The shock announcement comes less than a week after the Albanese Government abandoned Climate Active, its long running ‘carbon neutral’ certification scheme.
“Premier Minns’ claim that coal and gas companies should be prevented from buying carbon offsets generated by his Great Koala National Park is a blow for the Albanese government’s failing ‘safeguard mechanism’ and its key client, the fossil fuel industry,” said Dr Richard Denniss, co-CEO at The Australia Institute.
“Today’s announcement by the NSW Premier is an important admission that Australia cannot cancel out the pollution from fossil fuel projects by simply promising to not chop down some trees.
“Chris Minns is admitting what Federal Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen has been denying for years – that it makes no scientific sense to justify new gas and coal mines on the basis that some trees won’t be chopped down.
“The obvious first question is that if the NSW government won’t allow its carbon credits to be used for the sham of fossil fuel offsetting, why should anyone else be allowed to?
“While the NSW government’s attempt to stop coal mines using its koala park credits is welcome, details of their proposal remain scant.
“There is nothing in federal law that prevents any buyer of carbon credits from re-selling them to coal mines, gas frackers or any particular industry.
“Without explaining how this will work, this is just a clumsy state intervention into federal climate policy.
“The foundation of the Commonwealth government’s ‘Safeguard Policy’ is that gas and coal projects can buy carbon offsets and such fossil fuel projects currently buy around two thirds of all the ACCUs sold in Australia,” said Dr Denniss.
“While it would make sense for the Albanese Government to prevent all fossil fuel companies from buying carbon offsets, it makes no sense for a state government to pretend it can control where any carbon credits it may generate will wind up.”
