Logan City Council has become the latest Australian local government to receive carbon neutral certification under the Climate Active initiative.

Climate Active, a partnership between the Commonwealth government and businesses, organisations, products and services, is designed to encourage voluntary climate action.

There are now 15 councils across Australia certified as Carbon neutral by the initiative.

Electricity and landfill targeted

Logan City says it targeted electricity use and landfill gas to help reach net zero carbon, and has managed to reduce emissions by 86,216 tonnes last year and 353,000 tonnes over the past four years.

The installation of Solar PV systems on Council libraries, aquatic and sports centres and a water reservoir contributed to Logan City’s certification, generating 2.6 gigawatt hours of renewable energy in 2021-22.

Council also generated electricity by capturing more than 4 million cubic metres of gas from organic waste in 2021-22 via a series of underground pipes at the Browns Plains Waste and Recycling Facility.

Sixty per cent of city streetlights are now LED, council fuel use is down 15 per cent from four years ago and the Loganholme Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) solar farm has more than doubled solar output.

Biosolids gasification

Logan City says it’s planning more solar panels for Council buildings and Council it also has plans to expand the operations and output of its biosolids gasification facility at the Loganholme WWTP.

The plant, which opened in April 2022, converts sewage sludge into an environmentally-friendly biochar and is expected to reduce Council’s carbon emissions by about 6000 tonnes per year.

“Council is investigating new methods to further reduce our emissions in coming years,” Mayor Darren Power said in a statement.

Council’s environmental efforts were recognised last October when the organisation picked up a merit certificate and a highly commended at the World Green City 2022 Awards in South Korea.