OPINION: The Chubb inquiry into the integrity of the carbon credit system fails to mention the adverse scientific evidence that it commissioned and which was put in front of it.
The Australian carbon credit unit system is essentially sound in design even if it needed more transparency, an independent review led by former chief scientist Professor Ian Chubb has concluded.
These findings have been confirmed, with the Academy of Science, CSIRO, Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists and other experts concluding there are problems with the rules governing the issuance of the credits. But most importantly, unless steps are taken to stop the issuance of low-integrity credits, it will jeopardise the operation of Australia’s main emission reduction policy, the safeguard mechanism, which Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government plans to rely on to reach Australia’s climate targets.
There is also no reference at all to one of the main problems with the administration of human-induced regeneration projects, involving the misapplication of the model used to estimate tree growth. Yet, this issue does not rate a mention in the panel’s report. It merely says, “the current model-based estimation of carbon sequestration … is a suitable basis for estimating [tree growth],Everyone agrees with that. The relevant question is whether, as a matter of fact, the model is being appropriately applied.There are similar issues with the panel’s treatment of the rules for landfill gas projects.
The fact these baselines are too low is not in dispute – 80 per cent of the industry has agreed in writing that the baselines need to be adjusted higher.
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