Myclimate
Encyclopedia
Myclimate was spun off
from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich
in 2002 as a nonprofit climate protection organisation based in Switzerland
to enable climate protection with economic mechanisms such as price-tagging carbon dioxide
and integrating the externality
into the market. They promote climate protection on the three levels: avoidance techniques such as capacity building
and teaching, reduction which includes energy efficiency
, renewable energy
, and management methods and carbon offsetting. Myclimate advocates for the development of a carbon market while setting new standards in carbon emissions and in designing a sustainable society.
myclimate promotes the gathering of knowledge about CO2 reduction, raises awareness and inspires long-term climate protection. Herefore myclimate works with schools, institutions and businesses, organises exhibitions, contests, designes schoolbooks and games.
In 2008 the climate protection game TriCO2lor was awarded by the UNESCO
.
Reduce:
myclimate provides carbon assessments services, as well as more comprehensive life cycle assessments. In 2008, together with the Swiss ecological centre of Langenbruck, the association Climatop was founded which awards climate-positive products. The initiative thereby hopes for more competition with producers with regard to the achievement of better products and promote ecodesign
. The label is, among others, used by the biggest retailer of Switzerland, Migros
.
In addition, businesses are supported with a range of tools in the development of strategies, the analysis of products and the optimisation of existing processes.
Furthermore myclimate designs carbon neutral products, for example climate neutral printing .
Offset:
myclimate develops own projects under the CDM Gold Standard
guidance. This most sharp standard for carbon offsetting projects, was developed by 21 NGOs, among others through World Wide Fund for Nature
. The Standard is supported by meanwhile 60 NGOs worldwide. The Golden Standard is the only standard which certifies the projects' Sustainable development
factors, e.g. co-benefit criteria like healthcare, job creation or reforestation.
:
). myclimate is academically supported by different institutes of the ETH. The centre for sustainability of the ETH and the Swiss Federal Office for energy, as well as the economy .
In the patronage are, e.g., the Swiss minister of the environment Doris Leuthard
or the former member of the German Bundestag Prof. Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker
. The government of Liechtenstein
, UNEP Global Civil Society
Forum , the Swiss federal office for environmental protection or the Swiss WWF Climate Group compensate their emissions with myclimate .
. There are several insecurities within the 3 trading markets under the so called Kyoto flexible mechanisms (see also Carbon market mechanism), e.g. most standards lack of a proper quality assurance scheme which can lead to Double counting (accounting)
or lacking Additionality. According to myclimate the CDM Gold Standard
was developed to erase these insecurities .
, NZZ
, Blick
and Basler Zeitung
, but also in Spiegel
, The New York Times
and in Welt
..
Government spin-off
Government spin-off is civilian goods which are the result of military or governmental research. One prominent example of a type of government spin-off is technology that has been commercialized through NASA funding, research, licensing, facilities, or assistance. NASA spin-off technologies have...
from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich
ETH Zurich
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich or ETH Zürich is an engineering, science, technology, mathematics and management university in the City of Zurich, Switzerland....
in 2002 as a nonprofit climate protection organisation based in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
to enable climate protection with economic mechanisms such as price-tagging carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
and integrating the externality
Externality
In economics, an externality is a cost or benefit, not transmitted through prices, incurred by a party who did not agree to the action causing the cost or benefit...
into the market. They promote climate protection on the three levels: avoidance techniques such as capacity building
Capacity building
Capacity building also referred to as capacity development is a conceptual approach to development that focuses on understanding the obstacles that inhibit people, governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations from realizing their developmental goals while enhancing...
and teaching, reduction which includes energy efficiency
Efficient energy use
Efficient energy use, sometimes simply called energy efficiency, is the goal of efforts to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services. For example, insulating a home allows a building to use less heating and cooling energy to achieve and maintain a comfortable temperature...
, renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
, and management methods and carbon offsetting. Myclimate advocates for the development of a carbon market while setting new standards in carbon emissions and in designing a sustainable society.
The 3 pillars: Avoid, Reduce, Offset
Avoid:myclimate promotes the gathering of knowledge about CO2 reduction, raises awareness and inspires long-term climate protection. Herefore myclimate works with schools, institutions and businesses, organises exhibitions, contests, designes schoolbooks and games.
In 2008 the climate protection game TriCO2lor was awarded by the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
.
Reduce:
myclimate provides carbon assessments services, as well as more comprehensive life cycle assessments. In 2008, together with the Swiss ecological centre of Langenbruck, the association Climatop was founded which awards climate-positive products. The initiative thereby hopes for more competition with producers with regard to the achievement of better products and promote ecodesign
Ecodesign
Ecodesign is an approach to design of a product with special consideration for the environmental impacts of the product during its whole lifecycle. In a life cycle assessment the life cycle of a product is usually divided into procurement, manufacture, use and disposal.Ecodesign is a growing...
. The label is, among others, used by the biggest retailer of Switzerland, Migros
Migros
Migros is one of Switzerland's largest enterprises, its largest supermarket chain and largest employer. It co-founded Turkey's largest retailer, Migros Türk, which became independent of Migros Switzerland in 1975....
.
In addition, businesses are supported with a range of tools in the development of strategies, the analysis of products and the optimisation of existing processes.
Furthermore myclimate designs carbon neutral products, for example climate neutral printing .
Offset:
myclimate develops own projects under the CDM Gold Standard
CDM Gold Standard
The Gold Standard is the world's only independent standard for creating high-quality emission reductions projects in the Clean Development Mechanism Joint Implementation and Voluntary Carbon Market. It was designed to ensure that carbon credits are not only real and verifiable but that they make...
guidance. This most sharp standard for carbon offsetting projects, was developed by 21 NGOs, among others through World Wide Fund for Nature
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...
. The Standard is supported by meanwhile 60 NGOs worldwide. The Golden Standard is the only standard which certifies the projects' Sustainable development
Sustainable development
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
factors, e.g. co-benefit criteria like healthcare, job creation or reforestation.
Character traits
myclimate is know on account of its exotic properties compared to general climate protection companies working in the carbon marketCarbon Market
The Carbon Market is the oldest and largest farmer's market in Cebu City, located in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines, and is a major tourist attraction. It is wheelchair accessible. It is located in downtown Cebu City, on MC Briones Street, Ermita barangay, and it can be reached by...
:
- myclimate is a charity foundation
- myclimate operates within the voluntary carbon market (i.e. Carbon offsetCarbon offsetA carbon offset is a reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide or greenhouse gases made in order to compensate for or to offset an emission made elsewhere....
realized is additionally to the Kyoto ProtocolKyoto ProtocolThe Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change , aimed at fighting global warming...
Targets) - myclimate generates sustainability carbon certificates in self-developed carbon offsetting projects, i.e. does not trade carbon certificates
Partner and Patronage
The original idea for myclimate comes from former students of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH ZurichETH Zurich
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich or ETH Zürich is an engineering, science, technology, mathematics and management university in the City of Zurich, Switzerland....
). myclimate is academically supported by different institutes of the ETH. The centre for sustainability of the ETH and the Swiss Federal Office for energy, as well as the economy .
In the patronage are, e.g., the Swiss minister of the environment Doris Leuthard
Doris Leuthard
Doris Leuthard is a Swiss politician and lawyer. Since 1 August 2006, she has been a member of the Swiss Federal Council. From 1 August 2006 till 31 October 2010 she was head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs...
or the former member of the German Bundestag Prof. Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker
Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker
Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker is a German scientist and politician.He is son of the physicist Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker and nephew of the former German President Richard von Weizsäcker....
. The government of Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein
The Principality of Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked alpine country in Central Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. Its area is just over , and it has an estimated population of 35,000. Its capital is Vaduz. The biggest town is Schaan...
, UNEP Global Civil Society
Forum , the Swiss federal office for environmental protection or the Swiss WWF Climate Group compensate their emissions with myclimate .
Market Insecurities
There is some controversy around the theme of emission reduction through carbon offsetCarbon offset
A carbon offset is a reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide or greenhouse gases made in order to compensate for or to offset an emission made elsewhere....
. There are several insecurities within the 3 trading markets under the so called Kyoto flexible mechanisms (see also Carbon market mechanism), e.g. most standards lack of a proper quality assurance scheme which can lead to Double counting (accounting)
Double counting (accounting)
Double counting in accounting is an error whereby a transaction is counted more than once, for whatever reason. But in social accounting it also refers to a conceptual problem in social accounting practice, when the attempt is made to estimate the new value added by Gross Output, or the value of...
or lacking Additionality. According to myclimate the CDM Gold Standard
CDM Gold Standard
The Gold Standard is the world's only independent standard for creating high-quality emission reductions projects in the Clean Development Mechanism Joint Implementation and Voluntary Carbon Market. It was designed to ensure that carbon credits are not only real and verifiable but that they make...
was developed to erase these insecurities .
Studies
The climate department of the American university Tufts has examined 13 organisations which offer compensations for CO2 emissions. Criteria were transparency, exactness of the calculations, price of the certificates and administrative costs. Myclimate was one of four suppliers who reached the mark "excellent". Also in the guide ENDS belongs myclimate to the top 3 of the world.Press
myclimate often is named in the press. Articles can be found in Tages-AnzeigerTages-Anzeiger
Tages-Anzeiger, also abbreviated Tagi or TA, is a German language Swiss national daily newspaper based in Zurich. Among newspapers in Switzerland, it has one of the largest readerships, reaching around 550,000 readers. The Tages-Anzeiger was first published in 1893...
, NZZ
Neue Zürcher Zeitung
The Neue Zürcher Zeitung is a major German language Swiss daily newspaper based in Zurich.One of the oldest newspapers still published, it originally appeared as Zürcher Zeitung, edited by Salomon Gessner, from January 12, 1780, and was renamed to Neue Zürcher Zeitung in 1821...
, Blick
Blick
Blick is a German-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Zürich, Switzerland since 1959 by Ringier.It has a circulation of 275,000 and a readership of 750,000 . Only the free daily 20 Minuten has a higher circulation in Switzerland....
and Basler Zeitung
Basler Zeitung
Basler Zeitung is a regional newspaper, published in Basel, Switzerland. The German-language daily was created through the merger of National-Zeitung and Basler Nachrichten in 1977. It is owned by the Basler Zeitung Medien who also publishes the free daily newspaper Baslerstab.-External links:*...
, but also in Spiegel
Der Spiegel
Der Spiegel is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. It is one of Europe's largest publications of its kind, with a weekly circulation of more than one million.-Overview:...
, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
and in Welt
Die Welt
Die Welt is a German national daily newspaper published by the Axel Springer AG company.It was founded in Hamburg in 1946 by the British occupying forces, aiming to provide a "quality newspaper" modelled on The Times...
..
External links
- myclimate - Official website of myclimate
- Tufts - Website of the Tuft Climate Initiative
- CDM Gold Standard - Official website of CDM Gold Standard.
- Climatop - Website for climate positive products