Offset methodologies

Offset projects established under the Carbon Farming Initiative will need to use methodologies approved by the Government. These contain the detailed rules for implementing and monitoring specific abatement activities and generating carbon credits under the scheme.

Methodologies may be developed by private proponents and industry associations as well as government agencies.

An independent expert committee, the Domestic Offsets Integrity Committee, has been established to assess offset methodologies and advise the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency on their approval. The Committee will ensure that methodologies are rigorous and lead to real abatement.

As part of its assessment, the Domestic Offsets Integrity Committee will publish proposed methodologies on this website for public comment. Any comments submitted will be considered by the Committee in making its recommendations to the Minister.

Approved methodologies will also be made available on this website for use by project proponents.

Methodology development

The Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry are working with industry to develop offset methodologies that have broad application.

This work is being progressed through a number of methodology work streams, including:

  • reforestation, forest management and native forest protection
  • savanna fire management
  • landfill gas recovery
  • manure management
  • management of methane from livestock, and
  • soil carbon and biochar.

Technical working groups comprising representatives of expert and practitioner groups have been established by the departments to review current scientific knowledge, determine any requirements for additional research and finalise methodologies under each work stream. These methodologies are expected to be rolled out progressively.

For further information on the working groups contact cfi@climatechange.gov.au or 1800 057 590.

Methodology Development Program

The Australian Government has committed $19.6 million to the Methodology Development Program under the Carbon Farming Futures package. This is designed to facilitate the development of CFI methodologies. As part of this program, $7.2 million will be available as grants for methodology development projects.

The department has now released the draft guidelines under the Methodology Development Program for public consultation.

Submission of comments on program guidelines

  1. Submissions are invited from all interested stakeholders.
  2. Submissions should be in the templates provided on the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency website, preferably in Microsoft Word or other text based formats.
  3. Where possible, submissions should be lodged electronically to the email address below. Alternatively, submissions may be sent to the postal address below to arrive by the due date.
  4. Submissions will not be treated as confidential and may be made publicly available. If a submission (or extract of a submission) is to be kept confidential, please indicate this in the submission.
  5. All submissions are due by 4 May 2012. The government may not be able to consider late submissions.

Submissions should be sent to:

Email: cfi.methdevprog@climatechange.gov.au

Postal address:
Methodology Development, Land Division
Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency
GPO Box 854
CANBERRA ACT 2601

Hard copies are available on request via telephone: 1800 057 590 or email cfi@climatechange.gov.au.

Indigenous Carbon Farming Fund

The Australian Government has committed $5.2 million to the Research and Development Stream of the Indigenous Carbon Farming Fund (ICFF). This funding will be directed towards supporting and developing low-cost methodologies likely to have high Indigenous participation to help create real and lasting opportunities for Indigenous Australians.

The ICFF also includes a $17.1 million Capacity Building and Business Support Stream. This funding will help Indigenous communities establish or participate in carbon farming projects. This stream will be delivered by the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (SEWPaC).

The Department has now released the draft guidelines for the Research and Development Stream of the Indigenous Carbon Farming Fund for public consultation.

See also: Information about the Capacity Building and Business Support Stream.

Submission guidelines

  1. Submissions are invited from all interested stakeholders;
  2. Submissions should be in the templates provided on the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency website, preferably in Microsoft Word or other text based formats.
  3. Where possible, submissions should be lodged electronically to the email address below, Alternatively, submissions may be sent to the postal address below to arrive by the due date;
  4. Submissions will not be treated as confidential and may be made publicly available. If a submission (or extract of a submission) is to be kept confidential, please indicate this in the submission; and
  5. All submissions are due 4 May 2012. The Government may not be able to consider late submissions.

Submissions should be sent to:

Email: icff@climatechange.gov.au

Postal address:
Indigenous Carbon Farming Fund, Land Division
Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency
GPO Box 854
CANBERRA ACT 2601

Hard copies are available on request via telephone: 1800 057 590 or email cfi@climatechange.gov.au.

Submitting a methodology for assessment

The Domestic Offsets Integrity Committee is accepting methodology proposals for assessment.

Applications for assessment of proposed Carbon Farming Initiative methodologies must be prepared in accordance with the Guidelines for submitting methodologies using the template provided.

Applications should be submitted to the Domestic Offsets Integrity Committee Secretariat at the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency at doic@climatechange.gov.au.

Methodology assessment

The following process will be used to assess methodology proposals:

  1. the proposal will be screened to ensure it is suitable to release for public consultation
  2. during public consultation, a technical assessor will examine the proposal to ensure it is scientifically rigorous
  3. the Domestic Offsets Integrity Committee will assess the proposal against the CFI offset integrity standards, and take into account submissions made during the public consultation process and the technical assessment report
  4. the methodology proponent will revise the proposal as necessary
  5. the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency will draft the methodology proposal as a legislative instrument, known as a methodology determination
  6. the committee will decide whether to endorse the methodology determination and recommend it to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency for approval.

Further information