2016-10-11 S&O Agenda - Attachment 1 to Item 8 - Delegations of Authority

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA   11 OCTOBER 2016




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PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                11 OCTOBER 2016

           8.      Carbon Offsets

           Carbon offsets are projects that indirectly compensate for emissions by:
           e   Investing in emissions avoidance or reductions elsewhere; or
           e   Removing carbon from the atmosphere, usually by storing in trees or soils.

           Offsets can be purchased from voluntary or mandatory schemes. Figure 6 below outlines the steps
           Council should follow in pursuing the purchase of offsets:

           Figure 6: Decision making process for the purchase of offsets
           Projects that generate offsets may be accredited to various standards. Council should select a
           standard that aligns with its own organisational principles.
           The number of opportunities for major offset projects is limited because of availability of suitable
           sites and capital costs. Appropriate offset projects may need to be located outside of the Shire
           boundaries.

           As noted above, pursuit of carbon offsets is a last resort option when considering actions towards
           net zero emissions.

           Zero Emissions Noosa™ — Organisational Strategy                                           Page 13

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