“Would you like to offset your carbon emissions?” said the operator as I booked my Virgin Blue flight. In the brave new world of climate change it seems you can feel much better about flying for just a few dollars extra.
Indeed all across the world corporations, sporting codes and individuals are clambering to become carbon neutral.
A quick Google of ‘carbon neutral’ on corporate Australia gave 22,000 hits including many public companies that have declared their intention to become carbon neutral as good corporate citizens. Some, such as insurance companies, can see a direct link between climate change and future profitability.
The AFL and V8 Supercars are just two of many sporting codes to declare themselves carbon neutral. Individuals can also purchase offsets for their carbon emissions, such as the power used at home, driving the car or air travel.
Although this reflects growing public concern, if the purchase of carbon offsets means business as usual with an extra payment for your sins then we must question where the money is going.
In the absence of a proper carbon trading scheme, carbon offsets are purchased from projects that are certified by the Australian Greenhouse Office. The prices vary considerably and are well below the anticipated price of at least $30 a tonne of carbon dioxide that is believed to be necessary to drive the significant uptake of renewable energy generation such as wind and solar.
Western Australian based Carbon Neutral will give you absolution for just $13 a tonne and will plant about four trees that they guarantee will extract carbon dioxide for 30 years. That’s very cheap considering the costs of the planting, tendering and land use, and is probably only possible because of other tax incentives and the eventual value of the timber grown.
Another scheme is Easy Being Green who will offset your carbon emissions for $20 a tonne and uses the money for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. Such projects are highly desirable but it is debatable whether one person’s reduced emissions should allow another to continue to pollute.
While well intentioned, these voluntary schemes will not make much of a dent in Australia’s steeply rising emissions. The best way to become carbon neutral is to reduce your emissions by using less fossil fuel energy. Reduce car usage by walking or cycling. Have meetings by phone or over the Internet to avoid air travel. Then only your unavoidable emissions will need to be offset.
This was originally published in the Fraser Coast Chronicle on 26 June 2007.
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