36Carbon offsets

Council has a Net Zero by 2035 target. This means we will decarbonise as much as possible, and then purchase offsets for the remaining emissions.

We plan to take our net zero target further by seeking carbon neutral certification through the Australian Government’s Climate Active Program.

This is done by applying to the Department of Industry, Science, Energy, and Resources (DISER) which incurs annual certification fees and additional periodic auditing requirements.

Certified organisations can use the Climate Active Certification Trademark, providing a credible stamp of approval for environmental stewardship.

Offset units (or carbon credits) will be purchased to compensate for the emissions we can't reduce, and to bring our carbon footprint down to zero.

Offset units are generated from an activity that prevents, reduces, or removes greenhouse gas emissions from being released into the atmosphere.

These offset units are sold based on a dollar amount per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalents to organisations which need to bring their remaining emissions profile to zero.

There is a large variety of offset projects available. They range from revegetation to renewable energy, local to international, and may include other environmental or social co-benefits. Different types of projects vary in the cost of their credits.

International offset unit 2020 prices were approximately $5/tCO2-e and are expected to increase at a rate of $1.50 per annum to reach $20 by the year 2030. Australian offset units (ACCUs) were around $13-20 in 2020 and are expected to increase at a rate of $1.80 per annum to reach $35 by 2030.