Lobbying for Soil Carbon: Senate Inquiry & House of Representatives InquiryLobbying for Soil Carbon: Senate Inquiry & House of Representatives Inquiry

The Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Bill 2011 was tabled in Parliament on 24 March. We are making separate submissions to the Inquiries into the Legislation conducted by the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee and by the House of Representatives Climate Change, Environment and the Arts Committee. They are due to report in mid May. The Minister wants the Bill passed by 1 July, 2011.

After that date, methodologies for offsets can be approved by the Domestic Offsets Integrity Committee and start operating. Of the dozen or so categories the Government recognizes, the first to be approved are expected to be forests (afforestation and reafforestation), savanna burning, manure management (piggeries) – because their methodologies are pre-existing or uncomplicated. Avoided emissions from fertilizer should follow and methane avoidance should follow that. Soil carbon - the problem child of the offset family – is expected to come in last, if at all. Some, mainly scientists and professional advisers, believe it will never happen.