Australia’s plan to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 relies heavily on carbon credits.
These credits are awarded to projects that avoid the release of greenhouse gases or remove and “sequester” (store) carbon so it’s no longer warming the atmosphere.
Farmers can be awarded credits for increasing soil carbon content. The federal government or companies can then purchase these credits to offset their carbon emissions.
These credits must represent genuine carbon sequestration if they are to mitigate climate change.
A number of Australian agricultural and soil scientists, including Professor Peter Grace, Professor David Rowlings and Dr Elaine Mitchell from the Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, have serious concerns about the way credits are awarded for soil carbon sequestration under the Australian carbon credit unit scheme.
To find out more, see the article on The Conversation.