Browsing: Offsets

Inpex's Darwin LNG project will be subjected to far less onerous greenhouse gas offset requirements than similar projects in Western Australia.

The WA EPA has ruled that Chevron and its joint venture partners should offset roughly a quarter of the CO2 emissions from their Wheatstone LNG project, rejecting their plans not to offset any emissions before a carbon price regime is in place.

The Northern Territory Government will allow the Inpex LNG project to go ahead, but expects greenhouse gas offsets to 'feature prominently' in the joint venture's management plan.

Encouraged by a federal environment department EPBC Act recommendation that a 100% abatement obligation be imposed on a Shell offshore LNG processing facility, the WA Conservation Council will ask Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke to impose tough carbon conditions on major WA LNG, coal and chemical projects.

• Senate schedules carbon farming, product stewardship inquiries
  
• ESAA hands out sustainability awards
  
• NT native vegetation bill inserts carbon criteria into permitting processes
  
• Combet points to action by China

Climate Minister Greg Combet today introduced legislation to establish the Government's 'carbon farming' offsets regime – taking up Garnaut's suggestion to relax restrictions on creating offsets – and also introduced a bill formalising the registry that will track carbon trades.

Carbon Trust Australia has certified offsets programs operated by Qantas and Jetstar, though less than 10% of their internet customers use the option, while airfares website Webjet is yet to offer a carbon-neutral choice.

• Rio bauxite mine boosts capacity to handle extreme rain
  
• 'No-effort' offsets should prompt 5% cut rethink: ANU study
  
• Queensland launches LNG enforcement unit

• Melbourne Water boosts biogas capture in carbon-neutral push
  
• WA Government to amend conservation law
  
• Qantas explores bio-jet fuel
  
• Carbon Trust hands out second CO2-neutral certification

A draft 'carbon farming' bill establishes two forms of domestic credits to offset emissions, defines procedures for tracking trades in international and local carbon units and introduces an enforcement regime designed to be compatible with a mandatory CO2 price.