The Guide to carbon offsets for general government sector agencies was developed to help agencies decide whether and how to use carbon offsets as part of their net zero transition plan. It is the first iteration of a carbon offsets policy as required under Action 3 of the Net Zero Government Operations Policy.
The guide explains what carbon credits and offsetting are and describes the steps agencies can take to determine whether their agency should procure carbon offsets.
What the guide means for your agency
Although using this guide is voluntary, it helps ensure the best emissions abatement outcomes for agencies considering carbon offsets as part of their net zero emissions planning.
The guide includes 3 key steps:
1. Use the emissions mitigation hierarchy to guide all net zero transition planning
The Net Zero Government Operations Policy requires agencies to reduce their emissions. Agencies should consider the emissions mitigation hierarchy and reduce their emissions as far as possible before purchasing carbon offsets to offset any hard-to-abate residual emissions.
2. Consider purchasing ACCUs as your preferred carbon offsets
Agencies should prefer Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs):
- generated from projects in NSW
- with environmental, economic, cultural and/or social co-benefits (if appropriate strategically and financially).
3. Apply the Internal Audit and Risk Management Policy
The Internal Audit and Risk Management Policy for the General Government Sector (TPP20-08) is a mandatory policy that helps agencies fulfil their legislative obligations under the Government Sector Finance Act 2018.