The Hon Mark Dreyfus QC MP
Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency
GOVERNMENT WELCOMES QANTAS’ CARBON NEUTRAL FLIGHTS
The Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Mark Dreyfus, today welcomed news that iconic Australian businesses, Qantas and Jetstar, are now certified to offer carbon neutral flights.
This certification comes as recognition of Qantas and Jetstar's carbon offset programs under the Australian Governments National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS).
I'm pleased that Qantas is at the forefront of the Australian aviation industry in being certified as carbon neutral, having also introduced carbon offset programs in 2007 to give customers the option of flying carbon neutral, Mr Dreyfus said.
This news means that passengers choosing to fly carbon neutral with Qantas and Jetstar can continue to have confidence that their flights are offset with genuine carbon abatement now underpinned by the transparency and rigour of a national standard.
The NCOS Carbon Neutral Program, established by the Australian Government on 1 July 2010, allows the organisations or products to be certified as carbon neutral, meaning that net emissions associated with a product or an organisations activities are equal to zero.
The Program and its partners continue to take the lead in Australia's voluntary carbon sector and demonstrate their commitment to achieving a low carbon future, Mr Dreyfus said.
The Program encourages participating companies to measure their carbon footprint, reduce their emissions where possible, and offset any remaining emissions.
The Government will continue its focus on supporting renewable energy technology, encouraging greater energy efficiency in households and industry and the introduction of a carbon price, Mr Dreyfus said.
The Australian Carbon Trust manages the Carbon Neutral Program which provides certification for organisations that have products or operations being independently verified as carbon neutral under the National Carbon Offset Standard.
WEDNESDAY, 23 MARCH 2011
