Why do businesses, organisations and Individuals buy Carbon Credits?
Each year up to 400 million tonnes of carbon is eliminated by projects financed in part through the issuing of carbon credits. These credits are used by businesses, organisations and individuals around the world to offset their unavoidable emissions and help achieve their carbon reduction targets. Businesses, organisations and individuals can eliminate their carbon footprint and become Carbon Neutral, or set CO² reduction targets to achieve over time.

So, what does carbon neutral mean?
BioPak has been fully Carbon Neutral since 2010. This means that BioPak has eliminated its carbon footprint through emissions reduction strategies and offsetting unavoidable emissions by purchasing carbon credits. Biopak has achieved formal recognition of this achievement through the Carbon Reduction Institutes’ NoCO² Certification Program and therefore can offer all of its products as Carbon Neutral. Consequently, BioPak has eliminated its negative impact on the environment. 

The case for purchasing offsets from developing nations
Australian businesses and consumers are increasingly sourcing products and services from overseas. China, one of Australia’s major trading partners, is currently suffering from dangerous levels of pollution in its big cities and there are now 'Environmental Police' in place in Beijing enforcing new environmental protection measures. 

For the last month, severe air pollution has choked Beijing and coal is estimated to cause about 40% of the smog in the nation's capital. Another city in the north of China, Shijiazhuang has recently recorded fine particles in the air which can lodge in the lungs and bloodstream, at four times higher levels than what the World Health Organisation considers a public health hazard.

It is easy to look at the situation in countries like China and think things like; “they are so far away, what can we do” or “it’s their problem” but we are interconnected through our humanity, joint economic interests and fragile eco system, the Earth.  For these reasons, we are compelled to act to reduce the suffering of other humans and to protect our fragile planet. To this end there are carbon offset projects located in the developing world that achieve other social, economic or environmental objectives in addition to the carbon reductions they achieve.

Carbon offsets: How does BioPak select it's Projects?
Recently BioPak did a review of their carbon offsetting program. They sought projects that would;

• Match their corporate, social and environmental responsibility values,
• Provide co-benefits to local communities and the environment where the Projects ae located,
• Ensure an overall one tonne of CO² equivalent reduction for each carbon credit purchased, and
• Provide immediate benefit to the climate.

BioPak produces a number of products in China. Over 650,000 people die prematurely from diseases related to air pollution in China every year, the most vulnerable being the elderly, pregnant women, and young children. Therefore, BioPak wanted to assess carbon offset projects that would contribute in a positive way to reduce pollution in China, create local employment and drive investment in renewables.  

After completing a rigorous review process utilising the research and expertise of the Carbon Reduction Institute, China Wind was selected as BioPak’s Carbon Offset Project. China Wind is an investment in cleaner energy crucial to avoiding further catastrophic consequences from air pollution and climate change, while meeting the vast energy needs of China’s rapidly growing economy.

China Wind Sustainability benefits beyond the actual reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
The project contributes to sustainable development in China by;

• Reducing the emission of harmful pollutants, thereby improving the health of the local population and reducing the number of air pollution related deaths,
• Improving local environmental conditions,
• Driving China towards a cleaner form of energy mix and meeting its renewable energy targets,
• Stimulating the local economy through large-scale investment,
• Generating income for the local population by creating employment positions, and
• Demonstrating and promoting renewable wind energy technology.

To view the China Wind Facts Sheet, click on the link here. 

About the Carbon Reduction Institute
The Carbon Reduction Institute (CRI) is a profit for purpose business. We are committed to helping Australian businesses and individuals take real and effective action to eliminate their impact on climate change. We provide businesses with a straight forward, low cost and robust process to eliminate or reduce their CO² emissions.

Savings/Outcomes
The Wulabo Wind Power Project is expected to generate 95,430 MWh. And about 89,080MWh of wind electricity will be commercially delivered to the Northwest power grid annually. By replacing the fossil fuel fired power generation in the grid, the wind power project activity accrues 83,468tCO² of the annual CO² emissions reductions. This is equivalent to emissions generated by 11,958 average homes in NSW per annum. 

By Garth Mulholland, The Carbon Reduction Institute