GEELONGPORT’S green credentials have been recognised with a Climate Active carbon-neutral certification for its business operations.
Reaching carbon neutrality was one of the long-term objectives in the port’s 20-year Environment Strategy released in 2019. GeelongPort is sourcing renewable energy and offsetting all residual carbon emissions.
GeelongPort CEO Brett Winter said the port acknowledges that climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing communities globally.
“We are committed to doing everything we can to reduce our impact,” he said.
“We know we have a long way to go but it is important we start investing in renewable energy and carbon offsets now while we continue investigating and developing longer term decarbonisation initiatives, including future clean energy opportunities.”
Climate Active is a carbon-neutral certification that includes an independent audit and encourages businesses to drive voluntary climate action. Climate Active is a partnership between the Australian government and Australian businesses. The organisation’s certification is a new iteration of the Australian government’s carbon-neutral certification, which had been available to Australian businesses since 2010.
Climate Active spokesperson Katrina Maguire said, “It is exciting to have GeelongPort as the first port in Australia to become Climate Active carbon neutral certified for its business operations and to know they are doing their bit to drive voluntary action.”
Climate Active said it awards its certification to businesses that have “credibly reached a state of achieving net zero emissions, otherwise known as carbon neutrality”.
For businesses to become carbon neutral, businesses and organisations calculate their greenhouse gas emissions and reduce these as much as possible. The emissions they can’t eliminate are cancelled out by buying carbon offsets.
GeelongPort said it is committed to becoming Australia’s most sustainable bulk port.
