Specials

Protect Australia FAQ (8/1/08)

  • What’s Involved In Exetel’s Carbon Neutral Initiatives?
    1. How Does Exetel Calculate What It’s Emissions Are?
    2. How Can I Calculate What My Responsibilities Are?
    3. What Does It Take To “Neutralise” Carbon Emissions
    4. What Does It Cost To Plant A Tree?
    5. How Do You Know The Tree Will Be Nurtured For 20 Years
    6. How Much Money Is Spent By Carbon Neutral On “Overheads”?
    7. Why Did You Pick Carbon Neutral Rather Than Someone In NSW?
    8. Will Exetel Use Other Avenues For Carbon Reduction In The Future?
    9. Do You Really Believe This Initiative Will Do Any Real Good?
    10. Can Non Exetel Customers Participate In This Program?
  • What Are The Financial Implications Of Any Donations?
    1. Does Exetel Get Tax Benefits From These Schemes?
    2. Does The Customer Get Tax Benefits From These Schemes?



    1. What’s Involved In Exetel’s Carbon Neutral Initiatives?
      1. How Does Exetel Calculate What It’s Emissions Are?
        1. The current calculations Exetel has used to assess its ‘carbon footprint’ are set out here
        2. Exetel is still considering whether it will add the emissions involved in Exetel employees traveling to and from work in to these calculations
      2. How Can I Calculate What My Responsibilities Are?
        1. You would need to use whatever calculation method you deem appropriate to your needs
        2. Some ‘personal calculators’ can be found here
      3. What Does It Take To “Neutralise” Carbon Emissions
        1. The calculations that Exetel has used are set out in a)i) above. To be safe, Exetel has multiplied those calculations by three to take account of anything we may have missed.
      4. What Does It Cost To Plant A Tree?
        1. The cost of planting a tree is not the cost that is used to calculate offsetting carbon emissions
        2. The Kyoto Protocol (partly quoted in the link from a)i) above sets out that a tree must be nurtured for 20 to 100 years to count towards carbon neutralizing calculations.
      5. How Do You Know The Tree Will Be Nurtured For 20 Years
        1. We don’t 100%. However we are donating our money to an organisation that has a good track record for reforestation and has a commercial incentive to ensure the trees grow to maturity and beyond.
      6. How Much Money Is Spent By Carbon Neutral On “Overheads”?
        1. We don’t know but we will publish extracts from their annual reports.
      7. Why Did You Pick Carbon Neutral Rather Than Someone In NSW?
        1. We looked at the best regarded organisations without regard to location as it doesn’t matter where forests are regrown
      8. Will Exetel Use Other Avenues For Carbon Reduction In The Future?
        1. There are no plans to do that at the moment.
      9. Do You Really Believe This Initiative Will Do Any Real Good?
        1. We believe so or we wouldn’t waste our own money and time investing in it.
      10. Can Non Exetel Customers Participate In This Program?
        1. No.


    2. What Are The Financial Implications Of Any Donations?
      1. Does Exetel Get Tax Benefits From These Schemes?
        1. Currently Exetel has taken no advice on what its donations may mean in terms of tax ‘advantages’.
        2. We have a basic understanding that the ATO will, in the appropriate circumstances rebate/credit company tax (at a rate of 30%) on the total of donations made if they are to ATO accredited organisations and this would occur in the submission of Exetel’s tax returns after the end of each fiscal year (30th June ).
      2. Does The Customer Get Tax Benefits From These Schemes?
        1. Exetel will provide each customer who donates with a ‘certificate’ of the amount donated together with the registration numbers of the charities to which any customer agreed deductions were sent to.
        2. We will take advice from our accountants to ensure any documentation we provide complies with the ATO’s regulations.