The Many Sides of the Kyoto Protocol Debate

August 7th, 2007

There is quite a debate going on about how to meet the targets of the Kyoto Protocol for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. And there are at least three very vocal sides that are debating the issue:

One side is taken by the carbon offset traders who believe we can balance each other’s emissions by creating a market in which the larger emitters pay for credits bought from people whose industries are clean; another voice represents people who believe that generating power through alternative means such as clean coal and biofuels is the best way to go; and a third, shrill voice is that of hard core environmentalists who believe that only real consumer behavior changes will make a difference. In other words, walk to work; don’t use paper OR plastic; buy only locally grown food; and turn your heater or air conditioner off when you aren’t at home.

Clearly there are limits to each of these positions. But there’s a fourth “voice” in this debate. And these are people who say that we need to produce data that shows what emissions are actually produced —by whom, and through what processes—before we choose any of the other three alternatives. That process is just beginning for the enterprise. Before we can ask either businesses or consumers to make big changes in behavior patterns or throw the world economy into a tailspin, we need to answer questions such as:

1) What’s the actual energy cost of producing a Prius overseas and shipping it half way across the world so someone in America can feel good about getting 50 mpg?

2) When Asian nations cut down forests to produce Palm oil plantations, how does that affect the ozone layer?

3) Is solar energy really the best alternative for a home in, say, San Francisco?

I’m pleased that ESS provides tools that enable organizations to collect and track data relevant to solve these sorts of problems. And many organizations are leveraging their IT investments to deploy our integrated software platforms that transform data into useful information.

Because of the computing power involved in getting accurate answers to these questions, I believe it will be the enterprise that leads the charge to the true solutions. In the interim, carbon offsets, cleaner energy and more thoughtful consumer choices will have to do.

Tags: biofuels greenhouse gas emissions kyoto protocol software

Entry Filed under: Sustainability, Greenhouse Gas Emissions