22nd Aug 2011 – Senate Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Bill 2011 — In Committee — Permanence

This division relates to the Policy For carbon farming.

The majority voted against amendments introduced by Independent Senator Nick Xenophon, which means that they were unsuccessful.

Senator Xenophon explained that the amendments were related to the issue of permanence.(Read Senator Xenophon's entire explanation of the amendment here. ) Under the bill as it stands, there is a requirement to maintain carbon stores for 100 years in order to take part of the proposed Carbon Farming Initiative. The amendments would have required the Domestic Offsets Integrity Committee (an independent expert committee) to "monitor all scientific research relevant to the issue of permanence and advise the minister of best evidence in relation to permanence".

Background to the bills

The Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Bill 2011 was introduced with two other bills to establish a voluntary carbon offset scheme, to be called the Carbon Farming Initiative.(The three related bills are the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Bill 2011, the Carbon Credits (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2011 and the Australian National Registry of Emissions Units Bill 2011. ) Introducing this scheme was a Government election commitment. The Initiative will be "a voluntary scheme that aims to provide incentives for the agricultural and forestry sectors to minimise carbon emissions or maximise carbon sequestration by altering their forestry and agricultural practices".(Read more in the bills digest. ) The objectives of this scheme are:

• to implement certain commitments Australia has under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol to it
• to create incentives for carbon-abatement projects
• to increase carbon abatement while still protecting Australia’s natural environment and enhancing resilience to climate change impacts.(Read more in the bills digest.)