Clean Energy Future

Going carbon neutral seems to be a growing trend in Melbourne, with the Australian Government’s Low Carbon Australia recognising Moreland City Council as carbon neutral under the National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS).

Moreland, in Melbourne’s inner north, becomes the second Victorian council to achieve carbon neutral status, after Yarra City Council met the NCOS standard in late 2012.

Mayor Oscar Yildiz said Moreland City Council had been working towards carbon neutrality since 2007 when it endorsed a Climate Action Plan.

“We’ve worked hard since then to adopt energy efficiency measures that have reduced our energy use,” he said.

As part of the council’s carbon neutral journey, it undertook a detailed study of energy use including electricity, gas consumption, paper use, flights, taxi use, council vehicles, greases, oils, and refrigerants from air conditioning units.

Following on from this study, the council purchased green power to reduce its emissions and offset the remaining emissions through purchasing and retiring carbon credits.

They have implemented energy efficiency projects, such as lighting upgrades in council-owned buildings, improvements to the heating ventilation and air conditioning at the Coburg Civic centre.

They have also redeveloped the Brunswick Baths, which included installing a co-generation system that produces onsite electricity and heat, and will soon install Victoria’s first public electric vehicle fast charge station.

Low Carbon Australia’s CEO Meg McDonald congratulated Moreland on its achievement, adding that it was only the third council in Australia to have been certified carbon neutral.

“Moreland, through its efforts joins our carbon neutral network, a team of leading Australian companies and organisations which are actively demonstrating how their actions can make a difference,” she said.

Established by the Australian Government in July 2010, the National Carbon Offset Standard sets transparent requirements for calculating, auditing and offsetting the carbon footprint of an organisation so it can achieve ‘carbon neutrality’.

For more information, go to http://www.climatechange.gov.au/ncos