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These articles represent a selection of our perspectives
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PUBLICATIONS |
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2008 Articles
2007 Articles
2006 Articles
2005 Articles
2004 Articles & Books
2003 Articles
2002 Articles
2001 Articles
2000 Articles
1999 Articles
1998 Articles
1997 Articles
1995 Articles
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2008 Articles
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HOME PAGE FEATURE |
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From Plant to Plate: A Dynamic Program to Reduce Our Carbon Foot-Print by Rating Restaurants' Green-ness
Published in EnergyPulse, September 2008, by Eliot Roseman of ICF International and Stefanie Tocco, George Washington University student. The greenhouse gases (GHG) produced in growing, transporting, and consuming food in restaurants nationwide are enormous...about one-twelfth of these emissions arise just from this one industry in the U.S. The average meal travels 1,500 miles to reach your plate, and restaurant use of energy is notoriously inefficient. Improving the performance of this industry is no longer an option because of the cost of energy to the restaurants and because of their impact on the planet. We need a new "Eat Green" standard by which to evaluate and rank restaurants, and the ranking should be according to how well they meet the criteria for being clean (this article describes six such criteria in detail). This program should be voluntary—with standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and administered by the states—but should also be consistent with whatever GHG legislation passes in Congress in the near future, which will likely provide for mandatory reductions.
Strategic Communication: Raising the Profile of Corporate Sustainability Efforts
Written by Tony Silva, Cody Taylor, and Billy Grayson of ICF International, this white paper discusses green marketing and legitimate green claims. While many companies have built strong reputations as leaders in sustainability, others have been accused of “greenwashing.” Greenwashing refers to communications efforts that misrepresent, overstate, or exclude environmental information. Such claims damage credibility with investors, employees, and prospective employees. The authors examine best practices around effective green marketing and ways to avoid greenwashing.
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HOME PAGE FEATURE |
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Green Quadrant™ Climate Change Business Consulting: ICF International Profile
July 2008. Private companies are quickly realizing that energy conservation and sustainable business practices are critical to increasing—even maintaining—shareholder value. "As a result, demand for climate change business consulting services is growing—especially among firms with annual revenues above £5 billion," reports Verdantix, a UK-based research firm in its recent Green Quadrant™ report. "To assist climate change leaders in their selection of an external adviser this Green Quadrant report compares 16 consulting firms against 74 criteria grouped into three dimensions: service offering, market momentum and global presence." ICF International stands out as the leader in climate change business consulting services. In the independent research report ICF is recommended as a strong choice for firms seeking to hire a consultancy for carbon management strategy and implementation; multi-regional carbon trading and offsetting advice; and climate change opportunity analysis. Read the press release.
It's Not That Hard Being Green
This June 2008 Guest Column for the Web site WFC Resources was written by Margery Leveen Sher of ICF International. The Guest Column discusses the bottom-line benefits of companies becoming green and the importance of this issue to millennial-generation recruits to the workforce. The column lists simple things that every company can do, and also presents a description of a more comprehensive strategy to greening, including assessment of the company’s energy consumption and environmental impact, the company—footprint—which would lead to a green plan design and its implementation.
Preliminary Review of Adaptation Options for Climate-Sensitive Ecosystems and Resources (SAP 4.4)
Prepared by ICF International for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, June 2008. ICF International provided support to EPA in developing Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.4, one of 21 Synthesis and Assessment Products (SAPs) called for in the strategic plan of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP). The report is designed to help reduce the potential impact of climate change on estuaries, forests, wetlands, coral reefs, and other sensitive ecosystems, by identifying strategies to protect the environment as these changes occur. ICF assisted in developing the content and substance of the report, identified and analyzed key climate change impacts and adaptation, developed supporting maps and graphics, and planned and assisted in facilitating six 3-day stakeholder workshops.
How to Reduce Your Firm’s Risk and Increase Revenues Related to Nanotechnology: An 8-Step Program for Small Firms
April 2008. With limited time and resources, how can your firm start to think about or expand on its environmental, health, and safety (EHS) practices related to the use of nanomaterials? This pamphlet—developed by Deanna Lekas Lizas of ICF International and published by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, a partnership between the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and The Pew Charitable Trusts—presents eight suggestions to assist nanotechnology firms in addressing EHS issues associated with the production and use of nanomaterials.
Economic Evaluation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's SunWise Program: Sun Protection Education for Young Children
Prepared by ICF International, along with co-authors from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Henry Ford Hospital, and Harvard, Boston, George Washington, and George Mason Universities, 2007. Published in Pediatrics, the Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Vol. 121, No. 5, May 2008. ICF prepared an economic analysis of the U.S. EPA’s SunWise Program by translating self-reported changes in student sun safety behaviors into reductions in skin cancer incidence and mortality using the U.S. EPA’s Atmospheric and Health Effects Framework (AHEF) model maintained by ICF. Although a number of studies have evaluated the behavioral impacts of school-based and community sun safety education programs, few have evaluated the economics of skin cancer prevention programs. The study, possibly the first to review the cost-benefit of a school-based sun safety program, found that using SunWise to teach children about sun safety saves lives and money.
Overview of HCFC Consumption and Available Alternatives For Article 5 Countries
Prepared by ICF International, April 2008, for the European Commission DG-Research and Development. ICF developed a white paper for developing countries that graphically depicts the consumption of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) under the Montreal Protocol phaseout schedules and summarizes the various alternatives in the refrigeration and air conditioning end uses. This white paper is intended to serve as a quick, easy-to-use reference for developing countries in planning and implementing their phaseout of HCFCs.
GU-24 Goes Mainstream
Published in the March/April 2008 issue of Lightrays, a publication of the American Lighting Association, by Chris Primous of ICF International. GU24 lightbulbs (lamps) and sockets are used in many new ENERGY STAR qualified decorative residential light fixtures as the new standard in permanent high-efficiency bases. Using GU24 ensures that decorative light fixtures will always be high-efficiency and never regressed to a low-efficiency lightbulb. This article talks about the use of the GU24 design becoming increasingly popular as manufacturers of bulbs and fixtures start to make the transition to this new design.
Case Study of State Incentives: Proposals to Make Strategic Investments in Brownfields Redevelopment
January 2008. The Northeast-Midwest Institute (NEMW) partnered with ICF International to create this study, which advises a state on the potential to modify and expand its brownfields incentives. Many states have rather modest brownfields incentives, usually a grant-loan program to fund site assessments and cleanups, and usually under-funded relative to needs. Some of these states may be considering proposals to improve, expand or modify these incentives in order to get more mileage out of limited funds and accelerate cleanup and redevelopment activity. The report offers program proposals and recommendations, and includes a table detailing current State Brownfields Income Tax Credit Programs.
Understanding Mercury in CFLs and Lamp Recycling
Published in the January 2008 issue of Lightrays, a publication of the American Lighting Association, by Chris Primous of ICF International. Widespread use of
compact fluorescent lamps
(CFL) in lighting fixtures can save a tremendous amount of our nation’s resources. CFLs use three-quarters less energy than standard incandescent lamps, and if every American replaced just one incandescent lamp with an ENERGY STAR qualified CFL, it would be roughly the equivalent to preventing greenhouse gas emissions of 800,000 cars. However, by design, all CFLs contain trace amounts of mercury, an environmental hazard that can pose health risks upon exposure. This article examines what consumers should understand about the hazard and what steps can be taken to ensure proper disposal and recycling.
Incorporating Energy Efficiency into Affordable Housing Projects
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) continues to prioritize development and rehabilitation projects that incorporate energy efficiency measures. This quarter’s featured resource is a guide developed by ICF for PJs to encourage efficiency in projects funded through the HOME Program. The guide contains general information about energy efficiency measures as well as programs local governments can use to encourage developers to incorporate these measures in the development process. It also offers specific information about energy savings and cost savings associated with efficiency measures in specific climate zones, including: CA Central Valley Climate Zone; CA Bay Area Climate Zone; Mountainous Climate Zone; and Desert Climate Zone.
Adapting to Climate Change: A Business Approach
Climate change and its physical effects—including temperature increases, sea level rise, and changes in the intensity and frequency of hurricanes and other extreme events—may negatively impact the future cost and profitability of doing business, according to a new report by ICF International for the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. Even businesses that do not typically think of their operations or demand and supply chain as being dependent on weather or climate may be at risk from the physical effects of climate change. But taking action to address the physical effects of climate change should not be the daunting task it appears to many businesses. This 2008 report outlines a practical business approach to analyzing and adapting to the physical risks of climate change. The report focuses on the first step in assessing climate impacts: understanding the potential risks to business and deciding whether or not climate change is a risk requiring action. The report finds that not all businesses require immediate action, but all should take a closer look at the impacts of climate on their value chain. Businesses most at risk—those with long-lived capital assets or making long-term decisions regarding geographic location or production processes—need to examine whether adaptive measures are necessary.
Implications of Proposed Canadian Regulatory Framework for Decreasing GHG
ICF International has examined the implications of the Canadian Government’s proposed regulatory framework for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and has developed a tool that will enable companies to better predict the cost to comply. Under the Regulatory Framework for Air Emissions enacted in April 2007, companies are required to reduce their GHG emissions on an intensity basis by 18 percent from a 2006 baseline by 2010 and continue to make intensity improvements of 2 percent each year until 2015. With the government keen to see investment in carbon abatement stay in Canada, future carbon prices in the domestic market are of particular interest to companies with Canadian operations.
Selling the True Value of Lighting
Published in Lighting Design and Application (LD&A), January 2008, by Jeffrey Schwartz of ICF International. Whether proposing a new lighting design, or a lighting upgrade, at some point the client has to be sold on the cost effectiveness of the system. This article explains how to use financial terms and formulas to sell the economical and energy saving value of a lighting project.
2007 Articles
How to Save the World
Published in Washington SmartCEO, December 2007, by Buzz McClain. This interview with ICF CEO Sudhakar Kesavan describes ICF's consulting work in energy, climate change, and emergency management, and the firm's mission to tackle global issues with a social conscience. The article describes Kesavan's roots in engineering and his rise through the ranks at ICF, as well as the company's beginning as a venture capital firm and transition to a publicy held, international consulting business.
The Role of TDM and Other Transportation Strategies in State Climate Action Plans
Written by Frank Gallivan, Jeffrey Ang-Olson, William Schroeer, and Frank Mongioi of ICF International. This article, published in the November 2007 issue (pp. 10-14, Issue 2, 2007) of TDM Review, highlights the growing role of transportation demand management strategies in state climate action plans, as states develop and implement policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Banks Warm to the Climate Issue
Published in Environmental Finance, November 2007, by Natalia Gorina of ICF International. This article evaluates the current involvement of banks in the carbon markets. The article presents the drivers for involvement and the most innovative climate-related banking products and services, including products in the retail, commodities, investment banking, and corporate banking areas. Finally the characteristics of successful climate strategies developed by banks are described.
U.S. Emission and Fuel Markets Outlook
ICF International’s U.S. Emission and Fuel Market Outlook 2007 provides a fully integrated view of emission and fuel markets. The study provides market analysis and price projections for all of the key emission and fuel market benchmarks, with individual chapters on CO2, SO2/NOx/mercury, gas and coal. All chapters address the impacts of CO2 policies on the relevant markets. Companies can customize their study by purchasing an individual chapter, multiple chapters, or the entire integrated study. Subscribers receive three bound copies of the report, access to ICF's team of professionals, and a discounted on-site energy market seminar.
CDM in China and India: Different Challenges Ahead
Published in Point Carbon CDM & JI Monitor, October 31, 2007, by Natalia Gorina of ICF International. This article compares the development of clean development mechanism (CDM) projects in India and China, the two leading countries in the world pipeline of CDM credits. The article highlights the differences in the types of projects, CDM institutional settings, market behavior, and the challenges faced by the two countries in the future.
Resurrection of the Lake Michigan Eutrophication Model
Published in the Journal of Great Lakes Research, October 2007, by James J. Pauer and Amy M. Anstead of Z-Tech, an ICF International Company, and co-authored by research scientists at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Large Lakes Research Station, Grosse Ile, Michigan. This article discusses the resurrection, evaluation and application of a historical water quality model to provide estimates of the future trophic status in Lake Michigan. It is also shown how a relative simple mathematical modeling framework can be used as a diagnostic tool to guide scientists in developing the next generation of models for Lake Michigan and the other Laurentian Great Lakes.
Green Financial Products and Services: Current Trends and Future Opportunities in North America
Prepared by ICF International for the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) American Task Force, August 2007. The task force is working to incorporate the principles of sustainable development as normal business practice throughout the North American financial sector. This report is the most comprehensive study to date on green financial products and services. It examines best practices around the globe and covers a number of financial sectors, including retail, corporate and investment banking, asset management, project finance, and insurance. Examples of green financial products and services examined in the report include: car loans for cars with low greenhouse gas emissions and/or high fuel efficiency; energy efficiency mortgages; alternative energy venture capital; eco-savings deposits; and climate credit cards that may offer to donate a small percentage of every purchase, balance transfer, or cash advance to emission reduction projects.
Water - Trading: Testing the Limits of Trade
Environmental Finance, July/August 2007. James Bentley of ICF International analyzes how Australia’s water rights trading scheme has helped farmers cope with drought—up to a point. Australia’s Murray Darling Basin irrigation sector has faced extreme drought the last few seasons. In this article, James Bentley examines how water trade has functioned throughout the drought. The benefits of trade in serving to redistribute water and reduce the impacts of drought are discussed.
Air Quality Issues in School Site Selection
Prepared by ICF, June 2005 (revised May 2007). Local air quality is an important factor to consider in the selection of a location for a new school. For California's South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), ICF developed a guidance document to assist school districts in the selection of locations for new schools with respect to local air quality. The guidance document synthesizes and references a variety of scientific literature and other guidance to provide easy to understand steps that can minimize exposure of school children and school personnel to air pollution and toxic emissions at school sites.
Carbon Procurement Vehicles: Investor's Guide 2007
A multitude of new carbon purchasing vehicles have been launched in the past few years in anticipation of the Kyoto commitment period, offering companies another means of participating in the carbon market. ICF International has developed a comprehensive multi-client study that will enable you to understand the characteristics, purposes, and modalities of carbon purchasing vehicles and make qualified decisions when buying or selling credits or investing in carbon vehicles for compliance or voluntary reasons.
Water Markets Perspective: Privatisation and Regulation of China’s Water Sector
China is currently the most active emerging market for public-private partnerships in the water sector. However, the government faces a familiar tension between ensuring sufficient capital investment to improve service quality and keeping tariffs for consumers affordable. In China, distinctive contract models and characteristics of the institutional environment pose particular challenges for establishing a sound regulatory regime. The existing system is complicated by the overlapping layers of rules issued by different government bodies and by limited transparency in processes for regulatory decision making. In this January 2007 Water Markets Perspective, Olivia Jensen of ICF International discusses how China can draw on regulatory theory and international experience to develop economic regulations for its water sector.
Water Markets—Regulation Matters (January 2007)
Regulation Matters is the regular digest of water markets news and views from the London office of ICF International. It provides coverage of topical issues in water markets and the latest ICF International insights and perspectives into regulatory developments.
2006 Articles
Characterizing the Environmental, Health, and Safety Implications of Nanotechnology: Where Should the Federal Government Go From Here?
December 2006. ICF analyzes the U.S. Federal Government’s research efforts
to answer environmental, health, and safety (EHS) questions about nanotechnology.
The report describes an urgent need to chart a more aggressive course when it
comes to answering such questions and concludes that sound management is as important
as good science. In the report, ICF builds an integrated framework for addressing
the challenge and provides 14 specific recommendations about the path forward
for U.S. policy.
Trading Around the Caps
Published in Environmental Finance, November 2006, by Natalia Gorina and Alexandre Marty of ICF International. First appeared in a supplement to the November 2006 issues of Environmental Finance and Carbon Finance. This article describes the dynamics between the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) and Kyoto credits from the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint Implementation (JI). It highlights the interactions between demand for Kyoto credits from EU ETS participants, volume of credits actually available to be imported into the EU ETS, and caps set at Member State level on use of such credits. Beyond the apparent complexity of overall caps and the limitations they create, the article points out opportunities and ways for EU ETS participants reaching their "credit limit" to turn around the constraint by "swapping" credits for EU Allowances from less constrained entities. This option will likely trigger significant market activity and provide incentives for market intermediaries to design creative—and rewarding—compliance solutions for EU ETS participants.
Voluntary
Carbon Offsets Market Outlook
The market for voluntary carbon offsets is small
but maturing rapidly. ICF International's new study analyzes
the market drivers, assesses the impediments affecting growth
in the market, and presents scenarios outlining how the market
may evolve to 2010. The study also examines the impact of
some of the emerging international standards and verification
protocols.
2016:
A Fixture Odyssey
Published in Lighting Design and Application (LD&A), September
2006, by Jeffrey Schwartz and Kenn Latal of ICF International. This article
takes a whimsical look at lighting fixtures of the future using examples from
science fiction movies. At the same time, the article challenges the lighting
community to design fixtures that are sustainable, energy-efficient,
environmentally friendly, efficient, effective, aesthetically pleasing, and
affordable.
Using
Water Markets to Mitigate Drought Impacts: Learning from
Australian Farmers in the Murray Darling Basin
Despite clear hardships that the irrigation community faces, the ability and
willingness to trade the limited water supplies available means irrigators
are better able than ever to cope with drought-related challenges. Essentially,
the real value of water trade for the economy is to provide the flexibility
to allow the production of water-based produce to contract in response to drought
in an economically efficient manner. In the October 2006 Water Markets
Perspective, James Bentley of ICF International discusses how to use current
water markets to mitigate drought impacts, using Australia’s Murray Darling
Basin as a prime example.
Converting
Research Into Action: A Framework for Identifying Opportunities
to Provide Practical Decision Support for Climate Change
Adaptation
Written by ICF International's J. Randall Freed
and Frances Sussman and published in the September 2006 issue
of Water Resources Impact, a publication of the American
Water Resources Association. Despite the likelihood of
significant impacts of climate change and variability, information
on future climate conditions is rarely integrated into water
resource decision making. This paper provides practical
advice on how researchers can best assist water resource
managers in adapting to future climate
change.
California's
Greenhouse Gas Legislation: California Global Warming
Solutions Act of 2006
Within the United States, California has repeatedly been at the vanguard of environmental
and energy programs. With the recent passage of the "Global Warming Solutions
Act of 2006," many expect that the state will once again lead the way for
the United States by designing and experimenting with a comprehensive program
to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In this white paper, Michael Gibbs
of ICF
International's Los Angeles office summarizes the act's provisions and comments
on some of its implications.
The
Kyoto Protocol and Its Market Mechanisms: Evaluating
Their Contribution to Cleaner Energy
Published in the AccountAbility
Forum, "Energy & Accountability" (No. 9, 2006), June
2006, Greenleaf
Publishing. AccountAbility is an international organization that works to
promote accountability for sustainable development. This article by Abyd Karmali
of ICF International explores how well the Kyoto Protocol's market mechanisms
have succeeded in stimulating greenhouse gas emission reductions in developing
countries through carbon credits and whether the price signal provided by the
rapidly maturing carbon market is strong enough to encourage rapid evolution
toward lower carbon technologies in the global energy sector.
Challenges to Investing in Water
Evidence has shown that
private sector involvement is not necessarily the key to
unlocking barriers to efficiency and profitability in the
water sector. Water investments face their own challenges
due to the very nature of the product, which can impact
the financial success or failure of the investment. In this
July 2006 Water
Markets Perspective,
Ceema Namazie of ICF International discusses the challenges
faced by investors in the water sector, and how these factors
affect the overall commercial viability of these opportunities—whatever
the type of investor.
Cooling
Down Hot Air
Published in Environmental
Finance, May 2006, by Natalia Gorina of ICF International. This article considers
how Russia and Ukraine could monetize their massive surpluses of Kyoto Protocol
Assigned Amount Units (AAU). Surplus AAUs are quantified and their impact on
the price of carbon is evaluated using ICF
International's InCaP tool. Then, the benefits and current barriers for implementation
of Green Investment Schemes in Russia and Ukraine are analyzed, as well as the
option of converting some surplus AAUs into Joint Implementation Track 1 Emission
Reduction Units.
Drought
Floods
Water Market with Opportunity
Opportunity is not a word many of the 13 million water
customers facing water restrictions would associate with
England’s worst drought in 100 years. However, the
current drought highlights more than ever the true value
of this essential resource and the need for new thinking
on how water can be used and managed more wisely. In this
May 2006 Water Markets Perspective,
Scott Reid of ICF International identifies four practical
market-oriented opportunities for encouraging water smart
decision-making.
Economic
Valuation and Public Goods
Water utilities operate for the public good, supplying essential services and
protecting public health and our environment. In the context of England and
Wales, the delivery of this public good has been in the hands of privately
owned businesses, and regulators increasingly see tools like cost-benefit analysis
as a way to align the interests of private sector businesses with the delivery
of this public good. Recent work in the area of economic valuation also is
suggesting that these public good characteristics may matter when it comes
to measuring the economic value of improving the provision of water services.
In this new Water Markets Perspective, Scott Reid
of ICF International explores the practical relevance of this recent work to
the increasing use of cost benefit analysis to guide investment planning by
water utilities. In particular, he investigates whether it is appropriate to
ask what customers are willing to pay for service improvements or instead,
what customers are prepared to accept by way of compensation for foregoing
a service improvement.
Everything
is Illuminated
Published in Natural Home and Garden, January/February 2006, by Paul
Vrabel of ICF International, this article presents today's options for energy
efficient lighting in the home. The article includes information on stylistic
energy saving fixtures that are readily available in the market and the future
of energy efficient lighting. Specifically, the article presents an overview
of ENERGY STAR qualified fixtures that will save energy and meet consumers'
performance and aesthetic needs. The article also presents that facts about
the use of Light Emitting Diodes (LED) for the home, and where this technology
is going to improve our world.
Including Aviation into the EU
ETS: Impact on EU Allowance Prices
ICF International was commissioned by the UK
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
and UK Department for Transport (DfT) to provide a quantitative
assessment of the impacts of including the aviation sector
into Phase II of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (2008-2012).
The February 2006 report examines the impacts of including
aviation within the EU Emissions Trading Scheme commencing
in 2008 and the sector's impact on EU Allowances prices for
the period 2008-2012. ICF International used its proprietary International
Carbon Pricing Tool (InCaP)
to provide this rigorous analysis. The
report was used by the government in order to inform policy
development and to provide a response to any European Commission
proposal on aviation's inclusion within the Scheme.
Using Smart Growth Techniques as Stormwater Best Management
Practices
Developed by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and ICF International, January 2006.
To comply with the Clean Water Act, more than 6,000 communities
are developing municipal stormwater permitting programs. Many
of these communities also are redeveloping vacant properties,
promoting transportation options, and facilitating efficient
use of land and infrastructure. This report reviews common
smart growth techniques and examines how they can be used to
prevent or manage stormwater runoff. This publication will
help communities meet the new regulatory requirements.
Growing Toward More Efficient Water Use: Linking Development,
Infrastructure, and Drinking Water Policies
Co-authored by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and ICF International, January 2006. The
report finds that large-lot, dispersed development patterns
cost more to serve and use more water and provides policy options
for states, localities, and utilities to reduce the cost of
and demand for water. These policies offer opportunities for
more efficient water use at a time when an increasing number
of communities face water shortages.
2005 Articles
The
Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA):
Spurring Innovation and Growth
While Cleaning the Air
For the past 15 years, ICF International has been supporting the
U.S. Environmental Protection Ageny (EPA) in implementing various
aspects of the Clean
Air Act, including provisions under the
Acid Rain Program, the NOx Budget Trading Program,
the Clean Air Interstate Rule, and others. Recently, ICF International
was tasked by EPA to document the success of the Amendments
in spurring innovation and growth. ICF International’s
findings, compiled as a white paper, also are available at
the Web site for the 15th
anniversary of the CAAA.
Maintenance
Strategy Yields Big Savings
Published in H&MM (Hotel and Motel Management), September 19,
2005, by Bruce Appelbaum of ICF International and Stuart Brodsky of U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency. Simple maintenance strategies that can achieve significant
improvements in hotel and motel energy efficiency are described. Focusing on
good maintenance practices can yield energy savings of more than 20 percent,
often with little or no capital expenditure.
At
What Price?
Published in Carbon
Finance, July 2005, by Abyd Karmali of ICF International. With the price
of 2005-07 vintage European Union (EU) Allowances for CO2 emissions
trading between Euros 6 and 30, there is considerable speculation about the
potential price for allowances during 2008-2012. This article summarizes how
scenario analysis can be used to derive analytically-robust forward price estimates
for CO2.
Best
Practices in Carbon Management
Chapter by Abyd Karmali published in The
Finance of Climate Change, July 2005. A growing number of leading international
companies have begun to put in place strategies to address the risks and opportunities
presented by climate change. This chapter from a new book provides some of the
key lessons learned from ICF International's work with around 50 companies among
the Global Fortune 500.
LEDs
for General Illumination: Energy Codes, Lumens per Watt,
and Other Lighting Criteria
Published in LEDs
Magazine, July 2005, by Jeffrey Schwartz of ICF International. The lighting
community needs to be able to evaluate light emitting diode (LED) lighting products
in the same way as any other competing technologies. The author describes some
of the relevant criteria.
Cost-Effective
Methane Emissions Reductions for Small and Midsize Natural
Gas Producers
Published in the Journal of Petroleum Technology, June 2005, by Robin
Petrusak and Donald Robinson of ICF International, Roger Fernandez of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) Natural Gas STAR Program, and Duane Zavadil of Bill Barrett
Corporation. This paper outlines methane emission reduction technologies and
techniques that can be applied to various types of domestic gas production. This
paper avoids a "one-size-fits-all" approach. Instead this paper offers
tested and easy-to-use analytical tools to help small-to medium-sized producers
make economic decisions on equipment selection and operating practices that reduce
methane emissions and are appropriate for their region.
Methane
Emissions and Reduction Opportunities in the Gas Processing
Industry
Published in the Oil & Gas Journal, June 13, 2005, by Donald Robinson
and Vineet Aggarwal of ICF International and Roger Fernandez of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA). The U.S. EPA’s Natural Gas STAR Program was implemented
in the early 1990s as part of the U.S. Federal Government’s Climate Change
Strategy. Gas STAR is a public-private partnership aimed at voluntary methane
emissions reductions. Based on adopted best management practices for cost-effective
methane emission reductions, companies who have joined the Gas STAR Program have
reported saving over one billion cubic feet of methane emissions in the year
2000. This paper identifies new opportunities for methane emission reductions
from the gas processing sector.
Geotechnics of Waste Stabilization Ponds: An Important Piece
of the Wastewater Treatment Puzzle
Published in Environmental Science and
Engineering Magazine,
May 2005, by Francisco Silva-Tulla of ICF International and
Raul Flores-Berrones of the Mexican Institute of Water Technology.
From environmental, economic, political, and social perspectives,
wastewater treatment represents one of the most pressing
issues facing municipalities and industry today. Waste stabilization
ponds (WSP) provide one of the simplest, lowest cost, and
most efficient wastewater treatment technologies available.
Experiences with WSP suggest that geotechnical engineering
can correct many problems that prevent these cleverly designed
systems from achieving their full potential. This article
presents a geotechnical 'checklist' for
preventing problems related to water leakage, geological
faults, and slope failures during excavation and construction,
as well as uncontrolled settlements after construction. The
authors also provide guidelines to identify problematic soils
(expansive, collapsible, dispersive, or highly compressible)
with suggestions for their stabilization or improvement.
States
Move Forward to Control CO2 Emissions
Published in ICF International's Perspectives, a quarterly report that provides
executive briefs on key insights and perspectives, Spring/Summer 2005.
Analyzing
the Price of Carbon in 2008-2012: Its Widespread Impacts
Published in ICF International's Perspectives, a quarterly report that
provides executive briefs on key insights and perspectives, Spring/Summer 2005.
The
U.S. EPA's New Clean Air Rules: Impact on Market Participants
Published in ICF International's Perspectives, a quarterly report that provides
executive briefs on key insights and perspectives, Spring/Summer 2005.
Providing
EPA's Energy Performance Rating Through Commercial Third
Party Hosts
Published on-line in Energy Central - EnergyPulse, April 29, 2005, by
Bill von Neida of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) and
Sarah O'Connell of ICF International. This paper presents the EPA's approach to
providing the national energy performance rating system through commercial third
party hosts. While the energy performance rating system has been successfully
introduced and accepted into the market, a broader application is now being explored.
EPA is now working with commercial energy information vendors to automate benchmarking.
By automating the process, it becomes more realistic for organizations with large
portfolios to assess their opportunities for improvement, prioritize upgrades
across their portfolios, and realize significant financial and environmental
savings.
Clearer
Signals Ahead
Published in Energy Risk Magazine, April 2005, by Abyd Karmali, Sebastian
Foot, and Nazim Osmanick of ICF International. Each year has seen a new stage
of maturity in the global markets for carbon emissions. Market analysts now
face the analytical challenge of incorporating a price of carbon into their
investment appraisals. This article provides perspective on the dynamics of
carbon supply and demand during the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol
(2008-2012) and suggests implications for what the price of CO2 might be.
The Price of Carbon in 2008-2012: Scenarios for Investment
Appraisal
ICF International has developed a comprehensive report
based on a fundamental analysis to forecast CO2 prices
under several scenarios. Grounded in leading-edge analysis,
the study was developed using sector- and country-specific
marginal abatement cost curves for all gases and our
proprietary tool, the Integrated
Planning Model (IPM®), a dynamic, linear, integrated
model of the power sector that has supported more than
100 Gigawatts (GW) of power market investments in the last
four years alone.
Neighborhood
Schools and Sidewalk Connections: What Are the Impacts
on Travel Mode Choice and Vehicle Emissions?
Published in Transportation
Research News 237,
March-April 2005, pp. 4-10, by William Schroeer of ICF International, Reid
Ewing of the University of Maryland, and Christopher
V. Forinash of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Copyright, Transportation
Research Board (TRB), National Research Council, Washington, D.C. Reproduced
with permission of TRB. This article is a condensed version of the "School
Location and Student Travel: Analysis of Factors Affecting Mode Choice" study,
which quantifies the relationship between school location, the built environment
around schools, student travel to school, and the emissions from that travel.
Findings argue for neighborhood schools and improvements to sidewalk networks
around schools. Centrally located schools to which students can walk or bike
would reduce vehicle emissions significantly. The results have been widely
cited because they confirm that the steep decrease in kids walking to school
is in large part linked to trends toward giant schools in remote areas. Despite
other trends and concerns (increased driving, crime), when kids can walk to
school, they do.
Will
the Combustion Plant Directive Ignite Trading?
Published in Environmental
Finance, April 2005, by Kim Keats
Martínez of ICF International. Despite the success
of U.S. cap-and-trade schemes in reducing the cost of NOx and
SO2
reductions, Europe's power sector seems less inclined to
embrace trading. The article reviews the limited experience
with NOx and SO2 emissions certificate
trading in Europe and whether the European Union's Large
Combustion Plant Directive (LCDP)—which sets Emission
Limit Values (ELV) starting in 2008—will boost implementation
of National Emissions Reduction Plans (NERP) for member
states.
Ultimate Lateral Resistance to Piles in Cohesionless Soils
Published
in ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and
Geoenvironmental Engineering,
January 2005, by Lianyang Zhang, Francisco Silva, and Ralph
Grismala of ICF International. The article proposed a simple
method for calculating the ultimate lateral resistance (including
frontal soil resistance and side shear resistance) to piles
in cohesionless soils. The calculated ultimate lateral resistance
from the proposed method agrees well with that obtained from
centrifugal tests of flexible model piles. Predicting the
lateral load capacity of laboratory and field rigid test
piles in cohesionless soils using the proposed method also
yields satisfactory results.
Curbing Carbon Dioxide with Cutting Edge Supply Chain Partnerships
Published in
Inside Supply Management®, January 2005, Vol.
16, No. 1, by Jan Canterbury of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency and Anne Choate of ICF International. The
article discusses opportunities for companies to reduce
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions throughout the product supply
chain. In particular, this article summarizes the outcomes
of a workshop held in Detroit, Michigan, where members
of 13 top U.S. companies in the automotive, aluminum, and
chemical industries met to discuss innovative partnerships
that could lead to reductions in emissions of carbon dioxide
and other GHGs.
Emissions Trading: Aviation's Next
Steps
Published in Environmental
Finance, December 2004/January 2005,
by Abyd Karmali of ICF International. The International Civil
Aviation Organisation (ICAO) recently resolved to permit the
aviation sector to be included in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
trading schemes. This article explores some of the complex
technical, economic, and competitive implications of including
aviation in the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). Read
about ICF International's study for ICAO
on options for an emissions trading system in the aviation
sector.
Relationship
Between Motor Vehicle Emissions of Hazardous Pollutants,
Roadway Proximity, and Ambient Concentrations in Portland,
Oregon
Published in Environmental Modelling & Software, Volume 20, Issue
1, January 2005, by Jonathan Cohen and Edward Carr of ICF International and by
Richard Cook and Chad Bailey of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The
report describes the results of an ICF International project analyzing air quality
predictions for Portland, Oregon from the CALPUFF
dispersion model. A regression
model was developed to predict ambient concentrations of three hazardous air
pollutants—benzene, 1,3-butadiene, and diesel particulate matter—based
on traffic volumes and emission rates for individual roadway links, wind speeds
and directions, and on the distances and directions between the roadways and
the receptor points. This regression model provides a useful approximation
to the more complicated CALPUFF dispersion model.
Operating and Financial Review: Millstone or Stepping Stone
Written
by Alan Knight of ICF International and Tim Purcell of CO3.
The
issue paper discusses the new UK company reporting legislation
that requires listed companies in the United Kingdom to produce
an OFR for accounting periods commencing on or after April
1, 2005. Findings assert that those companies that respond
positively to the OFR requirements are more likely to attract
and retain investors, as well as enhance their risk identification
and management. OFR offers companies a significant opportunity
to demonstrate their Corporate
Social Responsibility (CSR) credentials to their key audiences and maximise shareholder
value.
2004 Articles
Heat-Seeking Missives
Reprinted with permission from FOREIGN
POLICY #145
(November/December 2004) www.foreignpolicy.com. © 2004
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Written by
Christa Clapp of ICF International. A recent study by McKitrick
and Michaels disputes the evidence of climate change accelerated
by human-induced greenhouse gas emissions. This article reviews
the study against overwhelming scientific evidence and international
consensus, concluding that dissent over minor data distorts
the climate change policy debate in the United States.
Judging
the Quality of a Lighting Project
Published in Today's
Lighting Distributor, November/December
2004, by Jeffrey Schwartz of ICF International. The first
in a series of five articles on energy-efficient lighting
projects explains efficacy, efficiency, watts per square
foot, life-cycle cost tools, and how they relate to
energy efficiency and the quality of a lighting project.
The article explains how lamp efficacy and fixture
efficiency must both be considered when evaluating
a project, and how to use watts per square foot as
a true measure of the project's energy efficiency.
Environmental
Concerns Shape the Future: Kim Keats, ICF International,
UK, Considers the Potential Impact of CO2 Allowances
on the Coal Industry
Published in World Coal, October 2004. ICF International’s Kim
Keats Martínez considers the impact of new environmental legislation on the
use of coal for power generation in Europe. This article focuses on the impact
of three key initiatives: the European Union’s carbon dioxide (CO2)
emissions certificate trading scheme, toughening restrictions on emissions
of sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), and
the growing role of renewables.
Serving
Up Savings with ENERGY STAR® Qualified Commercial
Foodservice Equipment
Published in OutFront Magazine, Fall
2004, by Mehernaz Polad of ICF International. This article is
targeted towards manufacturers' representatives for foodservice
equipment, providing information on the benefits of ENERGY
STAR® qualified equipment versus standard equipment. The
article contains general information about ENERGY STAR®,
which foodservice products are currently eligible to qualify
under the program, monetary savings associated with the products,
and how manufacturers would benefit from joining the program.
Becoming
an ENERGY STAR® Partner
Published in Today's Lighting Distributor,
September/October 2004, by Jeffrey Schwartz. This article
explains to distributors the benefits of becoming an ENERGY STAR® partner—including
increasing sales and profits—and how to participate
in the voluntary program developed by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy to identify
quality products that save energy and protect the environment.
Allocation
of Carbon Emission Certificates in the Power Sector:
How Generators Profit from Grandfathered Rights
Written by Kim Keats Martínez of ICF International and
Karsten Neuhoff of the Department of Applied Economics (DAE),
University of Cambridge, as part of the Cambridge-MIT (CMI)
Electricity Project, DAE Working Paper Series, September 2004.
The authors assess the impact of the European Union's Emission
Trading Scheme (EU ETS)—Europe's cap-and-trade scheme
for CO2 due to kick off from 2005—on a typical
pulverized coal-fired power station and more modern gas-fired
combined cycle plant.
Part
2: An Evaluation of the Present Clean Development Mechanism
Written by Sebastian Foot of ICF International, this article was featured in Environmental Law
and Management (Environmental Law and Management, Volume 16, Issue
4, 2004, Lawtext Publishing, ISSN 1067 6058), titled "An Evaluation
of the Clean Development Mechanism (Part 2)." The author discusses
the potential for the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)—one of the three
market-based flexible mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol, from the project validation
perspective. An independent third party must validate that each CDM project
meets the criteria of the Kyoto Protocol, Marrakech Accords, and subsequent
CDM Executive Board decision. Consequently the validation process offers a
unique insight into the practical workings of the CDM and its governing bodies.
By considering the mechanism in such a context it has been possible to highlight
issues in the CDM’s development and the implications for other emissions
trading schemes. The author suggests that regulatory controls should be balanced
in proportion to the probable size of the emissions trading scheme to ensure
marginal administrative costs and maintain strict quality controls. See
Part 1 below.
An Evaluation of the Present Clean Development Mechanism
Written by
Sebastian Foot of ICF International, this article was featured
in Environmental
Law and Management (Environmental
Law
and Management, Volume 16, Issue 3, 2004, Lawtext Publishing,
ISSN 1067 6058), titled "An
Evaluation of the Clean Development Mechanism." The
author presents the evolution of the Clean Development
Mechanism (CDM)—one of the three market-based flexible
mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol designed to tackle climate change and global warming.
The report highlights CDM's transformation as it matures compared
to the original mandate it was designed to meet, as a tool for Member States to help meet greenhouse
gas (GHG) emission reduction quotas. The
author notes that the CDM has matured through a combination
of expanded modalities, reached
through international negotiation and the development
of stakeholder tools, which is leading to increased standardization
of the CDM framework, although at the cost of numerous
failed projects. The article highlights the role
of the CDM Executive Board (EB) and suggests that it
is in a unique position to improve procedures, increase
market potential and establish greater trust with participants. The
article forms part of a larger study being undertaken
by Mr. Foot of the issues surrounding the CDM, which
will lead to further publications on this subject in
the future. See Part 2 above.
Mandatory
Reporting on Environmental, Social, & Community Issues
in the United Kingdom: The New Operating & Financial
Review (OFR)
Published in ICF International's Perspectives, a quarterly
report that provides executive briefs on key insights and
perspectives, Summer 2004.
From
Legislation to Regulation: U.S. EPA's Proposed Clean
Air Interstate & Mercury Rules Affect Electric Power
Industry
Published in ICF International's Perspectives, a quarterly report that
provides executive briefs on key insights and perspectives, Summer 2004.
The
Benefits of Selling ENERGY STAR® Qualified
Products
Published in Today's Lighting Distributor, July/August
2004, by Jeffrey Schwartz. Today there
are more than 60 ENERGY STAR® Manufacturing
Partners offering in excess of 9,000 models of light fixtures
that meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's and
U.S. Department of Energy's qualifications for quality products
that save energy and protect the environment. This article
explains to distributors how to increase sales, profits,
and customer satisfaction by selling these energy-efficient
lighting products, rather than standard models.
What
is ENERGY STAR®?
Published in Today's Lighting Distributor, May/June
2004, by Jeffrey Schwartz. This article provides a preliminary
understanding of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's
and U.S. Department of Energy's voluntary program that identifies
quality products that save energy and
protect the environment, and why it is important to
National Association of Independent Lighting Distributors
(NAILD) members.
Drilled Shafts in Rock: Analysis and Design
By Lianyang Zhang of ICF International. Published by A.A.
Balkema Publishers, ©Copyright May 2004 Taylor & Francis
Group plc, London, UK. Drilled shafts in rock are widely
used as foundations of heavy structures such as highway bridges
and tall buildings. Although much has been learned on the
analysis and design of drilled shafts in rock, all the major
findings are reported in the form of reports and articles
published in technical journals and conference proceedings.
This book is the first to present and summarize the latest
information in one volume, assisting the reader in the analysis
and design of drilled shafts in rock. The book is a valuable
tool for professionals working on the design of drilled shafts
in rock. It is also a good reference for professionals working
in geological engineering, rock mechanics, and foundation
engineering.
ICAO
Exploring Development of a Trading Scheme for Emissions
from Aviation
By ICF International's Abyd Karmali and Melinda Harris;
published in ICAO
Journal, May 2004. Emissions trading can be an effective means of reaching
environmental objectives while minimizing the financial burdens on participants. ICF International recently carried out a study for the International Civil Aviation
Organisation (ICAO) that examined options for an emissions trading system to
cover international emissions of greenhouse gases from the aviation sector.
Trends in Environmentally Related Childhood Illnesses
Published in Pediatrics, Vol. 113,
No. 4, April 2004, and co-authored by ICF International's Bradford
J. Hurley, and Tracey J. Woodruff, Daniel A. Axelrad, Amy
D. Kyle, Onyemaechi Nweke, and Gregory G. Miller. Trends
in childhood illnesses are one element of a framework for
children's environmental health indicators, which also includes
trends in contaminants in the environment and in concentrations
of contaminants in bodies of children and their mothers.
This article presents data on three groups of important childhood
diseases or disorders that seem to be caused, or exacerbated,
by exposure to environmental agents and for which nationally
representative data are available. Funding for this research
was provided by the National Center for Environmental Economics
and the Office of Children’s
Health Protection, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The Bottomline on Buying Recycled
Published in Inside Supply Management, March 2004,
Vol. 15, No. 3, by Jan Canterbury of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), and Pamela Mathis of ICF International. ©Copyright
Institute for Supply Management™. This article discusses
the business impact of using recycled content rather than
virgin materials in manufactured or purchased products to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow climate change.
The article describes the EPA's ReCon spreadsheet calculator
tool, which can be used to quantify the benefits of waste
prevention and resource conservation efforts and show that
what’s
good for the environment can also be good for business in
terms of bottomline profits and long-term shareholder value.
Effect of Coast Guard Maritime Security Rules on EPA-Regulated
Facilities
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) published final rules on October 22, 2003, to implement
the security requirements of the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002
in regard to oil spill prevention and marine safety. The rules include provisions
addressing Area Maritime Security (ports), vessels, and facilities. Some of
these entities contain transportation-related and non-transportation-related
components that are regulated by both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) and the USCG, such as a marine transfer facility (under USCG jurisdiction)
with aboveground storage tanks (under EPA jurisdiction). This white paper introduces
approaches that EPA can take to continue coordination with USCG and to assist
regulated facilities in complying with these new requirements.
International Opportunities for Cost-Effective Reductions
of Methane Emissions
Written by Don Robinson and Daniel Lieberman
of ICF International, and Roger Fernandez of U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), this article was featured in Oil & Gas
Journal, July 12, 2004, under the title "U.S.
Natural Gas STAR Program Success Points to Global Opportunities
to Cut Methane Emissions Cost-Effectively." The
authors present numerous opportunities currently available
to reduce methane emissions in countries with large and/or
growing natural gas industries. Many of these options can
reduce emissions while simultaneously increasing profits
or decreasing costs. The article quantifies these opportunities,
examines emerging emission reduction markets that can offer
an additional revenue stream beyond increased gas sales,
and includes some actual examples of international projects
that will achieve methane emission reductions and claim credits
under international schemes. The analysis is an example |
