Big carbon offsets bill

Geelong’s council wants to spend $85,000 on “carbon offsets”.
The purchase would help City Hall achieve almost half its current target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, council’s draft budget reveals.
Geelong’s council administrators are due to approve the purchase as part of the budget this month.
Carbon offsets are reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions to compensate for increases elsewhere. Examples include shares of renewable energy projects, with each offset worth a ton of greenhouse gas.
Geelong’s council would buy its offsets from the “carbon market sector”, city services manager Will Tieppo said.
Council would prioritise “value-for-money offsets, generated from Geelong regional projects if available,” he said.
“Market options may include accredited offset tree-planting programs and purchase of accredited green power”.
The $85,000 would cover 42 per cent of council’s target of halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, Mr Tieppo said.
City Hall was conducting “a number” of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects that would have “significant emission reduction outcomes”, he said.
“The City is currently implementing a $1.3 million large-scale rooftop solar program, lighting and heating and cooling upgrades on community facilities and investigating a large-scale solar site in conjunction with Barwon Water.
City Hall would continue adding sustainability programs “subject to future funding availability”, Mr Tieppo said.
“As opportunities to reduce emissions at source are realised over time, other ways to offset emissions will be needed including new large-scale solar projects and the purchase of accredited offsets.”