Greenhouse gas emissions are created through Council activities such as gas and electricity use in buildings, fuel for vehicles, paper usage, and waste to landfill.

Zero-net emissions means that the net greenhouse gas emissions associated with Council’s activities are equal to zero. This is also referred to as being carbon neutral.

Council is progressively working towards achieving zero-net emissions for our operations.

Council’s Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality 2020-2025 outlines our approach to achieving this.

The next step in reaching our target of zero-net emissions by 2025, is through a commitment to offset any remaining, residual emissions.

We’re proposing to do this by purchasing carbon credits, preferencing those that are high-quality, high-integrity, and sourced locally.

In addition, our focus is on supporting new and established locally-led projects that are part of a circular economy, increase social connection, and improve local biodiversity.

Examples of types of projects that are in scope include initiatives such as a community battery or providing energy efficiency equipment for people to retrofit to their homes.

Even with the changes we’ve already made as an organisation, such as switching to renewable energy, and moving away from fuel thirsty vehicles, there will be some greenhouse gas emissions that Council cannot reduce.

To help us achieve zero-net emissions, or carbon neutrality, these remaining emissions will need to be offset.

These offsets will need to be purchased annually to maintain carbon neutral status.

The policy will guide decision-making within Council, ensuring that each year we reach our target of zero-net emissions for our operations.

It will be used in conjunction with the Offset and Drawdown Procedure (see Key Documents library).

We recognise that climate change requires long-term operational and societal change within our shire, Victoria, Australia and beyond.

Council’s commitment to climate action was solidified in 2019, when Councillors declared a climate emergency at the Council meeting in December.

From there, we developed a Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality, which included an important action to develop an offsetting policy.

Read more about Council’s work in climate action on Council's website.

Not at all! In fact, we’re ramping it up! While we’ve been making some great progress, and think this is worth celebrating, there is still much work to be done. We are still facing a climate emergency. Council will continue to explore ways we can reduce our emissions, adapt to climate impacts and support our community. Much of this work is linked to our Climate Change Strategy and yearly Action Plans which are also working to embed consideration of climate change across everything we do as Council.

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We will also be seeking your input early next year for the Climate Change Strategy Action Plan 25/26FY.