2020-12-08 Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                   8 DECEMBER 2020


Key Action 5: The process outlined in the Strategy will be utilized when determining the
appropriate approach to the purchase of carbon offsets.
The decision-making process for the purchase of offsets in outlined below in Figure 4.




                  Figure 4: Decision-making process for the purchase of offsets

To date Council has been pursuing emission reductions by avoiding emissions, reducing emissions
by improving energy efficiency, and changing energy to renewable sources as shown in Table 3.
The purchase of offsets is the last resort option when considering actions to achieve net zero
emissions.
Due to the legacy of landfill emissions, it is likely that Council will reach an “emissions floor”
whereby further emission reductions are not technically or economically feasible. Therefore to
achieve net zero emissions Council may need to purchase carbon offsets or identify quantifiable
greenhouse gas reductions. During 2019/20 Council commenced investigating the quantum of this
emissions floor and the likely cost of purchasing carbon offsets. This work is ongoing and will inform
the development of an emissions offset strategy.
3.    CITIES POWER PARTNERSHIP
Council has joined the Climate Council’s Cities Power Partnership (CPP). The CPP is a national
program to highlight the initiatives local councils are undertaking to reduce emissions and address
climate change. It is a requirement of CPP membership for participating Councils to select 5 key
actions from The Partnership Action Pledges related to the following categories:
    Renewable Energy
    Energy efficiency
    Sustainable Transport
    Work together and influence
The following 5 key actions were endorsed by Council at the Ordinary Meeting of 18 January 2018
as they align with Council’s Sustainability Principles, ZEN Strategy, Transport Strategy and the
Waste Reduction and Recycling Plan. The status of each of these actions is outline in Table 4.




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