ACT govt releases plan to go carbon neutral by 2020

The ACT government has released its framework to achieving carbon neutrality in its own operations by 2020, adding to the Capital Territory’s impressive collection of low-carbon achievements and ambitions – including plans to make Canberra a carbon neutral city by 2060.

“The ACT Government contributes 5% of the territory’s greenhouse gas emissions and we intend to lead by example, reducing our emissions and achieving carbon neutrality across all government operations and services by 2020,” ACT environment minister Simon Corbell said in a media release on Wednesday.

“We have already invested $4.6 million in initiatives for energy and greenhouse gas reduction projects across ACT Government sites via the Carbon Neutral Government Fund since December 2012.

Corbell says the government’s first step will be to track the energy performance and emissions of its buildings using its Government Enterprise Sustainability Platform.

It will also implement greenhouse gas emissions mitigation measures with a focus on increasing energy efficiency, with the help of energy and water efficiency advisers.

As of June this year, the release said, the program had already assessed more than 107,000 square metres of ACT Government floor space across 53 individual sites.

And with an eye to its 2060 whole-territory target, the government says it will support a range of ACTSmart programs to assist businesses, households, schools and event managers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and costs.