What is Carbon Neutral Local Government?

Click the 'HOW' tab to find:

Becoming Carbon Neutral Local Government: Workbook, Contracted Out Services, Tools to Measure Emissions, Guidebook, Webinars & Training

2019 CARIP and CARBON NEUTRAL REPORTING PROCESS

(for 2018 reporting year)

Reporting Requirements

Local governments are required to report on their progress in achieving their carbon neutral goal under the Climate Action Charter. Get familiar with requirements [1] for the 2018 reporting year. All of the CARIP reporting requirements are due by June 1, 2019.

Online Survey Instructions

The reporting process consists of a single online survey, the 2018 CARIP Climate Action/Carbon Neutral Progress Survey. Click here [2] for detailed instructions on how to use the survey.

Program Guide

For more detailed guidance about the Program, including how to complete the Carbon Tax Calculation Form, please see the CARIP Program Guide for 2018 Claims [3].

Overview

Carbon neutral local government is about taking responsibility for the carbon pollution or greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated through local government operations.

Going carbon neutral is a powerful way of demonstrating leadership and pricing carbon helps make the case for business decisions that support the transformation towards a cleaner economy.

The Common Approach to

Local Government Carbon Neutrality

Since 2007, the overwhelming majority of BC local governments have voluntarily signed onto the BC Climate Action Charter, committing to take actions and develop strategies to achieve the following three goals:

• Being carbon neutral in their corporate operations by 2012

• Measure and report on their community GHG emissions

• Create complete, compact, energy efficient rural and urban communities

courtesy Pacific Carbon Trust The Joint Provincial-UBCM Green Communities Committee (GCC) has been established under the Climate Action Charter to assist local government signatories in achieving these commitments.

Carbon Neutral Framework

As part of its mandate, the GCC is responsible for establishing a common approach to determine carbon neutrality for the purposes of the Climate Action Charter and has been working with BC local governments to develop a Carbon Neutral Framework which includes the following 4 steps:

1. Measure your total corporate GHG emissions,

2. Reduce them where possible,

3. Balance the remaining emissions through the purchase of carbon offsets and / or through investments in local GHG reduction projects; and

4. Report to your public on the actions you have taken.

The GCC has developed two guidance documents to assist local governments in achieving these 4 steps. The first is the ‘Carbon Neutral Workbook’ which provides initial guidance for local governments on the 4-step process to become carbon neutral and focuses on how to get started on measuring corporate emissions that occur within the local government “traditional services” boundary.

The next level of guidance is the draft 'Becoming Carbon Neutral Guidebook' which provides step-by-step guidance on how to balance corporate emissions to zero by investing on GHG reduction projects and / or through purchased offsets.

The draft 'Becoming Carbon Neutral Guidebook' and the 'Carbon Neutral Workbook' are companion documents and are intended to be used in conjunction with each other. More information on how to use and download these two guides is provided under the 'HOW' tab at the top of the page.

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