Greenhouse Challenge

Global warming is directly linked to the increasing levels of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere resulting from human activity.  If these emissions continue unabated, the warming will increase, resulting in serious consequences for all life forms. Climate change, resulting from the emission of greenhouse gases, is a global issue that will affect us all. 

The Greenhouse Challenge Plus Program is a cooperative partnership between industry and the Australian Government which aims to:

• reduce greenhouse gas emissions
• accelerate the uptake of energy efficiency
• integrate greenhouse issues into business decision making
• enable a consistent approach to the reporting of greenhouse gas emissions

Western Power is a proud member of the Greenhouse Challenge Plus Program and will voluntarily adopt appropriate, practical and cost-effective actions to meet the challenges of climate change and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

Western Power emits approximately 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per annum as a result of its business activities.  The main component of Western Power's greenhouse emissions results from line (heat) losses from the operation of transmission and distribution equipment such as powerlines and transformers.  Additional emissions result from electricity use in buildings and depots, fuel usage in the vehicle and mobile generator fleet and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) emissions from electrical equipment.

As part of its commitments under the Greenhouse Challenge Plus Program, Western Power has  outlined actions that will be taken to reduce emissions resulting from its operations and meet the membership requirements of the program.  These include:

• investigating options to reduce line losses from the transmission and distribution network
• conducting a demand management trial that aims to manage peak electricity demand thus reducing greenhouse emissions
• expanding its Carbon Neutral Tree Planting Program by planting 240,000 native seedlings annually to offset 40,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from its fleet vehicles, mobile power generating facilities and two per cent of its annual line losses
• increasing the amount of NaturalPower purchased to 25 per cent of Western Power's total consumption by 2009/2010
• implementing vehicle fleet initiatives that improve energy efficiency and use more greenhouse friendly fuel sources
• implementing a monitoring program to reduce emissions of sulphur hexafluoride from electrical equipment
• expanding the head office waste minimisation and recycling program to depot sites

Western Power is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from its business activities and encourages its employees and the community to implement their own actions to reduce the impact that global warming will have on us all, both now and in the future.