A panel of experts has been appointed to examine ways Australian farmers and foresters can earn carbon credits.
Climate Change Minister Greg Combet on Wednesday announced the members of the domestic offsets integrity committee, who will advise on the carbon farming initiative promised at the election.
The National Carbon Offsets Standard, introduced on July 1, has established the rules for companies to become carbon neutral or to sell carbon neutral products.
In the first half of 2011, the government plans to take legislation for the carbon farming initiative to parliament.
It will set out what farmers, foresters and landholders can do to generate carbon credits, and will establish an independent regulator to verify carbon credit claims.
Reforestation, capturing emissions from landfill and better managing livestock manure are some of the methods the committee may examine, Mr Combet said.
“The sooner we get these rigorous measures in place, the sooner investment opportunities and measures to abate carbon pollution will be available,” he said.
After consultations with interested groups and a period for public submissions, the committee will advise on methods to be approved in advance of the carbon farming legislation.
The committee will be replaced with a statutory committee when the legislation has passed.
On the committee is environmental lawyer Duncan McGregor, offsets expert Rob Fowler, ecologist Dr J. Mark Dangerfield, scientist Professor Annette Cowie, the CSIRO’s Dr Brian Keating, and the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency’s Shayleen Thompson.
