Keppel Island becomes first carbon negative island in Great Barrier Reef

ABC NEWS (Australia)

As Australia strives for net zero emissions by 2050, one island off the Capricorn Coast is doing its part by becoming the first and only carbon negative island in the Great Barrier Reef marine park.

Transcript

00:00 An island paradise off central Queensland, Konomi North Keppel Island is also a classroom.

00:09 Rather than being within four walls, those students are out here on the Great Barrier

00:13 Reef Marine Park in Wappamurra country learning about climate change, the Great Barrier Reef,

00:19 collecting scientific data.

00:22 The island's environmental education centre is run by the Queensland Government.

00:28 It has spent $1.4 million to power the largest renewable energy system built on a state school

00:35 site including 258 solar panels, 36 lithium phosphate batteries, a wind turbine and backup

00:44 generator.

00:45 "We are now fully off the grid and it is the first island in the Great Barrier Reef

00:50 Marine Park that is carbon negative."

00:53 "The average Queensland home these days uses around 21, 22 kilowatt hours, so 450 kilowatt

01:01 hours, that's a lot of homes that this system can provide energy for."

01:05 Two and a half thousand students visit this island every year.

01:09 The new energy system will be used to power their stays and as an educational resource

01:16 to teach them about renewables.

01:18 Wappamurra traditional owners say they're proud of the island's progress.

01:23 "I think it's wonderful here now and for the future."

01:27 "I think it's amazing you know how this education centre and what the education department

01:31 is doing to make it so sustainable."

01:34 It's hoped the system can be used as a blueprint for other island developments.

01:39 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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