COzero
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Return to Summary of all ProvidersPrimary activity : RetailerCarbon offset retailers either fund or purchase carbon offsets in large quantities and then on sell them to individual consumers in smaller quantities. Price (per tonne CO2e) : AU$0 - AU$30
Summary
COzero's view on the role of carbon offsets in addressing climate change"Carbon Offsetting plays a pivotal role in addressing climate change where the cost-benefit of emissions reductions practices makes purchasing verified emissions reductions (VERsVerified Emission Reductions or Voluntary Emissions Reductions are tradable credits for greenhouse emission reduction activities generated to meet voluntary demand for carbon credits by organisations and individuals wanting to offset their own emissions. VERs can be generated from projects to which a range of circumstances might apply, including:
- are either based in a country that has not ratified the Kyoto ProtocolAn international agreement linked to the UNFCCC and sharing its aim of stabilising atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, but requiring separate ratification by governments. The Kyoto Protocol, among other things, sets binding targets for the reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions by industrialized countries. It entered into force for ratifying countries in February 2006 and commits developed nations to collectively cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 5.2 per cent of 1990 levels by 2012. Came into force in Australia on 11 March 2008. (e.g. USA) or does not have the infrastructure to support CDMClean Development Mechanism is a Kyoto Protocol mechanism under which projects set up in developing countries to reduce GHGs generate tradeable credits called CERs. The credits can be used by industrialised nations to help meet their Kyoto reduction targets. Find out more here. project development;
- have not yet been registered under the CDM;
- fall outside the scope of the CDM;
- are too small to warrant the costs of CDM approval;
- are specifically developed for the voluntary market.) lower cost to an individual or organisation than employing abatementA reduction in the amount or intensity of greenhouse gas emissions as a result of actions taken by a company or individual. practices on their own. COzero advocates the adoption of an optimal cost-benefit approach to carbon neutrality.
COzero encourages an overall approach to reducing emissions to approach carbon neutrality (where an entity's carbon emissions are equal or lesser than the emissions they prevent from entering the atmosphere). There are three primary steps to this approach: analyse, reduce, retireIn the context of carbon offsets, this means to remove a carbon credit or permit from the market. As a result of retirementIn the context of carbon offsets, this is the act of removing a carbon credit or permit from the market so that abatement cannot be traded any further. Retiring offsets helps to prevent the resale or reuse of offsets that have already been used. those offsets cannot be traded any further. Retiring offsets is a means of regulating offsetting and preventing companies and individuals from selling or buying offsets that have already been used..
COzero understands that not all entities can reduce their carbon emissions to zero, so by providing a range of best practice VERs to 'fill the gap' the organisation is helping to reduce the causes of climate change."Detailed InformationClick on the tabs below for more information:
Summary
Role in the Carbon Offset Market[Q1]RetailerMain client base[Q3]Australian Local Government and multinational companies.Offset Products
Offset Products
Price(s) per tonne[Q17]AU$0 - AU$30Project Type(s)[Q23]- Hydroelectric (small scale)Are offsets packaged with other services (such as footprinting, carbon neutrality etc)?[Q10]No
[Find out more about project types]Offset Quality
Offset Quality
Organisation is licensed to provide financial advice (or to be an authorised representative in providing financial advice) in the context of brokerage of carbon commodities[Q23a]NoOffsets generated and sold by COzero[Q33a]- Clean Development MechanismClean Development Mechanism is a Kyoto Protocol mechanism under which projects set up in developing countries to reduce GHGs generate tradeable credits called CERs. The credits can be used by industrialised nations to help meet their Kyoto reduction targets. Find out more here. CERsCertified Emission Reductions are credits generated under Kyoto's CDM. One CER unit is equivalent to the reduction of one metric tonne of CO2e. They are designed to be used by industrialised countries to count towards meeting their Kyoto targets. They can also be used as part of domestic targets, for example EU companies and governments use them as offsets against their emissions under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.How does your organisation calculate the amount and price of carbon offset required by customers?[Q10]- Personal contact from clients with specific needs for type of offset and tonnageDo you provide quality assurance or technical documentation on your web site or on request?[Q16]Information not providedIs your organisation audited by an independent third party for the sale and retirement of offsets and / or RECs?[Q16b] RetirementIn the context of carbon offsets, this is the act of removing a carbon credit or permit from the market so that abatement cannot be traded any further. Retiring offsets helps to prevent the resale or reuse of offsets that have already been used. of RECSRenewable Energy Certificates in Australia are issued by the Australian Government's Office of Renewable Energy Regulator. They are equivalent to one-megawatt hour of renewable electricity. RECs can be bought and sold both by electricity retailers and by other businesses in order to meet the legal requirements of MRET.
Audited: AnnuallyDoes your organisation supply National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS) or NCOS compliant abatement to customers from 1st July 2010?[Q18] Yes, NCOS compliantAbatement that is compliant with the National Carbon Offset Standard. NCOS compliant abatement currently includes Certified Emissions Reductions (CERs) except long term (lCERs) and temporary (tCERs); Emission Reduction Units (ERUs); Removal Units (RMUs); Voluntary Emissions Reductions (VERs) issued by the Gold Standard*; Voluntary Carbon Units (VCUs) issued by the Voluntary Carbon Standard, however where VCU credits are issued for reduced emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD) and other agriculture forestry and land use (AFOLU) projects, they must apply methodologies approved under the NCOS Standard. abatementA reduction in the amount or intensity of greenhouse gas emissions as a result of actions taken by a company or individual.
[Q19]What evidence of purchase can customers expect to receive when buying carbon offsets from your organisation?- Certificate for amount of offset purchased
- Independent certification and / or third party documentation in relation to the project
- Certificate of RetirementIn the context of carbon offsets, this is the act of removing a carbon credit or permit from the market so that abatement cannot be traded any further. Retiring offsets helps to prevent the resale or reuse of offsets that have already been used. /Acquittal
- Certificate of Transfer/Ownership
- Serial numbers to identify offset units purchased
- Tax InvoiceWhat documentation is available to customers about the carbon offset project/s as part of the education and quality assurance process?[Q22]- Product Disclosure Document as defined by ASIC
- Validation Report – From the Relevant Standard
- Certification Report – From the Auditors
[Find out more about issues relating to offsetting]
[Find out more about Certification Standards]Resources
Resources
Do you provide a carbon footprint calculation service for your customers?[Q12]- No
[Find out more about carbon offsetting]Projects
Project Information
Hubei Hefeng Yanzi Town Baishun Village Taohuashan Hydropower Station | International

General Information
This project is not owned by COzero | The Baishun hydro station is a small run-of-river project developed under the Kyoto ProtocolAn international agreement linked to the UNFCCCThe United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was established in 1992 at the Rio Earth Summit and currently has 189 signatory countries. It is aimed at stabilising atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases. and sharing its aim of stabilising atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gasesGreenhouse Gases in the earth's atmosphere absorb and re-emit infrared radiation. The Kyoto Protocol lists six major greenhouse gases, which vary in their relative warming effect. The six gases are: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons), PFCs (perfluorocarbons) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)., but requiring separate ratification by governments. The Kyoto Protocol, among other things, sets binding targets for the reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions by industrialized countries. It entered into force for ratifying countries in February 2006 and commits developed nations to collectively cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 5.2 per cent of 1990 levels by 2012. Came into force in Australia on 11 March 2008. to help develop renewable sources of energy. It is a new project, commencing operations in April 2007 and using the latest in environmentally friendly run-of-river hydro power technology, to maximise the reduction of Greenhouse Gas emissions.
Price per tonne of CO2e[Q24]Information not supplied
Quality
Accreditation or certification achieved as at May 2010[Q33a]- Clean Development MechanismClean Development Mechanism is a Kyoto Protocol mechanism under which projects set up in developing countries to reduce GHGs generate tradeable credits called CERs. The credits can be used by industrialised nations to help meet their Kyoto reduction targets. Find out more here. CERsCertified Emission Reductions are credits generated under Kyoto's CDM. One CER unit is equivalent to the reduction of one metric tonne of CO2e. They are designed to be used by industrialised countries to count towards meeting their Kyoto targets. They can also be used as part of domestic targets, for example EU companies and governments use them as offsets against their emissions under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.Are the verified emission reductions created from this project NCOS compliant abatement?[Q36]- Yes, NCOS compliantAbatementA reduction in the amount or intensity of greenhouse gas emissions as a result of actions taken by a company or individual. that is compliant with the National Carbon Offset Standard. NCOSNational Carbon Offset Standard. The National Carbon Offset Standard was released by the Commonwealth Government in November 2009, to come into effect on 1 July 2010 coinciding with the cessation of the Government’s Greenhouse Friendly program. It is intended to ensure that consumers have confidence in the voluntary carbon offset market and the integrity of the carbon offset and carbon neutral products they purchase. It provides guidance to businesses who wish to make their organisation carbon neutral or develop carbon neutral products in a way that achieves emissions reductions, through the purchase and retirement of carbon offsets that are beyond those achieved by the CPRS and achievement of Australia’s national emissions reduction targets. compliant abatement currently includes Certified Emissions Reductions (CERsCertified Emission Reductions are credits generated under Kyoto's CDM. One CER unit is equivalent to the reduction of one metric tonne of CO2e. They are designed to be used by industrialised countries to count towards meeting their Kyoto targets. They can also be used as part of domestic targets, for example EU companies and governments use them as offsets against their emissions under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.) except long term (lCERs) and temporary (tCERs); Emission Reduction Units (ERUs); Removal Units (RMUs); Voluntary Emissions Reductions (VERsVerified Emission Reductions or Voluntary Emissions Reductions are tradable credits for greenhouse emission reduction activities generated to meet voluntary demand for carbon credits by organisations and individuals wanting to offset their own emissions. VERs can be generated from projects to which a range of circumstances might apply, including:
- are either based in a country that has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol (e.g. USA) or does not have the infrastructure to support CDM project development;
- have not yet been registered under the CDM;
- fall outside the scope of the CDM;
- are too small to warrant the costs of CDM approval;
- are specifically developed for the voluntary market.) issued by the Gold StandardA certification standard for carbon offset projects. Initiated by WWF, SSN and Helio International, the Gold Standard for CDM projects was launched in 2003 after wide-ranging stakeholder consultation among key actors of the carbon market as well as governments. For more information see here.*; Voluntary Carbon Units (VCUs) issued by the Voluntary Carbon StandardThe VCS Program includes the standard (VCS 2007) and the Program Guidelines 2007. The VCS Program provides a new global standard and criteria for validating, measuring, and monitoring voluntary carbon offset projects. For more information, see here., however where VCU credits are issued for reduced emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDDReducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) and other agriculture forestry and land use (AFOLU) projects, they must apply methodologies approved under the NCOS Standard. abatementA reduction in the amount or intensity of greenhouse gas emissions as a result of actions taken by a company or individual.Is this project additional to Australia's commitments under Kyoto[Q37]- YesContact Details
Contact Details
For more information please contact:
COzero
www.cozero.com.au
1300 BE NEUTRAL (236 388)
Level 1, 275 Clarence St Sydney NSW 2000Information Submitted by COzero in April 2010




