Australia’s carbon credit scheme was undermined by damning new research Wednesday, which found a world-leading reforestation project had been an underperforming “catastrophe”.
Vast swathes of land across Australia’s desert Outback have been earmarked for native forest regeneration, which is meant to offset emissions as new trees suck up carbon. But researchers have found that across almost 80 percent of these plantations forest growth was either stagnant – or that woodlands were shrinking.
Despite this, Australia had used these projects to bank millions of tonnes in questionable carbon credits, scientists said, which are used to supposedly offset polluting industries.
“I think it can only be described, and I’m using generous words here, as a gross failure,” lead author Andrew Macintosh told AFP. “It’s a catastrophe,” he said, adding that it would “stain” Australia’s reputation. Australia has set aside almost 42 million hectares (104 million acres) under the scheme, an area larger than the landmass of Japan. Researchers said it was “one of the world’s largest” natural carbon offset projects.
Officials claim that since 2013, the native forest spreading across this land has sucked up more than 27 million tonnes of carbon. But the peer-reviewed research, which used satellite imagery to chart forest growth, has cast serious doubt on this figure. “They should be showing really strong increases in tree cover,” said Macintosh, a former chair of the government body responsible for tracking Australia’s carbon offsets.”And it’s not there, we’re not seeing it.”
Each ton of carbon sequestered by these forests is chalked up as a single carbon credit. These carbon credits are then bought by mining companies, airlines, and other heavily polluting industries to offset their emissions.
Macintosh said Australia was, in essence, selling carbon credits that did not exist.
Lack of faith
“There are meant to be checks along the way. But they’re not applying them,” said Macintosh, now a professor of environmental law at Australian National University. “What sort of faith do I have in the carbon credits scheme? It’s very, very low. Our scheme is without a doubt amongst the least transparent in the world.”
Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator said “a number of reviews have confirmed the integrity” of these carbon offsets. The regulator said it “only issues carbon credits where a project can demonstrate regenerating native forest”.
Australian Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the assumptions underpinning the scheme remained “basically sound”.
Climate policy has long been a fraught affair in Australia, set back by a decade of political brawling dubbed the “climate wars”. Despite its growing vulnerability to climate-linked natural disasters, Australia remains one of the world’s biggest exports of gas and thermal coal. The peer-reviewed research was published in the Nature Communications journal, Earth & Environment.
Australia has committed to cutting carbon emissions by 43 percent by 2030 from 2005 levels, on a path to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. Australia’s carbon dioxide emissions per person are among the highest in the world at 15.3 tonnes, surpassing US levels, World Bank figures show.
Gerard Rennick had a piece on telegram stating companies were being paid for trees that were growing by themselves. Just another rort not many know about.
I live in Australia, the government has bull-dozed this scam policy through parliment.
Hugh tracts of native forest is being destroyed for wind factories (they are not farms) thousands of valuable farming land is being bought up for solar panels and more forest is being destroyed to make way for massive high voltage power lines. Land is being aquired by acts of parliment. Most people do know this is just a hugh money scam. It saves nothing. It is making a very few, very rich. Business as usual, just off-set with carbon credits. It’s insane.
Yes Carrie,
All for a complete pseudo-scientific hoax.
Simply stated, no gas in our atmosphere, which is colder than the surface, can possibly warm anything.
Thermodynamics 101.
Cold stones around a campfire do not make the fire burn hotter.
incorpor
Robert Webster
| #
Gerard Rennick had a piece on telegram stating companies were being paid for trees that were growing by themselves. Just another rort not many know about.
Reply
Wisenox
| #
Control the carbon, and you control the future.
Lopsided carbon controls used to manipulate economies?
Reply
Shirl
| #
It’s Australia WHAT do expect? <:o)
Reply
carrie
| #
I live in Australia, the government has bull-dozed this scam policy through parliment.
Hugh tracts of native forest is being destroyed for wind factories (they are not farms) thousands of valuable farming land is being bought up for solar panels and more forest is being destroyed to make way for massive high voltage power lines. Land is being aquired by acts of parliment. Most people do know this is just a hugh money scam. It saves nothing. It is making a very few, very rich. Business as usual, just off-set with carbon credits. It’s insane.
Reply
Kevin Doyle
| #
Yes Carrie,
All for a complete pseudo-scientific hoax.
Simply stated, no gas in our atmosphere, which is colder than the surface, can possibly warm anything.
Thermodynamics 101.
Cold stones around a campfire do not make the fire burn hotter.
Reply