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Bank Australia open to serve our customers: As an essential service under the shutdowns announced, our branches and contact centres will remain open to serve our customers with their banking needs over the coming days and weeks. All branches will be operating from 10:00am to 3:00pm, Monday to Friday until further notice. You can still get in touch with us by phone on 132 888 from 8:00am to 8:00pm, Monday to Friday and 9:00am to 2:00pm Saturday. It may take us longer to answer your call as more customers choose to call rather than come into a branch so thanks in advance for your patience and please take care of yourselves. View details

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We support Australian carbon offset projects

We support Australian carbon offset projects

22 Jan 2016

Last year, as part of our commitment to be carbon neutral we purchased 1,620 tonnes of carbon offsets that support local Australian projects. These offsets included Forestry Protection in Tasmania and Savannah Burning using traditional land management practices in the Northern Territory.

Bank Australia purchased fewer carbon offsets last year (down 6.8%) as our total greenhouse emissions are decreasing. Total greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by 18% since 2010.

Forestry Protection in Tasmania – reducing emissions from harvesting

Forestry Protection protects native forest that would be logged without carbon finance. Protecting forests from timber harvesting reduces emissions caused by harvesting, maintains the forest carbon stock and protects the rich biodiversity of the natural forests in Tasmania. Providing carbon finance to farmers to replace income from logging is a win/win scenario, as it protects the environment and financially benefits local landholders.

Learn more about forestry protection here.

Savannah Burning in the Northern Territory – reducing emissions from fire

Savannah fires release methane and nitrous oxide into the air, which are strong greenhouse gases. This project reduces emissions by applying traditional patchwork burning: by burning in the early dry season when fires are cooler and patchy, and burning less country, there are fewer emissions of these greenhouse gases. Also, having good fire breaks can help to reduce the risk of hot fires spreading in the late dry season when the country dries out.

Bank Australia supported the Kowanyama project. To learn more about this project and others like it, visit Aboriginal Carbon Fund.

The Forestry Protection project is certified by the Verified Carbon Standard, and the Savannah Burning project is accredited under the Carbon Farming Initiative.