Could Bega Valley Aim for Below Net Zero Emissions?

 The Bega Valley has the potential to be a carbon emissions reduction leader and pull more greenhouse gases from the atmosphere than we produce. As a shire we are incredibly vulnerable to the effects of climate change as we saw last summer with the horrific and unprecedented bushfires (coming off the back of a devastating drought) that burnt two-thirds of our shire and caused three deaths and the loss of 450 houses. It is in our interest to dramatically reduce our emissions. 

Looking at this image it is obvious that electricity and transport are our biggest greenhouse gas sources. What would Bega Valley look like if we took the challenge to be leaders in generating our own electricity and swapping over to electric vehicles? What would it look like if instead of paying our money to multinational corporations we spent it locally on locally generated energy? If a war in the Middle East wouldn’t threaten our transportation because we powered our vehicles on solar energy. What would it look like to have a large skilled renewable energy workforce in our valley? If our tradies were experts in retrofitting houses to make them more energy efficient? If people had more money to spend because they didn’t have high utility bills?

What if instead of chopping down our native hardwoods to make toilet paper for China to sell to the world, or briquettes or pallets we earned money from carbon credits keeping them in the ground? What if we employed people from the wood industry in plantation timber and managing National Parks? Tasmania is below net zero emissions this year because they closed a pulp mill. With our 70% of the shire being National Parks and State Forests this could be us too. 

People travel around the world to see places that are not as beautiful as the far South Coast of NSW. Let’s give them another reason to come here- to see a regional leader in renewables and forest conservation and preservation. To see what the future can be!