Our Carbon Offset Projects
Climate Friendly is our current supplier for our Fly Carbon Neutral program. Climate Friendly provides carbon that meets the new National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS) which commenced on 1 July 2010.
Fuel Switching
Siam Cement Biomass Project
- Introduces renewable biomass as an alternative to fossil-fuels
- Improves air quality by reducing fossil-fuel processing and extraction
- Meets the Australian Government's National Carbon Offset Standard
- Stimulates local job economy
Project Description
The Siam Cement Biomass Project replaces fossil fuels with renewable biomass in five cement manufacturing plants in Thailand. Previously, cement manufacturers burned fossil fuels like coal, lignite (brown coal), pet-coke and heavy fuel oil in kilns to manufacture cement. Now, the introduction of renewable biomass to help replace fossil-fuels has reduced carbon emissions.
Renewable biomass for this project comes from rice husks, wood-processing residues and other agricultural waste such as palm trunks, palm fibre and palm nut shells. Disposal of the agricultural waste used in this project would have involved leaving them to burn or decay in open fields. The sale of carbon credits helps to cover the costs of switching these manufacturing plants to renewable biomass fuel sources.
Carbon Offset Calculations
Carbon offsets are calculated by determining the volume difference in carbon emissions released when (A) using fossil-fuel for kilns and (B) using renewable biomass for kilns. The Verification Reports show that the project has reduced carbon emissions by around ninety percent since it began.
The offsets generated by this project meet the Australian Government's National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS) and the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS). Without the additional funding provided from the sale of carbon offsets, this project would not have occurred.
Other project benefits
Replacing fossil-fuels with biomass reduces local air pollution and the upstream environmental impacts associated with fossil fuel extraction and processing. Farmers can now earn additional income from their waste rice husks and agricultural product instead. The project has also created local jobs by stimulating investments in the SIAM Cement Biomass Project.
Efficient Cook Stoves
Cook Stoves in Cambodia Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- Reduces carbon emissions by introducing more fuel efficient cook stoves
- Combats deforestation with new stoves that use 22% less fuel wood
- Meets the Australian Government's National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS)
- Generates local jobs by manufacturing in Cambodia
Project Description
The 'New Lao Stove' is a cook stove that is being introduced in Cambodia. The stove releases fewer carbon emissions than traditional cook stoves by burning fuel wood more efficiently. The improved stove is the result of the work between Climate Friendly and GERES Cambodia (Group Energies Renouvelables, Environnement et Solidarités/Group for Environment, Renewable Energy and Solidarity). GERES Cambodia has sent over one million New Lao Stoves to market.
How the New Lao Stove Improved Efficiency:
- Lower pot rests prevent heat loss
- Slanted pot rests accommodate multiple pot sizes
- 37 air holes improve fuel burn efficiency through air circulation
- Durability improved through adjusted grate thickness
- Higher combustion chamber consumes less fuel wood
Calculating Offsets
Carbon offsets are calculated by comparing (A) the volume of carbon emissions released by the older less-efficient cook stove with (B) the volume of carbon emissions released by the new stove. To do this accurately, stove emissions are measured over a one month period. The difference in emissions volumes is then multiplied by the number of old stoves that have been replaced with new ones.
The offsets generated by this project meet the Australian Government's National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS) and the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS). Without the additional funding provided from the sale of carbon offsets, this project would not have occurred.
Other project benefits
The new cook stove helps combat deforestation because it requires 22% less fuel wood. This also helps families save money on fuel wood expenses. From 2003 to 2010, the New Lao Stoves saved Cambodian families over USD$9 Million. Now, families can spend more time on education and income-generating projects and less on collecting wood. Manufacturing the stoves in Cambodia has also created new jobs in production, sales and distribution.
Native Forest Protection
Native Forest Protection Project in Tasmania
- Avoids carbon emissions by paying landowners to preserve native forest rather than log it
- Helps to protect and restore habitat for endangered species like the wedge-tailed eagle and Tasmanian Devil
- Meets the Australian Government's National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS)
- Provides income diversification for Tasmanian landowners
- This is the first available NCOS eligible Australian based project and helps meet customer demands that the Qantas Group Carbon Offset Program invest in Australian based projects
Project Description
The Tasmanian Native Forest Protection Project involves the protection of tracts of privately-owned land in the Tasmanian Central Highlands. The land in the project area is degraded native forest which has been logged in the past and - in the absence of carbon revenue - would continue to be either selectively logged or cleared for agriculture in the future.
Calculating Offsets
Greenhouse gas emissions are avoided by preventing the release of the carbon stored in the trees that - in the absence of the project - would occur through logging, processing and use of the timber.
There is a great deal of science involved in calculating the amount of carbon emissions saved. The project uses a sophisticated carbon accounting model called FullCAM, developed by the Australian Government and CSIRO for determining carbon flows in agriculture and forestry projects. The software is used to calculate the expected forest growth rates and hence carbon stocks if the forest were logged in line with historical trends, as well as the actual carbon stocks based on field measurements over the project's lifetime of 25 years. The difference between the two values, with an allowance for natural events like fires, gives the amount of carbon credits issued to the project each year.
The offsets generated by this project meet the Australian Government's National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS) and the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS). Without the additional funding provided from the sale of carbon offsets, this project would not have occurred.
Other Project Benefits
The carbon project provides an alternative source of income to the landowners, enabling them to set the land aside for conservation purposes only, and manage it in a way that encourages natural regeneration of the forest.
In addition to its climate change benefits, the project helps to protect and restore Tasmania's valuable native forests, which provide a habitat for a number of endangered species including the wedge-tailed eagle, spotted quoll and the iconic Tasmanian devil.
Technical Details
To date, carbon credits have been issued for the protection of approximately 22,000ha of land. The project has been developed in a modular and scalable way which enables additional land to be added as and when new landowners decide to participate in the project. The demonstrated success of the project is encouraging other landowners in the area to consider adopting more sustainable business models.
Vietnam Hydropower
Coc Dam Hydropower in Lao Cai province, Vietnam
- Avoids GHG emissions by introducing lower emissions electricity sources to the grid
- Reduces air pollution by requiring the burning of fewer fossil fuels
- Reduces environmental impacts of fossil fuel extraction and processing
- Creates local employment and skills development
- Meets the Australian Government's National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS)
Project Description
The Coc dam 'small' hydropower project introduces a lower carbon electricity source to the national grid. This helps reduce carbon emissions associated with fossil fuel based power that exists in the region. Small hydropower projects help avoid the negative environmental impacts of larger dams.
Calculating Offsets
The cost of building the project was substantial. The additional revenue from the sale of the carbon credits provided the necessary incentive to justify this investment. Without this revenue this project would not have gone ahead. As this plant releases fewer carbon emissions than the region's existing electricity sources there is an overall net reduction in carbon emissions. This is calculated by measuring the amount of emissions that would have been released had electricity from Coc dam hydropower plant not replaced some of the existing electricity sources feeding into the grid.
The offsets generated by this project meet the Australian Governments National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS) and the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS).
Other project benefits
Hydropower projects do not produce solid waste typical off most other power sources (such as fly-ash or radioactive waste). The project also helps to generate employment opportunities for the remote regions community where over 70% of people live below the poverty line. It also provides the community with a more stable electricity supply.
Technical Details
The project involved the construction of a 7.5MW hydro plant including installation of new hydro turbines and alternators in order to generate approximately 32,000MWh of renewable energy per year.
Wind Power
Hebei Kangbao Sanxiatian Wind Power in China
- Reduces carbon emissions by switching away from reliance on fossil fuel-derived power
- Introduces a renewable source of energy
- Meets the Australian Government's National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS)
- Improves local air quality by reducing reliance on coal
Project Description
The Hebei Construction Investment New Energy Company in China is reducing the use of fossil fuel-derived electricity in the North China Power Grid. Wind farms reduce carbon emissions by replacing fossil-fuel-based power with wind energy.
Calculating Offsets
Carbon offsets are generated where wind power replaces electricity created by burning fossil fuels. First, the volume of carbon emissions released by existing electricity sources is calculated. Next, the volume of electricity fed into the grid from the wind farm is measured. This allows one to determine the average volume of carbon emissions that would have been released if electricity from thewind farm had not replaced some of the electricity feeding into the grid from existing sources.
The offsets generated by this project meet the Australian Government's National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS) and the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS). Without the additional funding provided from the sale of carbon offsets, this project would not have been financially viable.
Other project benefits
Reducing the demand for coal-fired power improves the local air quality as well as reducing the upstream impacts of fossil fuel extraction and processing. The wind farm has also brought new jobs and business opportunities to the local residents of Kangbao.
Technical Details
The project consists of 33 wind turbines with a nominal capacity of 1500kW each (General Electric GE1.5sle), providing a total capacity of 49.5MW. The plant load factor is 0.273. The project also included the construction of a 110kV substation.
