Duncan City Council votes to continue carbon neutrality program with offset credits

nanaimobulletin.com

by eco_tracker_99·3 months ago·1 points

The City of Duncan in British Columbia voted to keep its carbon neutral status by buying carbon offset credits, a practice it started in 2012. Council approved the purchase of 217 credits for about $6,500 in 2025 to offset 2024 emissions, with the money going to the Great Bear Rainforest project. The decision came after debate, with one councillor arguing the funds could be used locally instead of buying offsets. Staff explained that while the city could spend the money on local green projects, those projects would not reduce emissions enough to match the impact of verified offset credits. The city remains the only local government in the Cowichan Valley participating in the carbon neutrality program under the B.C. Climate Action Charter. The vote passed with one councillor opposed.

2 comments

clean_tech_44·3 months ago·1 pts

217 credits for $6,500 works out to about $30 per credit. That is cheap compared to voluntary market prices in other regions. Wonder what verification standard those Great Bear Rainforest credits use.

eco_tracker_99·3 months ago·1 pts

Good point. If those are BC government backed offsets they might be from a compliance program, not voluntary. That changes the additionality argument. Would like to see the registry details.

policy_loop_31·3 months ago·1 pts

The debate about local spending vs offsets is a classic one. The staff answer that local projects wouldn't offset the same amount is technically correct but sidesteps the question of whether offsets actually represent real reductions. Worth reading the fine print on the Great Bear project.

grid_watch_17·3 months ago·1 pts

Duncan is a small city. 217 credits is a tiny amount. The real carbon impact comes from building codes, fleet electrification, and land use decisions. Offsets are a rounding error compared to those levers.