Page 134 - Hong Kong Green School Guide

3. Green School Guide - 3.6 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions
Hong Kong Green School Guide 132
3.6 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions
Concepts and Principles
Greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions are the major
contributor to global warming.
According to the United
Nations Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) Fourth Assessment
Report (2007), the increase
in the atmospheric GHG
concentration due to human
activities is very likely
responsible for the observed
global warming since the
middle of the 20th century.
The burning of fossil fuels, principally wood, coal, oil, and natural gas, which
generates carbon dioxide, is the primary source of GHGemissions. Deforestation
and change in land use (e.g. changing agricultural land to urban land) has
exacerbated the problem by leading to a decline in natural carbon ‘sinks’.
Benefits
• Reduce unnecessary energy, water and material consumptions through
reduction of GHG emissions;
• Reduction of GHG emissions often reduce operation costs; and
• Demonstration of the school’s green initiatives.
Emission Sources
GHG emissions sources are categorised into the following scopes:
• Scope 1 – direct emissions and removal (gas cooking, gas for lab use, shuttle
buses / vans operated by schools, refrigerant leakage from air conditioning
units, ‘removal’ of GHG through tree planting.)