Fremantle Council Becomes Carbon Neutral: Data Verification Process

(CAS02)

Summary

In October 2009, the City of Fremantle was officially declared as a carbon neutral organisation. This has been a result of specific measures in place to reduce and offset corporate greenhouse gas emissions. To finalise the process to becoming carbon neutral, contracted consultants were engaged by Fremantle Council to assess the carbon neutrality claims. The majority of Fremantle's greenhouse gas emissions audit was completed using Planet Footprint data extracts and reports. The verification process was sucessful and as a result the City of Fremantle is now nationally recognised as a carbon neutral organisation.

Applies to

Any organisation looking to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions

Carbon neutrality is a state where there are no net emissions produced from the activities of an organisatin. In order to become carbon neutral, organisations must have the calculation of the carbon footprint completed through a rigorous greenhouse gas emissions audit. These are reviewed annually by external contractors.

Planet Footprint has been involved in several vereification processes for large organisations who are going carbon neutral. The City of Fremantle is the second local government organisation in Australia to become carbon neutral and the majority of their greenhouse gas audit was based on Planet Footprint data extracts and reports. In July 2009 the City engaged an external contractor to verify their carbon neutral claims and in a matter of a few weeks, the City was declared carbon neutral.

The verification process was a relatively straightforward task whereby the Planet Footprint operations team and technical staff were interviewed by the contracted consultants. Methods of data colelction, data accuracy and calculation of greenhouse gas emissions were discussed, as well as Planet Footprint's policies on data accuracy and completeness. The reports developed by Planet Footprint were used to demonstrate the City's current carbon footprint and the reductions that are estimated to occur as a result of becoming carbon neutral.

Both the City of Fremantle and the contracted consultants expressed their praise of Planet Footprint for the high quality responses to questions of data collection, accuracy and the broader issues surrounding national greenhouse reporting. The Council was also given very detailed technical support from Planet Footprint to assist in verifying their carbon neutrality claims which was reportedly much appreciated by their consultants. As a result of the high standards and consistency in our methods of greenhouse reporting, the City was able to validate their claims to becoming carbon neutral through review of their current carbon footprint.

For further information on data verification processes for programs that improve your environmental performance, please contact the Planet Footprint Team.

See also

Data Estimation Policy (POL5)