2022-02-08 Planning and Environment Committee Meeting Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                    8 FEBRUARY 2022


Electricity consumption
•     Install roof top solar systems on Council owned small sites (status - ongoing).
•     Investigate opportunities to install solar across Council’s owned and leased sites
•     Review the cost effective options to achieve net zero emissions for its electricity supply such
      as:
          o   Entering into a renewable energy Power Purchasing Agreement
          o   Purchasing “green power”
Offsets
•     Develop a Carbon Offset Strategy for residual emissions
Carbon footprint calculations
•     Continue to collect and refine data for purchased goods and services
•     Obtain data from Council’s owned and leased buildings for inclusion in the carbon footprint
Previous Council Consideration
Ordinary Meeting 17 December 2020, Item 5, Page 5
That Council note the report by the Project Officer Carbon Reduction to the Planning &
Environment Committee Meeting dated 8 December 2020 that includes a calculation of the
2019/20 Carbon Footprint for Noosa Council and its progress towards the target of net zero
emissions by 2026 and that the CEO organise a workshop with Councillors to review planned
initiatives with an aim to achieve Council’s stated target of zero net emissions by 2026.
Risks & Opportunities
The recent Global Conference on Climate Change in Glasgow (COP 26 – November 2021)
reiterated that urgent action was required across the globe to keep temperature below 1.5 degrees
Celsius Beyond and increase of 1.5 degrees there a greater risk of lasting and irreversible changes
to global biodiversity, ecosystem integrity, human health, food security and economic growth.
Without continued action to reduce Council’s own emissions, there is a risk that Council is not
taking its share of responsibility to deal with global climate change, the effects of which will be
exacerbated in the Noosa Shire.
Financial Risk
Council will eventually reach an “emissions floor” whereby the emission reduction initiatives
undertaken on Council facilities reach a level where further reductions are not technologically or
economically viable. To achieve its net zero emissions goal, Council will be required to purchase
carbon offsets. This will result in an annual financial liability to Council. The price of carbon offsets
has increased significantly due to increased demand within the voluntary and regulatory
environment. It is therefore essential that Council develop an offset strategy to reduce this financial
risk into the future.




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