THE public will have a chance to make comment on the five possible pathways for Canberra to make a 40 per cent reduction to its greenhouse gas emission by 2020 and carbon neutrality by 2060.

“Weathering the Change – Draft Action Plan 2” will be available to the public for three months, and outlines five possible pathways to achieve the Territory’s legislated greenhouse gas reduction targets.

Each pathway offers a different mix of actions. Details of the indicative cost of each proposal to the community as a whole have also been included, plus supporting reports.

A series of public forums will be held in in February 2012 to seek feedback on the pathway options. More information at timetotalk.act.gov.au.

[box]The Five pathways are:
• Pathway 1: involves the use of renewable energy as the main strategy for achieving emissions reductions. The purchase of a small component carbon offsets is also included, as current modelling indicates that switching to renewable energy for the total ACT electricity supply will be insufficient to meet the 2020 reduction target. The cost of this proposal per capita in 2020 is $216.32 and per tonne of CO2-e abatement $39.00;
• Pathway 2: involves reductions in GHG emissions from building energy efficiency, sustainable transport and waste recovery with the remaining emissions reductions achieved through switching approximately two thirds of the ACT’s electricity supply to renewable energy. The cost of this proposal per capita in 2020 is $12.20 and per tonne of CO2-e abatement is $2.26;
• Pathway 3: is a modification of pathway 2, involving energy produced through installation of gas fired electricity generation rather than renewable energy. Reductions are still achieved from building energy efficiency, sustainable transport and waste recovery under this pathway. Carbon offsets are proposed as gas is a lower emission, not zero emission, technology. The cost of this proposal per capita in 2020 is $(82.99) (a net benefit) and per tonne of CO2-e abatement -$15.38 ( a net benefit);
• Pathway 4: Similar to pathways 2 and 3, reduction in GHG emissions are achieved from building energy efficiency, sustainable transport and waste recovery. This pathway proposes the purchase of carbon offsets rather than pursuing changes in electricity generation to achieve the targets. The cost of this proposal per capita in 2020 is ($82.99), (a net benefit), and per tonne of CO2-e abatement -$7.24, also a net benefit; and,
• Pathway 5: This pathway proposes the purchase of carbon offsets to achieve the 2020 emissions reduction target in its entirety. The cost of this proposal per capita in 2020 is $131.80 and per tonne of CO2-e abatement $25.00. [/box]