Parts for all to play on the road to zero emissions

IF the Grampians region is to achieve zero emissions by 2050, Ballarat Renewable Energy and Zero Emissions understands residents must act at individual and household levels.

BREAZE’s Ian Rossiter, a representative of the Ballarat Community Power Hub, said every person should be mindful of where they source food to achieve the Roadmap to Zero target.

“Think about supporting local, in-season produce wherever possible,” he said.

The ways in which residents source and buy electricity is crucial, also ensuring a house is as efficient as it can be with energy use.

“We want to maximise the use of green power, and improve the energy efficiency in the home, and there’s a lot that can be done,” Mr Rossiter said.

“Stop draughts, add insulation, and think about how you plant your garden to shade your house in Summer to keep it cool, and maximise in sunlight over the Winter period.

“It can be difficult and expensive to do those things to a home, but I think it’s going to get to a point where there will be a sound business case for people to do that, as pricings come down and more tradespeople are looking for innovative ways to do renovations on homes.”

Cutting down on transport is Mr Rossiter’s last suggestion, noting the impact of events in the last three months.

“COVID-19 has had us using our cars a lot less. We might not be keen to jump on public transport at the moment, but we’ve learned you don’t necessarily need to hop in the car to have face-to-face meetings all the time.

“We can be far more efficient in the ways we use our cars and get active, like walking and cycling, particularly with e-bikes,” he said.

Local wind farms are positively decreasing emissions, but R2Z research shows agriculture and buildings still have a big regional output.