Climate change is one of the greatest threats to fish and fisheries on the planet, and according to the Intergovernmental Panel in Climate Change (IPCC), the world would have to curb its carbon emissions by at least 49% of 2017 levels by the year 2030 and then achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 in order to avoid catastrophic climate change effects. There is a growing number of fly fishing guides, shops, lodges, brands & nonprofits who have committed to going carbon neutral by 2030 as members of the Fly Fishing Climate Alliance, and many of them, like Shyanne Orvis, have already achieved carbon neutrality by measuring their carbon footprint, creating a carbon footprint reduction plan and purchasing carbon offsets to achieve carbon neutrality. Here’s why Shyanne had to say about why she decided to go carbon neutral:“As a fly fishing guide, it’s the local watershed and fisheries that help support my business. It only makes sense that I continue to find additional ways to protect these resources and achieving carbon neutrality is among one of them. This is an important step in my journey, and I’m incredibly grateful that Emerger Strategies helped provide an easy way for me to accomplish offsetting my carbon footprint.”

Carbon Neutral is defined by the World Resources Institute as “annual zero net anthropogenic (human caused or influenced CO2 emissions by a certain date. By definition, carbon neutrality means every ton of anthropogenic CO2 emitted is compensated with an equivalent amount of CO2 removed (e.g. via carbon sequestration)….”

Methodology

Shyanne Orvis’ Carbon Footprint is based in the GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting Standard and is created as a reference for what we are including in the Carbon Footprint, which provides a relevant, complete, consistent, transparent and accurate GHG inventory.

Spend-based method – We are estimating emissions for goods and services by collecting data on the economic value of goods and services purchased and multiplying it by relevant secondary (e.g., industry average) emission factors (e.g., average emissions per monetary value of goods).

Organizational Boundary: We are taking a financial control approach, which assumes the business has financial control over its operations and the ability to direct the financial and operating policies over these activities.

Operational Boundary: In order to set our operational boundaries, we must report our Scope 1 (direct emissions) and Scope 2 (indirect emissions) and are voluntarily reporting our Scope 3 (indirect emissions). For more information on see table below:

Carbon Footprint

Below is a summary of my 2020 carbon footprint:

• SCOPE 1 GHG Emissions: 1.7 mtCO2e
• SCOPE 2 GHG Emissions: 9.1 mtCO2e
• SCOPE 3 GHG Emissions: 15.5 mtCO2e

• 1.1 Heating: Shyanne’s cabin uses electric heat, so heating is accounted for in Scope 2.
• 1.2 Mobile Sources: We accounted for the GHG emissions associated with the fuel burned in Shyanne’s guide service driving from the ranch to different fishing locations.
• 2.1 Electricity: We accounted for the GHG emissions associated with Shyanne’s cabin.
• 3.1 Purchased Goods & Services: We did not account for embodied carbon of the rods, reels, gear, etc. because they are provided by the ranch where Shyanne guides.
• 3.2 Capital Goods: Not applicable.
• 3.3 Fuel & Energy Related Activities: We did not account for the travel of clients to the ranch, but did account for the miles driven from the ranch to different fishing locations.
• 3.4 Inbound Shipments: As a fly fishing professional, Shyanne receives a lot of inbound mail from companies who want her to promote their products, so we estimated the weight of packages she receives per month and multiplied by 12 months to account for these GHG emissions.
• 3.5 Waste Generated in Operations: Not material.
• 3.6 Business Travel: Shyanne does several hosted trips to lodges, as well as some marketing shoots, so we accounted for her, and the anglers who fish with her on her hosted trips travel miles, including trips to Key West, Belize, Mexico and Argentina.
• 3.7 Employee Commuting: We accounted for the round trip travel miles from Shyanne’s cabin to the ranch.
• 3.9 Shipments to Customers: Not applicable.

That said, in following the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard, we did not include some of the recommended categories because they were deemed not applicable, such as: capital goods, upstream leased assets and end-of-life of sold products.

Carbon Neutral

Before we explain how Shyanne Orvis went carbon neutral, we feel it’s also important to define carbon offsets:

Carbon Offsets: “An offset project is “a specific activity or set of activities intended to reduce GHG emissions, increase the storage of carbon, or enhance GHG removals from the atmosphere.” The project must be deemed additional; the resulting emissions reductions must be real, permanent, and verified; and credits (i.e, offsets) issued for verified emissions reductions must be enforceable.”

So, you are probably wondering, how did we go carbon neutral if our carbon footprint is 26.3 mtCO2e? In short, Shyanne purchased carbon offsets for our Scope 1, 2 & 3. decided to purchase offsets from the Sea of Change project, which is a Blue Carbon project that “works to plant mangroves which saves the shorelines and removes carbon while helping the locals thrive” through the nonprofit, Cool Effect. This carbon offset project reduces GHG emissions, is additional, verified and permanent. Here’s some additional information on the Sea of Change project:

Project Type: Nature-based Removal

Carbon Standard: Verra

Vintage: 2019-2020

Additionality: Carbon finance provides seedlings and labor for project expansion

Permanence: 30 year contracts are in place to ensure the project continues

Site Visit: October 2018

“This project reduces ~ 184,006 tonnes of emissions per year. This project works to restore those forests with 6 million mangrove trees planted. In Myanmar, only 16% of the original mangrove forest remains along the coastline. Mangroves can capture 5 times more carbon than terrestrial trees and sequester carbon up to 400% faster than land-based tropical rainforests. They are nurseries for juvenile marine species, prevent saltwater intrusion in crops, and safeguard shorelines during tropical storms.

Human activity, including clearing mangrove for firewood, farming rice, palm oil, and shrimp, lead to mangrove destruction. The vulnerable communities of Myanmar struggle with poverty and do what they can to survive. However, these activities decimate the very ecosystem and resources that protect and nourish these communities.

The project also works with the local population to adapt to more sustainable lifestyles. Project experts demonstrated to local communities that the income generated in harmony with a healthy coastal ecosystem can meet or exceed the income generated by destructive practices. When mangroves thrive, fish populations recover, shrimp and crab return in mass, and plants grow naturally in the forests. All can be sustainably harvested for food or to sell.”

Shyanne had this to say about purchasing offsets to achieve carbon neutrality, “Iunderstand that the most important thing I can do as a business is to reduce my carbon footprint. I also know that carbon offsets are not the perfect solution, but feel strongly that we need lots of imperfect solutions if we are going to win the battle against climate change. I am simply just trying to do my part as a beneficiary of the resource.”

Follow me on my sustainability journey as I strive to reduce my carbon footprint to protect what I love!

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Shyanne Orvis’ 2020 Carbon Footprint calculated with the Fly Fishing Climate Alliance Carbon Measurement Tool and the Report was produced by Emerger Strategies.