Browsing: <a href="/tag/carbon-law-policy-nger">Carbon law, policy/NGER</a> <i class="grey">•</i> <a href="/tag/biodiversity-epbc-act">Biodiversity/EPBC Act</a>

• No material impact from carbon price, steelmaker tells ASX
  
• Offshore oil and gas projects freed from EPBC emissions constraints
  
• Carbon costs plummet for Origin's NZ power business

As the carbon price rises today to $24.15, amidst speculation that it will be lowered, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has handed the carbon and environment portfolio to Mark Butler, while energy stays with Gary Gray.

Official estimates of how many tonnes of greenhouse gas must be abated to achieve a 5% target are now laughably over-stated, says the ANU's Andrew Macintosh, who also warns Queensland's wind-back of land clearing laws will cause an emissions spike.

The Government now estimates the carbon price will drop to $12.10 when the scheme switches to its trading phase in mid-2015, has left a key clean energy grant program untouched, but has slashed support for the coal industry.

Federal and state governments will prepare guidelines for accrediting the 'biodiversity co-benefits' of carbon markets by next year, and by 2015 will develop tools to measure and report on carbon sequestration by native vegetation.

A CE Daily guide to key dates for the coming year. We will resume publishing on January 16.

Armed with the findings from an economics consultancy, the WA EPA will shortly advise the State Government on whether greenhouse gas conditions imposed on Chevron's Wheatstone LNG project are complementary to a carbon price, EPA chair Paul Vogel has told CE Daily.

• BCA questions EU linking terms, opposes tighter limits
  
• Queensland to introduce land-clearing 'self-assessable codes'

• ACCC secures enforceable carbon price undertaking from Brumby's
  
• Burke and BHPB lose bid to recoup costs of Olympic Dam EPBC challenge
  
• Ministers make technical changes to controlled waste NEPM

• Clean Energy Regulator signs MoU with tax office
  
• Burke details EPBC EIS requirements for Cape York bauxite mine
  
• National power market rule fix for small low- or no-emissions generators
  
• SA residents doorknocked over Mobil site contamination