Not all carbons are created equal. A diverse approach to carbon can enable scientists, businesses and institutions to separate its origins to inform environmental impact assessments and make better sustainable decisions. Discover the colours of the carbon rainbow and its application to modern day corporate strategy.
Black carbon
Black carbon is a component of soot and a climate forcing aerosol that is formed through the incomplete combustion of fuels. Of all the coloured carbons, this is the most dangerous and may be the world’s second leading cause of global warming after carbon dioxide.
According to studies by the Worldwatch Institute and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) close to 7-15 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent of black carbon are emitted each year, with the more extreme figure originating from the most recent research.
There are two ways black carbon warms the world. Firstly, it contributes to the greenhouse gas effect in the atmosphere. Secondly, on the ground it turns snow and ice into a murky sludge which absorbs the suns heat and contributes to the melting of ice cover. This has been particularly prevalent in the Northern Hemisphere.
Mike Berners-Lee’s “How Bad Are Bananas” notes that 42% of black carbon comes from outdoor fires, a quarter originates from burning wood, coal, dung, peat and organic matter, another quarter from transport mainly diesel and the remaining 10% from coal fired power stations.
For all the harm it can create, black carbon only lasts in the atmosphere for a few days and there are simple solutions to reducing the amount we create to have instant benefits. By adopting clean-burning technologies, promoting the mass uptake of filters on diesel engines and switching open fires for efficient stoves we will reduce levels.
Brown carbon
Brown carbon is an aerosol that plays a complex role in climate change. It is a light absorbing particle that has a warming effect at the top of the atmosphere whilst simultaneously having a cooling effect on the Earth’s surface level. This form of carbon was only distinguished by scientists from black carbon in 2006 and is suggested to be most prevalent in East Asian countries.
Brown carbon originates from tar materials, coal combustion, breakdown of products from biomass burning as well as organic compounds emitted from soil or given off by vegetation.
Researchers urge that the unique characteristics of brown carbon must be included in models of radiative forcing to understand the gap between energy radiation reaching the Earth and that leaving the upper atmosphere.
Green carbon
Green carbon is the carbon stored in the biosphere in ecosystems such as natural forests, soils and pastured land. It is taken up from the atmosphere by plants through photosynthesis. There can also be marine green carbon which is derived from underwater plants. It can be released into the atmosphere through fires, deforestation and disruption to the biodiversity of landscapes. By storing green carbon through reforestation and preservation efforts, we can mitigate the impact of global warming.
Blue carbon
Blue carbon makes reference to the inorganic carbon stored in the world’s oceans and atmosphere. Addressing this form of carbon is critical as over 55% of carbon is stored in living organisms in mangroves, marshes, seagrasses, coral reefs and macro-algae. UN Environmental Programme (UNEP), The Food and Agriculture Organization, and UNESCO‘s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission have found that blue carbon ecosystems are being degraded five to ten times faster than rainforests. This underscores our need to urgently protect coastal ecosystems that provide nutrition and economic opportunity to over 3 billion people, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. To learn more about the value of coastal ecosystems, click here.
Carbon rainbow in business practice
How can the carbon rainbow be used to create sustainable value in business? In September 2020, FMCG giant Unilever unveiled their latest ‘Clean Future’ sustainability programme through their home care division. in a bid to use renewable or recycled carbon, this project promises to source 100% of fossil fuel derived carbon in its cleaning and laundry products such as Persil, Sunlight and Cif.
This strategy will accelerate their transition from fossil fuel derived chemicals and reduce their overall carbon footprint. Unilever have estimated this will reduce the environmental footprint of these globally recognised product formulations by up to 20%. By using the tool of a carbon rainbow, it has allowed the organisation to diversify the carbon in its formulations.
Peter ter Kulve, Unilever’s President of Home Care totes that “A new bioeconomy is rising from the ashes of fossil fuels. Diversifying sources of carbon is essential to grow within the limits of our planet. Our suppliers and innovation partners play a critical role through this transition. By sharing our Carbon Rainbow model, we are calling on an economy-wide transformation in how we all use carbon.”
Final thoughts
Successful global climate solutions must distinguish between the contrast in carbons. These colour-based descriptions acknowledge the variance in carbon properties and contribute to the nuance of carbon characteristics, origins and potential solutions to combat global warming.
If you enjoyed this article, be sure to read the S & S Decoded on Embodied Carbon.
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