Almost 3.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gases have been pulled from the ACT's atmosphere according to the latest snapshot on carbon emissions in Canberra.

 

ACT Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development, Simon Corbell, tabled the ACT Greenhouse Gas Abatement Scheme 2011 compliance report in the ACT Legislative Assembly which shows more than 588,889 tonnes of greenhouse has were offset last year and all participants met their obligations under the scheme.

 

"While it has now been replaced with a national carbon price, this has been one of the most effective schemes in tackling emissions from electricity use, and was one of the world's first mandatory greenhouse gas emissions trading schemes," Mr Corbell said.

 

"Under the scheme, electricity retailers in the ACT were required to reduce or offset greenhouse gas emissions they produce and source an increasing part of their product from clean and sustainable sources.  

 

"This encouraged electricity providers to undertake a range of initiatives including energy efficiency measures, tree planting, capturing landfill gas, and methane burning to meet annual targets set out by the independent scheme regulator."

 

In 2011, there were 19 entities licensed to sell electricity in the ACT and the report acknowledged that all participants met their targets.

 

Mr Corbell said over the life of the scheme, 3,463,967 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions had been removed from Canberra's atmosphere, making it one of the Territory's most effective greenhouse gas abatement measures.

 

With the introduction of the Australian Government Clean Energy Futures package, ACT legislation was amended to bring the ACT Scheme to an end effective 1 July 2012.

 

"The ACT Government recognises that a cap and trade emissions trading scheme, with a flexible price is the most economically efficient means of reducing Australia's emissions," Mr Corbell said.

 

"The adoption of the city's ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets, a 40% reduction based on 1990 levels by the year 2020, and the long term aim of carbon neutrality by 2060, reinforces the importance of renewable energy in Canberra's future."