Sustainability
Net Zero is the state at which the greenhouse gases added to the Earth’s atmosphere are balanced by the greenhouse gases removed from the Earth’s atmosphere.
Why Net Zero?
Net Zero is the state at which global warming ceases to exist and as per global scientific consensus, must be achieved by 2050 in order to prevent irreparable climate damage. As long as global emissions remain above zero, the planet will continue to get hotter.
What is Climate Change?
Climate Change refers to the changes in the Earth’s temperature and weather patterns over a long period of time caused by both natural occurrences and human activities with the latter being the primary driver since the 1800s. As emissions continue to rise, so does the temperature of the Earth with the last decade (2011-2020) being the warmest on record. Scientists agree world-wide that limiting the global temperature increase to no more than 1.5°C will assist us in maintaining a livable climate.
What are GHGs?
Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) are gases that keep the Earth warmer than it would be without them by altering the way energy enters and leaves our atmosphere. The main GHGs driving climate change are Carbon Dioxide (burning fossil fuels and certain chemical reactions), Methane (livestock and agriculture practices, land use and decay of organic waste), Nitrous Oxide (wastewater treatment and Industrial activities) and Fluorinated Gases (household, commercial and industrial processes).
Our Goal: Net Zero by 2050
We are committed to being your partner on Bermuda’s journey towards a sustainable future with an ultimate goal of being Net Zero by 2050. This means that we are working to make operational changes to reduce our carbon emissions to the lowest amount possible and then offsetting what we cannot as a last resort to achieve a neutral state.
Our commitment to Net Zero also extends to offsetting the carbon footprint of each one of our employees making our entire team carbon neutral. To date, through our partnership with Climate Wise, we have been able to offset the following:
CO2
8,874.31 tonnes
730,744
trees planted
36,815,597 miles driven
in a typical family car
How do we achieve Net Zero?
We plan to achieve our goal of Net Zero by 2050 through the reduction of carbon emissions and offsetting the emissions we cannot eradicate. We are currently evaluating the following technologies for inclusion in our Net Zero plan:
Wind
Wind energy, or wind power, is created using a wind turbine, a device that channels the power of the wind to generate electricity. The wind blows the blades of the turbine, which are attached to a rotor. The rotor then spins a generator to create electricity.
Solar
Solar energy is any type of energy generated by the sun that can be harnessed directly or indirectly for human use. Solar energy is constantly flowing away from the sun and throughout the solar system. It warms the Earth, causes wind and weather, and sustains plant and animal life.
Carbon Offsetting
Carbon offsetting is the process of removing the same amount of carbon from the atmosphere that you put in the atmosphere, which creates a balance called carbon neutrality. In theory, we can cancel out the impact of our emissions by investing in projects that reduce or store carbon.
Energy Storage
Energy storage systems are a fundamental part of energy systems, as they provide continuity, stability, and security of service. Their usage with renewable energy technologies is of the utmost importance to avoid intermittency, to increase infrastructure lifespan and to decarbonise centralised and distributed electrification systems.
Renewable Energy
There are many renewable energy sources that will most likely not make it into our plan to achieve Net Zero by 2050 for various reasons. In the following articles we will explore other renewable energy sources and the local research that has been done on each.
BELCO Introduces Eco-Friendly Gift Cards
Hamilton,Bermuda Bermuda Electric Light Company Limited (BELCO) has announced that the Company will now offer environmentally friendly paperboard gift cards. The switch to new gift cards is in line with BELCO’s sustainability drive. The new cards require 95% less...
Battery Energy Storage
Energy storage is something we are all familiar with, from stretching an elastic band, to pressure tanks in our water systems, to the batteries in our phones and electrical devices. Even the gas in your car is a form of energy storage. Have you heard that energy...
eBilling Campaign Winner Announcement
Hamilton,Bermuda Bermuda Electric Light Company Limited (“BELCO”) today announced Okeisha Clarke as the winner of a $500 BELCO gift card as part of an ebilling campaign which aimed to get more customers signed up for electronic bills. All customers who were signed up...
Wind Energy
Bermuda has a fantastic wind resource. Wind is what drove the discovery of Bermuda and many of its early trades and activities. In fact, the Bermuda sail rig is the most common rig in modern sail boats that use wind power to move around. The Bermuda Rig was developed...
Tidal Energy
Tidal energy is a renewable energy that has been used for more than a thousand years and operating commercially for the last 50 years. Tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun on the earth’s oceans. As the earth rotates, the sun and moon pull the...
Geothermal Energy
Geothermal energy has been used by ancient civilisations as far back as 300BCE[1]. Stored in the earth’s core is a massive amount of thermal energy (heat) and in some countries, such as Iceland, the energy is released at the earth’s surface in the form of geysers. The...
Year 3 Update: Our Commitment to Sustainability
Dear Residents of Bermuda, Each year Earth Day reminds us of the importance of environmental protection and sustainability, but it is also a call to action. A call to support the global movement by doing what we can to protect our small piece of the world. This year’s...
Ever Wondered Why Energy Storage is Key to The Success of Renewable Energy?
Check out our article in Going Green Magazine: Bermuda Media — Going GreenEvery system in life should be balanced, from your bank account balance to an island’s energy balance. Energy storage is one method to balance our energy system, which is why Bermuda Electric...
EBilling Campaign Announcement
Hamilton,Bermuda Bermuda Electric Light Company Limited (“BELCO”) today announced the launch of an ebilling campaign which aims to get more customers signed up for electronic bills. The campaign will run from today until Earth Day on Monday April 22 when there will be...
Digital Meter Form Project
We are excited to announce our project to transition to a paperless digital meter form. This Transmission, Distribution and Retail project is driven by our ongoing commitment to sustainability and to achieve Net Zero by 2050. The project involves managing the...