Sofie Formica has come out in defence of the Lord Mayor’s multi-million-dollar cash splash on carbon credits. 

Brisbane City Council last year paid $6 million for 404,000 carbon certificates so the city could offset 520,000 tonnes of carbon and still claim it’s carbon-neutral.

While Council has reduced carbon emissions by 19.25 per cent, the carbon-offset bill cost Brisbane an extra $2 million on 2020.

To offset the emissions still produced, carbon credits finance wind and solar projects in India and China , as well as a 150,000 hectare Cape York savannah burning project.

The council also buys carbon credits in Australian Agricultural Corporation’s Beef Cattle Herd Management Carbon Project.

While the spend has attracted criticism of the Lord Mayor, Sofie says the $6 million spent by Council will be “returned in spades”.

“It is an internationally-recognised way to offset what you can’t reduce or eliminate,” she said.

“Our standing on the world stage with this is incredibly significant when it comes to business attraction and investment into the city.

“Make no mistake: it is one of the major criteria now when it comes to international conferences and major events, business attraction, investment, having global companies move and headquarter here.”

Press PLAY below to hear which big event Sofie says the city’s carbon-neutral status could help attract