Opinions
Govt company's ‘carbon neutral’ claim greenwash
“The fine print on Meridian’s website says it has to purchase power off the grid from thermal generators to supply its customers during dry years, but claims these are offset by the purchase of carbon credits. These notionally avoided incremental emission units are being purchased from projects like Trust Power’s Tararua wind farm.
“The idea that Meridian can magically convert thermal electricity into ‘certified carbon-neutral electricity’ by buying these sorts of carbon units is modern day hocus-pocus. ...“My worry with this sort of false advertising is that it creates the impression we don’t need thermal electricity in New Zealand. The reality is that there are times of drought, and when wind does not blow, when thermal power is the only way we can keep the lights on.
June 13, 2008
by Dr Nick Smith MP
in Scoop Independent News
Meridian Energy should stop claiming its electricity is carbon neutral when it has to buy a third of its power from thermal generators, says National’s Climate Change spokesman, Nick Smith.
Meridian is the Government’s largest State Owned Enterprise and is New Zealand’s largest power company. Its billboards and public advertisements claim its electricity is carbon neutral.
“The fine print on Meridian’s website says it has to purchase power off the grid from thermal generators to supply its customers during dry years, but claims these are offset by the purchase of carbon credits. These notionally avoided incremental emission units are being... [continue via Web link]
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