A Green Light for Australian business

Thursday, 08 November 2007 22:42

Launched today by leading Australian environment groups Total Environment Centre, Australian Conservation Foundation and WWF- Australia, the two part business review covers green electricity suppliers for both small to medium and large businesses, as opposed to GreenPower products available for homes. It should be an essential guide for companies seeking reduced carbon footprints.

Green Electricity Watch 2007 (GEW) will help businesses of all sizes to make decisions on purchasing green electricity by outlining which GreenPower products perform best for the environment and reducing the confusion that often surrounds green electricity. GreenPower is government-accredited, clean, renewable energy sourced from the wind, water, waste and the sun.

“There are big differences between the GreenPower products and how much they help fight climate change. Green Electricity Watch takes the confusion away by ranking products on their capacity to reduce greenhouse emissions and their support for new renewable energy, so that business can make an informed decision based on their needs and environmental targets,” said Jeff Angel, Director of the Total Environment Centre.

“Unfortunately, overall, GreenPower products for business scored very poorly with the majority of products receiving only one star out of four. ActewAGL was the exception with an impressive score of four out of four in two products for both small to medium and large business,” stated Phil Freeman, Climate Campaigner for the Australian Conservation Foundation.

The commercial sector accounts for about 10 per cent of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions. It is therefore in a key position to help make a real difference and lead by example through using GreenPower products. The GEW ranking is a tool to allow businesses to do just that, and choose the best accredited product for their needs. More than 20,000 Australian organizations have already done so, but more need to follow suit,” said WWF-Australia’s Climate Change Policy Manager, Nicole Ikenberg.

While many GreenPower products include only a small percentage of accredited GreenPower, it's the accredited portion that makes the difference to our environment. Electricity consumption is the biggest single cause of Australia’s greenhouse pollution, with 90 per cent sourced from dirty fossil fuels such as coal. Buying electricity with the highest GEW ranking helps cut greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the dependence on fossil fuels and oosting the demand for clean, safe, renewable energy such as wind and solar.

The 2007 GEW report and fact sheets can be found at www.greenelectricitywatch.org.au