{"id":54136,"date":"2021-09-21T06:36:48","date_gmt":"2021-09-20T20:06:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=54136"},"modified":"2021-09-21T06:36:48","modified_gmt":"2021-09-20T20:06:48","slug":"renewables-offset-greenwashing-mb2163","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/renewables-offset-greenwashing-mb2163\/","title":{"rendered":"Corporate “Greenwashers” Failing Renewables Test"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Offset<\/p>\n

While many of Australia’s top emitting ASX200 companies have set carbon neutral targets, few have committed to switching to 100% renewable electricity says Greenpeace Australia Pacific.<\/p>\n

The organisation says its new report reveals some big emitters have also set net zero targets without any commitment to reduce their use and production of fossil fuels.<\/p>\n

100% Renewable Electricity Test<\/h2>\n

“A primary test of whether a business is serious about acting on climate change is whether it has adopted a binding commitment to using 100% renewable electricity by 2025,” states Greenpeace.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

41 of the 80 highest emitting ASX200 companies have set net zero targets – but just 14 of those have set 100% renewable electricity goals.<\/p>\n

It’s an odd situation –\u00a0 100% renewable electricity can be achieved by investing in onsite renewable energy production such as commercial solar power<\/a>, but also by inking power purchase agreements (PPAs) with wind or solar farms. A PPA can be attractive as there’s no up-front cost and these deals can provide equivalent or better bang for buck than conventional electricity supply.<\/p>\n

It seems like a no-brainer.<\/p>\n

Carbon Offsets And “Greenwashing”<\/h2>\n

So, what are the others doing? Carbon offsets are pretty popular. This is doing the damage by using fossil fuel based electricity and then making up for it by taking action elsewhere – for example, by planting trees – with the idea of evening things out. Some would consider this approach a bit of an indulgence<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A solar PPA isn’t in the same league. While electricity generated by a solar farm may not be routed directly to a factory, the amount of mains electricity the factory consumes is covered by the agreement. It’s like for like.<\/p>\n

Greenpeace is all for ecological restoration, but some carbon offset schemes can be dodgy it says – overseas tree planting projects are identified as particularly problematic.<\/p>\n

It notes the following potential issues with such offsets:<\/p>\n