Hugo Neu Corporation Sustainability Seminar Series: From Data to Decarbonization: Tackling the Big Apple’s Carbon Footprint

A field of windmills against a hazy blue sky.

Department of Civil, Environmental, and Ocean Engineering


Speaker: Dave Nowak, LEED AP, ENV SP, Senior Project Scientist, Dewberry

ABSTRACT

New York City alone releases over 50 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (MtCO2e) every year, greater than the emissions of the entire country of Sweden. This carbon dioxide output is the equivalent of driving back and forth between the earth and the sun 684 times over the next 242,000 years. Meanwhile, the City has committed to reducing these emissions by 80% by 2050.

What do these numbers really mean? Where did they come from and what do they tell us? And what are we going to do about?

This seminar will:

  • Explain the basics of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions the science behind and the relationship between global warming and climate change.

  • Deepen your understanding of the elementary GHG inventory principles of operational control versus value-chain emissions.

  • Walk through the simple three-part “data-tool-results” methodology to calculate even the thorniest of emissions sources.

  • Explore the basic building blocks of conducting a robust GHG inventory for an organization, a project, or even your own carbon footprint.

  • Dive into decarbonization and the efforts going on to build a carbon-free future

BIOGRAPHY

Dave Nowak.

Mr. Nowak is a senior project scientist based in New York City at the engineering firm Dewberry. His focus is on GHG emissions inventories and carbon accounting and helping to build Dewberry’s decarbonization services and its sustainability practice.

Mr. Nowak has nearly 20 years of broad sustainability and environmental experience and is a LEED AP and ENV SP. Prior to joining Dewberry, he worked in the Office of Sustainability at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey focusing on energy procurement, offshore wind port infrastructure, and GHG accounting and strategic planning for emissions reductions. Mr. Nowak has a Bachelor of Arts in both environmental science economics from Rice University, and a Master of Science in sustainability and an MBA from the University of Michigan.

Zoom Link:

https://stevens.zoom.us/j/93829898400

Website:

https://www.stevens.edu/sustainability-seminar-series

Jointly Sponsored by:

HUGO NEU Corporation
WSP
NOMADICS
Brown and Caldwell
H2M Architects and Engineers
Dewberry
HDR

Contact:

Dr. Dibs Sarkar

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