The president of the National Farmers’ Federation has underscored the importance of having a land sector abatement expert for the government’s review of an Australian carbon credits scheme.
Climate change minister Chris Bowen announced the new Labor government would commission a review of the controversial carbon credits system.
The scheme, administered by the Clean Energy Regulator, was devised in response to recent criticisms from expert whistleblower professor Andrew Mcintosh, who last year described it as a fraud.
Ahead of his announcement at the National Press Club on Wednesday, Bowen acknowledged the ‘substantial and real’ concerns would be taken seriously.
“It’s important we get the governance of those carbon credits right, that’s why we’re having an integrity review, which I’ll say more about in the not too distant future,” the minister said.
NFF president Fiona Simson said carbon credits were critical in achieving prime minister Anthony Albanese’s new national emissions target of 43% by 2030.
“Confidence and integrity are vital to the success of Australia’s carbon credit system,” she said in a statement, welcoming the announcement of the review.
“This review will give farmers and all Australians the confidence that our emissions reduction system is working, as we work towards our commitments under the Paris Agreement.”
This week I announced the next steps in the @AlboMP Govt’s climate policy
🇦🇺 introducing our EV Tax Cut
🇦🇺 Introducing the Govt’s Climate Bill in the first sitting week, including new targets, role for the Climate Change Authority and an annual report to Parliament on progress pic.twitter.com/jMILRU6LmP— Chris Bowen (@Bowenchris) July 1, 2022
Simson called on Bowen to ensure experts were appointed to the independent review panel who understood what she said was the intersection between agriculture and the Emissions Reduction Fund. She said the NFF hoped to work closely with the independent panel so that farmers — who were ‘custodians’ of 54% of the continent’s landmass — were not negatively impacted by any of its recommendations.
“This will include providing a comprehensive submission on behalf of industry,” Simson said.
“We welcome the minister’s inclusion of community impacts, and ways to maximise non-carbon benefits as part of this review.”
The federal government plans to introduce new legislation at the end of July to enshrine the 2030 target and a further commitment to achieve net-zero by 2050.
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