Please see the Public Disclosure Summary for more information
Charles Sturt University has submitted to the Department of the Industry, Science, Energy and Resources to maintain its certified carbon neutrality status under the Australian Government’s renamed Climate Active Carbon Neutral program. As Australia’s first certified carbon neutral university, Charles Sturt continued with its emissions reduction focus and the offsetting of the annual Greenhouse Gas (GHG) inventory using certified carbon credits. The university purchases and retires offsets in arrears of the reporting period, once its annual inventory has been established and the total quantity of required offsets is known. Charles Sturt’s GHG Inventory for the 2019 reporting year is 49,824t CO2-e . An equivalent purchase of carbon offsets have been purchased for offsetting Charles Sturt University’s carbon emissions for 2019.
Charles Sturt continues to pursue emission reduction measures. In 2019 this included the commissioning of new solar arrays in Albury-Wodonga and Orange campuses, waste diversion from landfill through increased waste segregation and purchases of hybrid electric vehicles to replace fossil fuel vehicles. Looking to 2020 emissions should see a greater increase in reductions with continued waste diversion measures, Stage 2 solar systems being commissioned and building efficiency gains.
Charles Sturt established a series of four principles to help guide decisions associated with the procurement of carbon offsets:
In 2019, Charles Sturt selected offsets with cobenefits that address some of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Otherwise known as the Global Goals, these are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. The goals that are addressed by the university’s offsets include SDG 7, SDG 8, SDG 9, SDG 13, and SDG 15.
Location: Indonesia
Description:
The Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve Project, an initiative by InfiniteEARTH, aims to reduce Indonesia’s emissions by preserving some 64,000 hectares of tropical peat swamp forest. This area, rich in biodiversity including the endangered Bornean orangutan, was slated by the Provincial government to be converted into four palm oil estates. Located on the southern coast of Borneo in the province of Central Kalimantan, the project is also designed to protect the integrity of the adjacent world-renowned Tanjung Puting National Park, by creating a physical buffer zone on the full extent of the ~90km eastern border of the park.
Offset: 3,500 tonnes CO2-equivalent
View project details or detailed project description documents.
Rimba Raya - What We Do from Infinite Earth on Vimeo.
Location: Australia
Description: Greenhouse gases emitted from savanna fires make up 3% of Australia’s total emissions. Savanna burning projects undertaken by Traditional Owners and Aboriginal rangers reduce GHG emissions by undertaking cool, lower intensity fires in the early dry season when the vegetation still contains some moisture from the wet season. This reduces the GHG emitted from high intensity, unmanaged fire in the late dry season when the country is dry. In addition to the carbon abatement the project is delivering ‘core benefits’ to country including:
Offset: 1,493 tonnes CO2-equivalent
Project name: Energising India: Azure Power
Location: India
Azure Power This project installs new solar power projects across India, totalling 480MW at sites where no renewable generation has been installed prior and supplied into the grid. India’s grid electricity generation is currently majority coal fired. Most sites are 30- 50MW each, matching current grid capacities for those areas. The project contributes to sustainable develop through employment generation and enhanced capacity of skilled workforce in the solar industry. The greatest benefits to communities are the supply of renewable energy and reduced pollution from the use of fossil fuels. Success of large scale projects such as this across India are also viewed by other investors favourably, further encouraging confidence in the business models and technology. The long term operations of solar power plants lead to significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions over the life of these projects.
Offset: 27,945 tonnes CO2-equivalent
Description: The Chakala Wind Farm Project
Situated in the state of Maharasha in India is a 39MW solar farm targeting 77,996MWh of electricity generation per annum with the added goal of contributing to the sustainable development of that region by displacing higher emitting fossil fuel generation, direct and indirect employment opportunities (particularly in a disadvantaged rural area) and a proportion of the revenues annually will be used for community activities (2%). Another significant benefit to that region is the expected reduction in air pollutants such as Nitrous Oxide and Sulphur Dioxide which are increased by lower quality fossil fuels commonly burnt in developing nations and having identified negative impacts on the health of populations.
Offset: 16,915 tonnes CO2-equivalent
TOTAL OFFSETS RETIRED 2018 tonnes CO2-equivalent - 49,792 tonnes CO2-equivalent
(1,656 tonnes CO2-equivalent surplus carried forward from 2017)
Household Biogas plants
Grid connected Solar Power Plants
Maharashtra Power Plants (199.7MW Wind)
TOTAL OFFSETS RETIRED 2017 tonnes CO2-equivalent - 49,964(620 tonnes CO2-equivalent surplus carried forward from 2016 and 1,656 tonnes CO2-equivalent carried forward to 2018
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