence
of better science.

SESSION 1: SCIENCE AND SCENARIOS OF HUMAN-INDUCED CLIMATE CHANGE

● Overview: Fundamentals of Predicting Future ● The Carbon Cycle and Stabilization of

Climate Change Science, Economics, Technology, and
Social Science
• Ron Prinn (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
• Respondent: Richard Tol (University of Hamburg)
● Major Uncertainties in Natural Science of Climate
● Climate Models: Basis, Validation and Results
• John Mitchell (The Hadley Centre)
• Respondent: Peter Stone (Massachusetts Institute of
Technology)
Atmospheric CO2
• Atul Jain (University of Illinois)
• Respondent: Eric Sundquist (US Geological Survey)
Change: What they are, Why they matter, Prospects
for improvements
• Berrian Moore III (University of New Hampshire)
• Respondent: Richard Lindzen (Massachusetts Institute
of Technology)
 Long-term Carbon and Energy Management: Issues and Approaches

WHAT GUIDANCE DOES LONG-TERM

ENERGY DEMAND GIVE FOR CARBON
MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES?

Fossil fuel resources

Worldwide, the abundance of natural resources of fossil fuels will not limit energy use
over the next century. The abundance of oil, gas and coal do, however, vary regionally.
Supply depends on access and ability to bring these resources to market. In some
regions, the extraction of oil will become increasingly difficult as easily extracted
resources are depleted, but improvements in technology will overcome many of these
difficulties. Cumulative oil production has yet to reach the mid-point of producing
what is available with current technologies, and technologies continue to improve. In
particular, innovative improvements in three-dimensional seismic analyses and
directional drilling have made significant enhancements in the
ability to find and recover hydrocarbon resources. There have also
been substantial improvements in the ability to utilize heavy
hydrocarbons as commercially viable resources with product
properties similar to those of conventional crude oil. Continued
investment will be required to secure additional supplies. Future
technologies hold the promise to continue enabling fossil fuel
supply to meet energy demand.

Energy consumption forecasts

Forecasts for the next 20 years show an increase in coal, oil and
natural gas consumption. Renewable energy production is also
forecast to increase, but remain a minor fraction worldwide. Higher
rates of growth have been seen, and are forecast, in developing
countries, particularly in Asia, and South and Central America. Developing nation
energy consumption and oil demand are expected to nearly equal that of industrialized
nations by 2020. Preferential use of oil, gas or coal is related to their end-use suitability
and affordability. Coal and gas consumption will also increase to meet increasing power
demand. The most rapid growth in the use of oil will be seen in the transportation
sector. Infrastructure for the forecasted rapid growth in the demand for natural gas will
need to be constructed.

Long-term scenarios
Energy use and CO2 emissions over the next century depend on technologies,
populations and societal choices. Understanding that there is limited predictability of
these factors, forecasts and scenarios of their change have been made based on current
perceptions. Scenarios show a wide range of CO2 emissions over the next century. In
most scenarios, assuming no effort to mitigate climate change, CO2 emissions grow
severalfold over current emission rates, even though significant improvements in
energy efficiency are assumed. Emissions growth from energy use is strongest in
developing countries, with their CO2 emissions surpassing those of developed countries
within a few decades. Nuclear generation declines in the long term and the use of
IPIECA Symposium, Cambridge MA, USA, 15–16 October 2001

renewables grows, whilst their relative portion of total energy stays about the same due to
the overall increase in energy demand.

Carbon from plants and soils

Photosynthesis removes CO2 from the atmosphere and stores it in plants and soils at a rate
of about ten times the rate of fossil fuel emissions. Respiration and fire releases CO2 from
plants and soils at roughly the same rate. Human activities that alter the carbon stocks held
in plants and soils can lead either to increases or decreases in CO2 release or capture.
Tropical forest clearance and other land-use change lead to a release of CO2 of about a
quarter of the rate of fossil fuel emissions. Establishing forests and enhancing carbon
content of agricultural soils can intentionally remove carbon from the atmosphere,
however this carbon will only be retained so long as these carbon stocks are maintained.
Enhanced growth of plants from the fertilizing effect of higher levels of CO2
concentration also leads to carbon sinks. There are also climate effects on
plants, however, we do not know even what the net sign of the effect has
been over recent history. Multiple land-use objectives must be satisfied
to maintain enhanced carbon stocks. To enhance carbon stocks, and
preserve existing carbon stocks, activities must be consistent with
multiple land-use objectives, both now and in the future.

Carbon management
World energy demand is forecast to continue to increase.
Abundant fossil fuel resources make fossil fuels the likely source of
this energy, leading to increasing rates of CO2 emissions. However, if
it became necessary to stabilize the atmospheric CO2 equivalent
concentration of GHGs, an equilibrium between emission and removal
processes would need to be reached. How soon GHG emissions must decline would
depend on what level of equivalent CO2 concentration might need to be achieved, but
today’s knowledge gives limited insight into what level might be considered unsafe.
Carbon management seeks to provide options that can limit CO2 equivalent emissions to
reduce the likelihood of serious climate change impacts while providing affordable energy
to meet economic and social demands.

SESSION 2: LONG-TERM ENERGY NEEDS AND CARBON MANAGEMENT

● Future Energy Demand and Associated ● Carbon Sinks

Carbon Emissions • Ian Noble (Australian National University)
• Françoise Cattier (International Energy Agency) • Respondent: Jayant Sathaye (Lawrence Berkeley
• Respondent: Susan Holte (Energy Information National Laboratory)
Administration)
● Scenarios of Future Greenhouse Gas Emissions
● Availability of Fossil Energy Resources to Meet • Nebojsa Nakicenovic (IIASA)
Future Needs • Respondent: John Reilly (Massachusetts Institute
• Peter McCabe (US Geological Survey) of Technology)
• Respondent: Cutler Cleveland (Boston University)
 Long-term Carbon and Energy Management: Issues and Approaches

WHAT CAN TECHNOLOGY OFFER TO

ADDRESS BOTH CARBON MANAGEMENT
AND ENERGY SUPPLY?

Efficiency improvement
Significant improvements in efficiency are expected over the next century. A wide
array of both government and private sector research and investment will be needed to
maintain the current rate of efficiency improvement. In the transportation sector,
improvements in vehicle efficiency continue, as well as improvements in vehicle
performance demanded by customers. Alternative drive trains
such as fuel cells and hybrids provide pathways for continued
improvements in efficiency. Accelerating research and
development (R&D) on efficiency improvement and transfer
of efficient technologies will lead to lower growth in energy
consumption and emissions. Efficiency improvements alone,
however, will not be sufficient to stabilize GHG emissions,
and will certainly be unable to stabilize concentrations at
some of the levels under discussion in the climate change
policy debate.

Non-fossil energy supply

Non-fossil energy supply from nuclear, biomass, hydro,
geothermal, wind, and solar generation contribute to differing
extents to the world’s energy supply, and to extents that
depend on national circumstances. Using current technology,
these sources of energy do not have sufficient performance to
replace the role of fossil fuels. Over the past decades, R&D has led to improvements
in the performance of non-fossil energy, for example wind power
has exhibited a rapid growth, but still remains a small fraction of a
growing world energy supply. In particular, wind and solar energy
are limited by intermittent availability, requiring backup power to
meet essential requirements for stable power supply. Improvements
in performance could come from targeted research, with synergy
from the revolution in biotechnology, materials and information
science. Future improvements are difficult to predict, but the
required improvements in performance will take time.
Furthermore, multiple decades would be required to implement
new energy supply technologies worldwide once they are proven.

Carbon dioxide sequestration

Reduction of GHG emissions need not require the phase out of fossil fuels. Fossil fuel
CO2 can be captured from stationary sources and sequestered deep underground in
saline aquifers or depleted oil and gas fields, or perhaps in the deep ocean.
Conceptually, emission-free vehicles can run on electricity or hydrogen produced from
IPIECA Symposium, Cambridge MA, USA, 15–16 October 2001

fossil fuels with CO2 sequestration. The oil industry has gained
experience in the safe and effective transport and injection of CO2
underground. In special circumstances, CO2 is being sequestered
underground today to mitigate emissions. To be suitable for application worldwide,
however, the efficiency and cost of current technology needs to be improved. Capture
and disposal will always add cost and operational complexity compared to energy
systems without capture.

Technology solutions
Significant improvements in energy technologies are an essential component of future
world development and carbon management. In the near-term, the continued
deployment of efficient and economic technologies will continue throughout the
world. Transfer of efficient and economic technologies could be accelerated by
further enabling the private sector to do so. To ultimately eliminate emissions,
emission-free technologies must come into use everywhere. Emission-free
technologies do not currently have sufficient performance and are far too costly to be
applied worldwide. In the near-term, R&D is needed to create technology options
that can satisfy long-term objectives. No particular energy supply technology is
foreseen as providing all of the world’s energy. Research is needed now to achieve the
improvements required for carbon management for the future.

SESSION 3: PROSPECTS FOR TECHNOLOGY TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE

● Climate Change & Technology Over the 21st Century ● CO2 Sequestration & Low Carbon Fuels
• Jae Edmonds (Batelle Northwest Laboratories) • Paul Freund (International Energy Agency)
• Respondent: Martin Hoffert (New York University) • Respondent: John Houghton (US Department of Energy)

● Electric Power ● Renewable Energy & Low Carbon Fuels

• John Scowcroft (Eurelectric) • Abe Haspel (US Department of Energy)
• Respondent: Dale Simbeck (SFA Pacific INC) • Respondent: Robert Socolow (Princeton University)

● Transportation
• John Heywood (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
• Respondent: Thomas Marx (General Motors Corporation)
 Long-term Carbon and Energy Management: Issues and Approaches

WHAT WILL BE REQUIRED OF LONG-TERM

POLICY APPROACHES TO ADDRESS ENERGY
AND CARBON MANAGEMENT?

Developed country context

The focus of climate change policy in developed nations has been on commitments
to near-term emissions reductions under the Kyoto Protocol during its first
commitment period from 2008–12. Global emissions of GHGs would hardly be
affected by these commitments. (Even if all countries except the United States
achieved their target, global emissions would be reduced by only about 1 per cent
from what they would otherwise be—a small fraction of emissions growth forecast
over the next decade). Achieving emissions targets will require implementation
through national policies. The commitments for the following period have not been
addressed. Near-term commitments of the Kyoto Protocol put pressure on increasing
energy efficiency and fuel switching (especially coal to natural gas and oil) and provide
opportunities to create a system for emissions trading and other market-based
mechanisms. Effective emissions trading would lower the costs of reducing emissions
between countries, but face barriers such as the uncertain price of carbon permits,
impacts on relative national economic competitiveness, wealth transfers and the lack
of a level playing field. The Kyoto Protocol does include provisions by which
developed nations gain credit for projects in developing countries; however, their
scope is limited and the requirements of these provisions remains unclear. The near-
term commitments of the Kyoto Protocol do not include direct incentives for the
creation of long-term technological solutions or the improvement of climate change
forecasts. Capacity for research on climate change science and for R&D on technology
solutions lies primarily in developed countries, and should therefore be a priority for
national action.

Developing country context

A driving goal for developing nations is to achieve economic development similar to
OECD countries, and this will lead to increasing energy consumption and emissions
for some time to come. Climate change mitigation is generally not a near-term
objective of developing nations unless it is coupled with other national goals. Near-
term priorities include health, proper
sanitation, air pollution and the
availability of clean water. The
alleviation of poverty will increase
capacity to mitigate emissions as well
as adapt to changes in climate that may
occur. Policies to enable enhanced
technology transfer and investment in
developing countries are one way to
achieve climate change objectives as
well as economic growth.
IPIECA Symposium, Cambridge MA, USA, 15–16 October 2001

Enabling technology solutions

Effective R&D for technology solutions is critical for successful carbon
management. The very long-term nature of energy research, however, presents
limited incentives for the private sector to
participate. The long-term nature also
makes it difficult to judge the potential of
nascent ideas and commit the resources that
would be required for their development,
let alone for the far more costly phase of
commercial deployment that may require
massive investment in human and physical
capital. Clearly, both the private sector and
government have roles, but there is no
agreement on a strategy.

Strategies for an uncertain future

Some speakers proposed that the long-term goal for carbon management should be
for net emissions of long-lived GHGs, such as CO2, to eventually approach zero
thereby limiting their concentration level. The ultimate level of CO2 concentration
that would be considered dangerous is, however, highly uncertain. Neither the
scientific understanding nor political processes exist to set such a level today. This
level determines the overall cumulative budget of allowed emissions over all time
by all peoples. So establishing such a level would raise profound equity questions.
A long-term strategy should be flexible to adapt to new information, while
including appropriate near-term actions. Near-term actions could include research
to better understand the risk of climate change, the deployment of efficient
technologies to reduce emissions, the enhancement and preservation of carbon
stocks, and R&D on technologies with potential to provide for both increased
energy demand and a safe climate.

SESSION 4: POLICY FRAMEWORKS TO ADDRESS LONG-TERM CLIMATE CHANGE

● Perspectives on the Role of Developing Countries
• Kejun Jiang (Chinese Research Center for Energy,
Environment and Climate Change)
• Abdulmuhsen Al-Sunaid (Saudi Aramco)
● National, Regional and International Policy
• Richard Morgenstern (Resources for the Future)
• Jean Charles Hourcade (CIRED)
● Prospects for Emissions Trading and Credits from Projects
• Brian Fisher (ABARE)
• Michael Wriglesworth (UNICE)
● Panel Discussion: Reactions
• Robert Stavins (Harvard University)
• Kejun Jiang (Chinese Research Center for Energy,
Environment and Climate Change)
• Brian Fisher (ABARE)
Long-term Carbon and Energy Management: Issues and Approaches

THE IPIECA SYMPOSIUM ON CD-ROM

T he CD-ROM included with this booklet contains the Symposium speakers’

papers in PDF format (requires Acrobat Reader™) together with the associated
PowerPoint™ presentations in both PDF and native PowerPoint™ format. To use the
CD-ROM, insert the disc into a PC and open the PDF file called ‘index’. This file
provides an introduction to the CD-ROM and further instructions on how to navigate
the disc. Acrobat Reader is available for free download from the Adobe website at:
http://www.adobe.co.uk/products/acrobat/readstep.html

h IP IE CA
e m e nt w it
r agre
t p r io ou
with
de
ma
be y
ma

Long-Term Carbon
M
RO
CD
his
t
of

and Energy Management:

ies
op c
zed
ri
tho

Issues and Approaches

nau
ou
d. n
erve
ts r e s
A ll ri g h

IPIECA HOW TO USE THIS CD-ROM:

Insert CD-ROM, launch the PDF file
called ‘index’ and follow the
instructions provided. (Requires
Adobe Acrobat Reader v. 4 or later)
ia ti on
Assoc
t io n
er va
ons
al C

I P I E C A S Y M P O S I U M
ent
nm
iro
nv
yE

Cambridge MA, USA, 15–16 October 2001

str
du

In
m
ro leu
Pet
al
tion
te rna
00 1 In
©2
 IPIECA Symposium, Cambridge MA, USA, 15–16 October 2001

IPIECA AND CLIMATE CHANGE

In 1988 the International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA)

established the Global Climate Change Working Group to provide its members with reliable and timely
information, issues analysis, education and involvement in international processes dealing with global
climate change. The Working Group’s efforts have focused on the two major intergovernmental
processes: assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and negotiations
under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UN FCCC). Over the past
decade, as a contribution to understanding climate change, the Working Group has organized a number
of symposia and workshops for experts from government, academia, policy institutes and business that
address scientific, technological, economic and policy aspects of climate change.

Concern about climate change and the challenges and risks it poses will require sustained efforts to
develop understanding and effective solutions while at the same time meeting the growing needs of
society for energy. IPIECA believes that addressing these risks requires appropriate actions now—with
due consideration for the significant scientific uncertainty that limits our ability today to predict exact
future consequences. Our work convinces us that near-term actions alone cannot address the long-term,
global challenges and risks of climate change. Addressing them effectively will require actions and policy
frameworks that:

● promote the more rapid dissemination and use of efficient, existing commercial technology in both
developed and developing countries;
● encourage the development and use of innovative, currently non-commercial technologies;
● enhance the ability of all countries to acquire and utilize advanced technologies; and
● improve scientific understanding by addressing well-known uncertainties.

IPIECA members also recognize the essential role that energy in general and petroleum products in
particular play in meeting the needs and aspirations of people, businesses and governments. Responding
to environmental expectations while satisfying the economic and social goals of society as well as
meeting the needs of our customers, suppliers, employees and owners present major challenges and
opportunities for our industry.

IPIECA members are taking steps today to limit GHG emissions from operations and to improve
customers’ ability to use our products more efficiently now and in the future. Company policies and actions
are implemented through operational management systems, investments, and research and development.
While actions by IPIECA members differ from company to company, they include steps such as:
operational efficiency improvements from design, maintenance and logistics, and from investments in
new processes, cogeneration facilities and other equipment; participation in commercial ventures based
on renewable energy; and research and development aimed at commercialization of innovative products
and technologies. Some of these technologies include separation and sequestration of CO2, advanced
automobile engine technologies and fuel cell powered vehicles, biofuels and advanced fuels. Some members
have committed themselves to reduce GHG emissions from operations, and some have established
internal emissions trading programmes to seek cost-effective reductions across diverse operations.

Through these steps our members intend to be a source of solutions to challenges and concerns about
climate change. In this goal IPIECA plays an important role for our members by helping us to develop
and exchange knowledge and engage in international deliberations.
 IPIECA
The International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA)
is comprised of petroleum companies and associations from around the world. Founded in 1974 following
the establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), IPIECA provides the
petroleum industry’s principal channel of communication with the United Nations. IPIECA is the single
global association representing the petroleum industry on key environmental issues including oil spill
preparedness and response; global climate change; operational issues; and biodiversity.

Through a Strategic Issues Assessment Forum, IPIECA also helps its members identify new global
environmental issues and evaluates their potential impact on the oil industry. IPIECA’s programme takes full
account of international developments in these global issues, serving as a forum for discussion and
cooperation involving industry and international organizations.

Climate Change Working Group

Formed in 1988, the IPIECA Climate Change Working Group (CCWG) monitors, analyses
and informs the membership of key developments in the issue, especially those taking place at the
UN FCCC and IPCC. The CCWG encourages the development of policy options that strike a balance
between the projected consequences of potential climate change and the estimated costs of response
options to mitigate or adapt to climate change. The CCWG sponsors dialogues and workshops
addressing key aspects of the ongoing negotiations, and provides a technical publication series as a
means of constructive input to the process.

Publications in the IPIECA Climate Change series include:

Climate Change: a Glossary of Terms
A Guide to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Buenos Aires and Beyond—a Guide to the Climate Change Negotiations
Technology Assessment in Climate Change Mitigation—an IPIECA Workshop
Opportunities, Issues and Barriers to the Practical Application of the Kyoto Mechanisms
Long–Range Scenarios for Climate Change Policy Analysis
Critical Issues in the Economics of Climate Change

Symposium Taskforce
Brian Flannery, ExxonMobil (Chairman, Symposium Taskforce)
Richard Sykes, Shell (Chairman, CCWG) • Frede Cappelen, Statoil (Vice-Chairman, CCWG)
Wishart Robson, Nexen Inc (Vice-Chairman, CCWG)
Haroon Kheshgi, ExxonMobil (Vice-Chairman, CCWG)
David Mansell Moullin, IPIECA (Project Manager) • Rick Hyndman (CAPP)
Nicholas Hughes (BP) • Michel Fontaine (TotalFinaElf) • John Shinn (ChevronTexaco)

IPIECA

International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association

2nd Floor, Monmouth House, 87–93 Westbourne Grove, London, W2 4UL
Tel: +44 (0)20 7221 2026 Fax: +44 (0)20 7229 4948
E-mail: info@ipieca.org Internet: http://www.ipieca.org