School District 51 (SD51) is a part of the Carbon Neutral Government Regulation of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets Act, that requires a report of greenhouse gas emissions.
The district owed the Pacific Carbon Trust $22,585.85 for its emissions and received a Carbon Tax Rebate of $22,731.44.
“Our offset is $22,585.85 and we got a rebate ($22,733.44), which we did pay in our fuel and natural gases,” stated SD51 school board Secretary-Treasurer Jeanette Hanlon. “We always get it back but the difference between the two is $145.50. We no longer have to pay for the Smart tool, which is a savings for us.”
The Smart tool calculates how much greenhouse gas emissions are being emitted.
The draft of the Carbon Neutral Action report has been submitted to the Ministry explaining the various initiatives SD51 has taken to reduce carbon neutrality.
“They’re not giving money back to us per se,” explained SD51 board chair Teresa Rezansoff. “We don’t have to pay money for the smart tool, but we can use it without paying for it. The money that they collect, we still have to pay our carbon offsets, but the money will go into a separate pot and school districts can apply for grants to apply for projects.”
This is the second year SD51 has been involved with carbon neutrality and paying carbon offsets.
