Articles * Carbon Offsets

Oct 27, 2023

2 min read

The Trees Issue #1

This week we've been looking at the trees around us. They raise many questions, which we'll tackle in bite-sized chunks over the coming weeks. Today we're asking, how many trees would it take for Australia to offset all our emissions? Let's go. How much carbon do trees absorb? As trees grow, they absorb carbon dioxide from the air. That's why they're called 'carbon sinks'. The amount they absorb is complicated and to be honest, it's above my paygrade. But we did find some rules of thumb as a

Read more

Oct 13, 2023

2 min read

Science-based targets v Climate Active: what are they and who has them?

The ACCC did a broad sweep of corporate environmental claims and found plenty of greenwashing. But let’s dive into one area: certification. Australia's 'Climate Active' The Australian Government's 'carbon neutral' certification scheme is called Climate Active. Here's how it works: Upshot: If companies buy enough offsets to cover their emissions, they are certified as 'carbon neutral' (effective immediately), even if real emissions are rising. Climate Active aims to use its currency — a cer

Read more

Sep 29, 2023

2 min read

How the NSW fire season is tracking

The NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) has said this summer’s bushfire risk is the highest since Black Summer in 2019-20. How is the state tracking? Let’s take a look. The current status Since July, about 11,600 hectares (116 km2) have burned in NSW bushfires. It's still very early in the season and the statutory Bush Fire Danger Period starts this weekend. But the data is useful for ongoing tracking and point-in-time comparisons. Below: Hectares (ha) destroyed by wildfire since 1974, by fire sea

Read more

Aug 08, 2023

1 min read

Australia's carbon credit scheme: 3 things you should know

Carbon credits are critical in Australia’s net zero plan. How ACCUs work ACCU stands for Australian Carbon Credit Unit. The Clean Energy Regulator issues ACCUs to projects that avoid releasing greenhouse gases, or store or remove carbon from the atmosphere (1 x ACCU = 1 x tonne of CO₂ equivalent). ACCUs can be sold to private buyers who need to offset their own emissions elsewhere. There’s no limit to the number of ACCUs companies can buy The safeguard mechanism requires Australia’s b

Read more

Never miss a beat

Get the free weekly climate briefing sent to your inbox, and you’ll never miss a data update or insight.