[CemExec] Howard Klee, WBCSD (Part 1 of 2)

CW:  There has been a lot of positive activity recently in the emissions debate. Tell us how you have shaped the debate and what the next steps are.

HK: The CSI's work has helped define key measurement and reporting systems which the members believe all companies should follow to provide an accurate, transparent record of their environmental performance.  These apply to greenhouse gas emissions (the CO2 Protocol mentioned above) where we have provided reliable data backed up with economic modeling work to help policy makers think about the impacts of different policy choices.  We have worked with regulators to help identify specific control measures to minimize dioxin emissions, as another example.

CW: Can you tell us more about the work to minimize dioxin emissions and how you are approaching the effort?

HK: Our work on dioxin emissions began, as many of our projects do, with collecting and analyzing current cement industry performance data.  For many years the industry has heard concerns about high dioxin emissions from cement kilns, particularly those burning alternative fuels.  Our data clearly showed this was not the case, for well-designed, well-operated cement kilns.  In nearly all cases (more than 1500 data points reviewed), dioxin emissions are below current European limits, which are themselves half of the current limits in the United States.  The emissions bore no relationship to the kind of fuel usedÔÇöa fact now recognized by a many regulatory agencies including those in the UK and the US

We worked with the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) that had been charged under the Stockholm Convention with developing guidelines to prevent or reduce the inadvertent emission of dioxins from a variety of sources including cement plants.  The CSI served with a panel of experts that helped UNEP shape control guidelines for minimizing these emissions.  These were ultimately issued by UNEP for global implementation.

CW:  Tell us a bit about WBCSD's latest research and how your thinking has changed as a result?

HK: The latest CSI research work has focused on an analysis of different policy options that might be adopted when the current phase of the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.  We think a Sectoral ApproachÔÇöthat is an approach which combines international cooperation with nationally appropriate mitigation actionsÔÇöis a way to help industry move more quickly and at greater scale to combat climate change.  We developed a model of the global cement business and used this to help assess which policies might be the most practical and effective.  Details are available at www.wbcsdcement.org/sectoral.  We started this work because the concept of organizing climate action around individual sectors had some appeal but we really didnÔÇÖt know how it would workÔÇöcould it actually impact emissions.  The results clearly showed this approach could have positive impact.