NTA’s Pathways to a Low Carbon Economy
Prof. Thomas ODonnell
January 25th, 2012

NTA’s efforts to reduce their carbon footprint are an example for all companies trying to adopt more sustainable practices. As the NTA studies and analyzes their current situations, they begin to realize they can make immediate changes and which ones will take more time. McKinsey & Company’s greenhouse gas abatement cost curve found in “Pathways to a Low Carbon Economy” offer a few ideas that may aid the NTA in achieving its goals.
The first goal that would benefit the NTA’s GHG abatement project is implementing motor systems efficiency, which means using motors in their fleet that are energy efficient. Although costly, it is a goal that will allow the NTA to continue to use their current fleet while reducing the energy, and therefore the fuel, used to power them. “It is far easier to quantify the incremental energy savings of substituting an energy efficient motor for a standard motor than it is to quantify energy savings of applying energy efficiency practices to an existing motor system” (UNIDO).
Another change the NTA could apply to its fleet would be using 1st generation biofuels. These “are ethanol produced from corn or sugar cane and biodiesel produced from canola oil, soybean oil, or palm oil” (Greenwise, 2011). With the increased concern about running out of fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions, we see the use of these fuels continuing to increase. The NTA would not only be reducing their impact on the environment, but would also set an example to start using sustainable energy. Even though this change sounds simple, economic theory makes these biofuels more expensive than we would like. Because the demand for 1st generation biofuels is low at the moment, the prices are much higher than those of regular fossil fuels. As demand increases the prices will become