Carbon Neutral Obligations

WHEREAS municipalities who are signators to the British Columbia Climate Action Charter have made a non binding commitment Section 9 to being carbon neutral in respect of their operations by 2012; AND WHEREAS the only practical means to achieve a carbon neutral status, following all reasonable actions to reduce carbon emissions, is to purchase carbon off-sets: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM provide clear direction on the following: - The source, form, rationalized cost and understandable description of legitimate carbon off-sets. - The allocation and anticipated expenditure of revenues generated by local municipalities purchasing qualified carbon off-sets and paid to an organization sanctioned by the BC government such as the Pacific Carbon Trust a Crown Corporation. - The options or opportunities to establish local or regional trusts or other means, administered locally, to hold and then direct carbon off-set revenues to local or regional qualified carbon off-set projects. - The rationale for NOT crediting local municipalities, who own andor operate lands andor facilities which would otherwise be considered carbon sinks, with a reasonable estimation of carbon sequestered by the operation and credited against carbon released by municipal operations, therefore reducing the NET carbon emissions.