Latest news with #emissionReduction
BBC News
11 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Climate Action Plan: What does new document mean for NI?
Northern Ireland's first Climate Action Plan has been published for is a roadmap to support emission reduction targets across nine sectors, including energy, transport, waste management and sets out how Northern Ireland will meet its 2023-2027 carbon budget target of cutting emissions by an annual average of 33%, compared to the base year of plan is led by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) and is a legal obligation under the Climate Change Act which must be renewed every five years. So, what does the plan set out for different areas of society? Energy production The Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 sets out a target of at least 80% of electricity used in Northern Ireland to come from renewable sources by CAP outlines that the goal is to produce more clean energy, such as wind and solar power to achieve the 80% are plans to continue a support scheme that has helped NI generate more renewable energy and have rules to control certain harmful gases that can damage the CAP proposes a new programme to encourage more renewable electricity. Farming and agriculture Agriculture is the largest emitter. It was responsible for 29.1% of Northern Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions in 2022, according to the rose to 31% based on 2023 has chosen not to follow the UK Climate Change Committee's recommendation that livestock numbers should be it opts for changing farming practices to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the sector. The UK's Climate Change Committee has previously recommended "radical action" for Northern Ireland to reach its goals, including reducing livestock numbers to reduce emissions in draft plan does not act on that it relies on improving farm productivity through genetics, soil testing and novel feeds, encouraging low carbon farming practices and increasing the use of slurry for energy through biomethane generation to cut emissions in the farming CAP outlines that the Sustainable Agriculture Programme will help farms become more environmentally friendly and work better together, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in farming in Northern Ireland. Business and industry Business and industry is responsible for 11.9% of Northern Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions, according to the CAP outlines that businesses and industries in NI follow many UK are also plans in place for NI to help the economy. These include:Checking how well heating and power systems use energy and how they affect the environmentMaking buildings more energy efficientSetting rules on emissions (pollution from businesses), product design, and labellingRequiring businesses to report their emissions and offering funding to help them improveEncouraging the use of natural gas instead of other fuelsUpdating Northern Ireland's building rules Transport Transport is the second-largest source of emissions in Northern CAP says vehicle emissions will be reduced by switching fuels to zero and low emissions plan proposes shifting modes of transport away from private car journeys to sustainable travel alternatives like walking and cycling. It also proposes reducing the need and length of vehicle journeys. Residential and public buildings Emissions from Northern Ireland's homes have fallen by 31.4% between 1990 and 2022, according to the CAP. Emissions from residential buildings are mainly due to the use of fossil fuels for heating and generating hot CAP says in order to cut down emissions, cleaner ways to heat homes will need to be used. This means switching to fuels like natural gas and using new heating systems that run on is also planned that how homes are built will be improved to make them easier to heat, along with making homes use less energy to help reduce how much power is used. Waste management Waste accounted for 3.6% of total Northern Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions in 2022, according to the recycling rates have increased from 10% in 2010 to just over 51% in law sets a target to recycle at least 70% of waste by CAP says reducing emissions in waste will be achieved by:Making improvements to how food waste is collected from households and less biodegradable waste going to landfill Increasing recycling rates and improving quality of the material that is collected for recycling Land use and forestry Land use and forestry emissions represented 10.1% of total annual emissions in NI in 2022, the CAP outlined. This rose to 12% in CAP says in order to help the environment, a reduction in pollution is needed, along with absorbing more carbon from the plan states:The Forests for Our Future plan will create 9,000 hectares of new woodland by Northern Ireland Peatland Strategy will help protect these important habitats. Programmes such as Farming with Nature and the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme will support farmers in caring for the land while helping the should be noted that at the halfway point of the Forests for Our Future plan, about 2,000 hectares have been created, a shortfall the Woodland Trust described as "a missed opportunity".The conservation charity's Northern Ireland director John Martin said "urgent and sustained action" was needed."Every tree planted is a legacy of hope, resilience, and renewal for generations to come," he said."Now is the time to reinvigorate our collective commitment to woodland creation and management in Northern Ireland." Fisheries Fisheries is the smallest emissions sector, accounting for 0.1% of NI's greenhouse gas emissions in are plans to invest in research to find new ways to make fishing boats less harmful to the are also plans to prepare for change by exploring the use of electric boats and low or zero emission fuels. Announcing the consultation, the Daera minister said it was a "milestone moment" in addressing climate change."We have seen the damaging and costly impacts of climate change around the world and closer to home from flash flooding, wildfires and more frequent and severe storms," Andrew Muir said."No section of society is immune. It is essential we take action and I would encourage everyone to take part in this 16-week consultation." Analysis: Questions over speed of action By BBC News NI agriculture and environment correspondent Louise Cullen The consultation on this draft plan may well be greeted with a cry of, "at last" from campaigners. The final plan should have been laid at the end of 2023, but better late than never. As the lead department, Daera is confident the plan puts Northern Ireland on the trajectory to meet the first carbon budget target – much of the estimated £718m cost has already been invested with many of the policies and proposals referenced in place. But some of those policies are proving slow to get off the ground. "Future generations will thank us for stepping up to this challenge of our lifetimes," ends Muir's statement. But how quickly we move now will be the decider. During the 16-week consultation there will be 10 public events and 2 online sector-specific sessions for people to consultation will close on 8 October.
Zawya
15-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Aramco enters into agreements worth nearly $90bln with US companies
Riyadh: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Aramco) has signed 34 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and agreements with major US companies through its Aramco Group Companies at a potential total value of around $90 billion, according to an official statement. The deals cover collaborations and partnerships focused on different Aramco's activities, including liquefied natural gas (LNG), fuels, chemicals and emission-reduction technologies. This is in addition to fields of AI and other digital solutions, manufacturing, asset management, short-term cash investments, and procurement of materials, equipment, and services. Aramco said the MoUs and agreements aim to build on the long-term relationship between Aramco and US companies, enhance shareholder value, and foster further collaboration and innovation in the energy sector and beyond. Aramco President & CEO, Amin H. Nasser, said: 'Yesterday's [13 May 2025] announcements show the breadth and depth of Aramco's long history of partnerships with US companies since the first discovery of oil in the Kingdom more than 90 years ago.' Nasser added: 'Our US-related activities have evolved over the decades, and now include multi-disciplinary R&D, the Motiva refinery in Port Arthur, start-up investments, potential collaborations in LNG, and ongoing procurement.' He concluded: 'As Aramco pursues an ambitious value-driven growth strategy, we believe that aligning with world-class partners supports further development of our operations, strategic diversification of our portfolio, industrial innovation, and ongoing capability development within the Kingdom.' According to Aramco, the signed MoUs and agreements are as follows: Downstream - Honeywell UOP: MoU related to technology licensing for an aromatics project. - Motiva: MoU related to an aromatics project in Port Arthur, subject to a final investment decision. - Afton Chemical: MoUs related to development and supply of chemical fuel additives in pipelines and retail fuel offerings. - ExxonMobil: MoU related to evaluating a significant upgrade to the SAMREF refinery and expanding the facility into a world-class integrated petrochemical complex. Upstream - Sempra Infrastructure: MoU related to previously announced HOA regarding liquified natural gas (LNG) equity and offtake stake in Port Arthur LNG 2. - Woodside Energy: Collaboration Agreement to explore global opportunities, including an equity interest and LNG offtake from the Louisiana LNG project. Additionally, both companies are exploring opportunities for a potential collaboration in lower-carbon ammonia. - NextDecade: Final Agreement to purchase 1.2 million tonnes per annum of LNG for a 20-year term from Train 4 of the Rio Grande LNG Facility, subject to certain conditions, including a positive final investment decision of Train 4. Technology & Innovation - Amazon/AWS: non-binding Strategic Framework agreement related to collaboration on digital transformation and lower-carbon initiatives. - NVIDIA: MoU related to developing advanced Industrial AI computing infrastructure, establishing an AI Hub and AI Enterprise platforms, an Engineering and Robotics Center of Excellence, training and upskilling, and collaborating with NVIDIA's startup ecosystem. - Qualcomm: MoU with Aramco Digital that aims to explore entry into a strategic collaboration that will focus on key digital transformation use cases, leveraging Aramco Digital's 450 MHz 5G industrial network to connect intelligent edge devices with on-device AI capabilities, including smartphones, rugged industrial devices, robots, drones, cameras, sensors, and other IoT devices. Technical Services - Procured Materials and Services: MoUs were signed to reflect the existing relationships with strategic US suppliers: SLB, Baker Hughes, McDermott, Halliburton, Nabors, Helmerich & Payne, Valaris, NESR, Weatherford, Air Products, KBR, Flowserve, NOV, Emerson, GE Vernova, and Honeywell. These suppliers provide high-standard materials and professional services that help support Aramco's projects and operations. Strategy & Corporate Development - Guardian Glass: MoU to localize specialty glass manufacturing for architectural applications in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Finance - Wisayah asset management agreements with PIMCO, State Street Corporation, and Wellington. - Agreements for short-term cash investments through a unified investment fund, the 'Fund of One,' with BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and PIMCO. It is worth noting that the agreements came in line with US President Donald Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia as part of his official regional visit which will include Qatar and the UAE as well. In the first quarter (Q1) of 2025, Aramco generated net profits worth SAR 97.54 billion and revenue of SAR 405.65 billion.
