City of Subiaco has become the first local government in Western Australia (WA) to become certified carbon neutral under the Commonwealth’s Climate Active program.
The City has always considered emission reduction throughout its operations with the installation of solar panels and energy-efficient systems, increased efficiencies in water use and waste, and improvements in fleet procurement with the introduction of electric and hybrid vehicles.
The City has committed to ambitious targets in pursuit of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from its operations including obtaining and maintaining certified carbon neutral status and committing to 100 percent renewable energy by 2025.
Mayor, Penny Taylor said this was a huge milestone for the City and it was great to be leading the sector in taking action to address climate change.
“The City of Subiaco is committed to sustainability and recognises that urgent action is needed to halt the worst effects of climate change which is why we’ve set ambitious targets to reduce our emissions and our effect on the environment.
“We’ve been working towards this milestone for some time now so it’s great to be able to say we’re a certified carbon neutral organisation – the first in WA under the Climate Active program.”
As well as reducing operational emissions, the City has purchased offsets from carefully considered projects to achieve carbon neutral status.
These include:
The Yarra Yarra Biodiversity Corridor, Western Australia: a native reforestation project located with a number of benefits, such as increasing water and soil quality, creation of employment opportunities, and protection of indigenous cultural heritage sites.
Aboriginal Savanna Burning, Tiwi Islands, Northern Territory: a carbon farming and fire management project that prevents destructive bushfires and keeps the land healthy for locals. It enables Elders to pass down traditional ecological knowledge, protects sacred sites, and creates meaningful employment.
Wind power based electricity generation, India: a renewable electricity project that harnesses wind power and feeds it into the local grid in Gujarat to contribute to climate change mitigation efforts. It also contributes to sustainable development of the region by helping to alleviate poverty and improve infrastructure.
