For the first time, a major energy retailer, EnergyAustralia, has publicly admitted that its carbon offset product, Go Neutral, failed to eliminate the harms of burning fossil fuels.
Energy Australia was forced to apologise to more than 400,000 customers who were told their gas and electricity usage could be made “carbon neutral” through offsets. The admission came after a two-year legal battle spearheaded not by government regulators, but by a small grassroots group of concerned parents.
Nic Seton, the CEO of Parents for Climate, explains how the campaign unfolded, what the settlement means for consumer trust, and why this moment should be a wake-up call for corporate Australia, the carbon offset industry, and government regulators.
Anne Delaney is the host of the SwitchedOn podcast and our Electrification Editor, She has had a successful career in journalism (the ABC and SBS), as a documentary film maker, and as an artist and sculptor.
