The City of Yarra has become Victoria’s first officially carbon neutral council under the federal Government’s National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS).

 

Yarra is only the second council in Australia, the other being the City of Sydney, to receive the carbon netural certification from NCOS.

 

Mayor Jackie Fristacky said that attaining the certification was an important milestone in the Council’s long-term sustainability goals.

 

“We knew we were heading in the right direction when Yarra was named Victoria’s Sustainable City of the Year in 2011 so it is wonderful to be able to say Yarra is now carbon neutral,” Cr Fristacky said.

 

“Becoming carbon neutral by 2012 was a goal Council set for itself in 2008 when drafting the Yarra Environment Strategy.”

 

Cr Fristacky said that attaining the certification involved more than just purchasing offsets, with the council reducing its annual energy use by almost 25 per cent of 2000-1 levels.

 

Cr Fristacky said Council would continue to work towards its goal of reducing the organisation’s total annual energy use by 50% and generating 25% of its energy needs from renewable energy sources by 2015.