CAP Environmental Impact 4

Question 1

Which approach does the GHG Protocol recommend for attributing Scope 2 electricity emissions when a company purchases renewable energy certificates (RECs)?

Accepted Answer

Both location-based and market-based methods must be disclosed

Answer

The GHG Protocol Scope 2 Guidance requires companies to report both location-based (grid average) and market-based (contractual instruments like RECs) figures for complete transparency.

Question 2

Permafrost thaw is considered a critical climate tipping point in environmental impact science primarily because:

Accepted Answer

It releases large stores of methane and CO₂ previously locked in frozen ground

Answer

Permafrost contains vast quantities of ancient organic carbon; as it thaws, microbial decomposition releases CH₄ and CO₂, creating a positive feedback loop that amplifies warming.

Question 3

When auditing a cement plant, which chemical process — distinct from fuel combustion — must be separately inventoried as a process emission?

Accepted Answer

Calcination of limestone releasing CO₂

Answer

Calcination converts calcium carbonate (limestone) to calcium oxide (lime) and releases CO₂ chemically — this process emission is separate from and in addition to combustion emissions.

Question 4

In environmental impact assessment, what does 'ecosystem services valuation' help carbon auditors understand?

Accepted Answer

The economic and climate value of intact ecosystems in absorbing and storing carbon

Answer

Ecosystem services valuation quantifies the climate benefit and broader value of intact ecosystems (forests, wetlands, grasslands) as natural carbon sinks and biodiversity reservoirs.

Question 5

A company reports a Science-Based Target (SBT) aligned with a 1.5°C pathway. This means the target:

Accepted Answer

Is validated to cut emissions at a rate consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5°C

Answer

SBTs validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) as 1.5°C-aligned must demonstrate emission reductions consistent with the most ambitious Paris Agreement goal.

(CAP) Certified Carbon Auditing Professional Practice Test

(CAP) Certified Carbon Auditing Professional Practice Test

CAP Environmental Impact 4