Carbon Offsetting: Considerations and SSA's Stance

Our Position

Sustainable Screens Australia urges all organisations working within the screen industry to think about how they can decarbonise their operations, and be *Planet Positive* before investing in any initiative to offset emissions.

As a primary means of addressing climate change and reducing carbon emissions, offsetting schemes face several challenges. We recognise that carbon offsetting schemes can result in genuine emissions reduction. We also recognise that participating in offsetting can raise awareness within an organisation about calculating a production’s carbon footprint and engaging in actions that reduce emissions. However, SSA works to promote policies that drive measurable emissions reduction, at the source.

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We considered the following points before landing on this position. 

• Carbon Offsetting does not encourage source decarbonisation: Relying on carbon credits and offsets to meet global emission reduction goals is insufficient to address climate change effectively. Offsets allow big polluters to continue to do so without any incentive to decarbonise and as such, even in the best-case scenario, carbon offsets maintain the status quo and do not deliver measurable, overall reductions. (The Climate Council, 2021).
• Integrity and permanency issues: With the growing number of offset projects supplying the voluntary and mandatory carbon market, there are reports of integrity issues, with instances of credits not representing real emissions reductions or being used fraudulently (The Australia Institute, 2021). In addition, offset projects do not guarantee long-term emissions reductions, and as climate change results in catastrophic natural disasters more often, the permanence of stored carbon projects, like reforestation, have become uncertain.
• Potential for increased emissions: Federal policies such as the ‘safeguard mechanism’  allow companies to offset emissions without making fundamental decarbonisation changes, potentially leading to increased emissions as their operations are allowed to continue to expand. Policies and practices should prioritise genuine decarbonisation efforts and the reduction of emissions at their source.
• Impact on Renewable Energy Investment: Prioritising carbon offset projects diverts resources away from genuine emissions reduction efforts like renewable energy, leading to decreased investment in strategies that directly reduce carbon emissions at the source.

Sustainable Screens Australia highlights the importance of transparency and integrity in carbon credit and offset projects.

What does it mean to be *Planet Positive* ?

Planet Positive is the activity of providing care for the Earth's ecosystems that supports positive environmental outcomes. Planet Positive activities work to conserve and regenerate Earth's systems, and cultivate a sustainable and resilient future within planetary boundaries.

In replacement of investing in offsetting schemes you can, either directly with local organisations or through certified programs invest in actions that:

• Decarbonise Australia's energy grid
• Contribute to local environmental and conservation projects.  
• Contribute to rehabilitation and care for wildlife in places that are directly linked to your production activity.
• Support or participate in “clean ups” of waste in water systems (beaches, rivers, lakes). It's important to undertake these activities in places that are directly linked to where we live and work.

Sustainable Screens Australia sees people as deeply interconnected with the natural world. We recognise that human activities have resulted in anthropogenic changes to our planet's climate, loss of biodiversity and species extinction. By being Planet Positive we accept our role as stewards of this planet and work to support Earth's systems for the future of all life that exists within them.

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