carbonZero Accelerator

Introduction

Reducing carbon emissions is essential to tackling climate change. To do this, we need to understand the carbon footprint of places, assets and activities in NSW.

This project aims to help achieve net-zero by providing a way of tracking emissions. The tracking platform will be open-source, cloud-based and scalable. It will help governments, businesses and non-government organisations to report their emissions reduction.

State government agencies and local councils will trial the platform. This will establish a baseline carbon footprint of their assets and activities. Using this benchmark, they can develop transition roadmaps. Agencies and councils will be able to communicate their emissions reduction strategies.

Challenge

The NSW Government has committed to net zero emissions by 2050. An interim target has been set by the NSW Government in its Net Zero Plan Stage 1: 2020 to 2030. That is to achieve 35% emissions savings by 2030.

Currently, NSW government agencies and organisations lack capability to efficiently leverage emissions data. They thus lack the resources to develop and deliver carbon emissions reduction strategies. There is also a lack of tools to report and show impact. It is hard to attract funding and quantify the return on investment as a result.

Strategic management of carbon emissions in this landscape needs smart digital platforms to:

• enable emissions data gathering
• develop emissions inventories
• model emission reduction scenarios
• partner with technology providers and investors to deliver actions
• monitor and communicate place-based carbon abatement performance of organisations.

Solution

The carbonZero Accelerator will be delivered as an open source. It will be a cloud-based, user-friendly digital platform. It will:

• build an understanding of the emissions footprint of their geospatial assets and activities
• model place-based emission reduction solution scenarios
• connect with partners, technology providers and investors to deliver actions
• monitor and communicate place-based carbon abatement performance through engaging data visualisations.

This platform will be trialed with several NSW Government agencies. It will establish a baseline carbon footprint of existing place-based assets and activities, including diverse organisations and assets across the state.

The project will assist in developing net-zero transition roadmaps. It will help communicate the place-based strategies to stakeholders and communities.

Expected outcomes

Smart Places outcome areas:

• environmental quality
• collaboration and connection.

The carbonZero Accelerator project will speed up the path towards net-zero carbon emissions.

The tool will help organisations:

• develop and deliver net zero transition roadmaps
• provide consistent reporting within a place-based framework (both at the asset level and by location in NSW)
• deliver and invest in place-based carbon emissions reduction opportunities.

Resources

Want to implement a similar project? Visit our Smart Places Playbook for help.

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