The science shows clearly that in order to avert the worst impacts of climate change, global temperature increase needs to be limited to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. And to achieve this goal, emissions need to be reduced by 45% by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050.
Research News spoke with John Elliott, the Lab’s Chief Sustainability Officer, about the Lab’s own vision and roadmap to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in operations.
Q. What does net-zero mean for the Lab and why is it important?
Net-zero is the target for the Lab’s roadmap to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from operations. It means reducing the Lab’s reported emissions by at least 90% and then negating any residual emissions going forward with carbon removal. We have new federal requirements to achieve net-zero by no later than 2045 and to meet many milestones along the way.
Organizations like the Lab are well-placed to take a leadership role in limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Many of the Lab’s partners are also headed in the same direction. The City of Berkeley and the State of California have also set net-zero targets by no later than 2045.
Q. What has the Lab done to date to support sustainability?
In 2012 the Laboratory Directorate established the Sustainable Berkeley Lab Program and hired me as the Lab’s Chief Sustainability Officer. Since then we’ve established an ongoing recycling and composting program, built a growing electric vehicle charging community, partnered with Operations to develop sustainability policies and integrate sustainable design elements into the Lab’s construction practices, and saved a lot of energy and water. Since 2015, the Lab is using 29% less natural gas, is consuming 29% less energy per square foot in its buildings (excluding major process loads), and our greenhouse gas emissions have dropped by 31%. These long-term trends have come from ongoing support through many collaborations and partnerships across the Lab, and a lot of hard work
Q. Is achieving Net-Zero by 2045 at the Lab possible?
Yes it is. It is hard for me to think of an organization better suited to take on the managerial and technical challenge of achieving net-zero in operations. We have a very skilled and motivated Lab community and staff. We also have some unique capabilities – like an ability to develop renewable energy projects through partners like the Western Area Power Administration – and to purchase that renewable power through wholesale electricity markets. However, success will require additional funding from DOE, and net-zero infrastructure projects must be closely integrated with the Lab’s other facility modernization priorities.
Q. What is the main challenge to achieving our goals?
The biggest infrastructure challenge for net-zero is replacing the gas boiler plants in our existing buildings with electrically-driven heat pump systems. Every year or so at our Lab, an old boiler plant comes due for replacement. Replacing each of those plants with heat pumps will be challenging and costly, but necessary if we are to meet the climate challenge. Through collaborations with Operations leaders and support of the Lab Directorate, we are working to integrate and coordinate these electrification projects with the Lab’s other modernization needs and developing budgetary requests to support the effort. This is a heavy lift that will require DOE funding. The Sustainability Program will continue to closely partner with the Berkeley Site Office and UC to pursue all available paths to fund these critical projects.
Q. What can the Lab community do to support the net-zero roadmap?
First, I’d ask for your creativity. For example, if researchers have an interest in applying their net-zero related research to a pilot operating at the Lab, they can reach out to me at sbl@lbl.gov. We already have several long-running research collaborations, but this moment calls for greater efforts to apply the amazing innovation of the Lab to the immediate practical challenges of the energy transition.
Second, keep in mind that our goals cover emissions from air travel, commutes, and purchases. So think about how your choices – like avoiding unnecessary business travel or making your next vehicle electric – can contribute to the Lab’s goals. The federal government is also prioritizing the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from our supply chain, so we will all need to start making more educated purchasing decisions.
Finally, I’d ask for your patience. We all need to work together to integrate net-zero into all the important priorities of the Lab.
