THE HON MARK DREYFUS QC MP
Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency
Parliamentary Secretary for Industry and Innovation
MEDIA RELEASE
NEW EXPERT PANEL FOR CARBON FARMING
The Australian Government has announced the appointment of a new expert panel to assess proposed methods for developing carbon credits under the Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI).
“The Domestic Offsets Integrity Committee will ensure that CFI carbon credits meet the highest international standards and represent genuine reductions in carbon pollution,” the federal Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Mark Dreyfus, said.
“Farmers, other landholders and waste facility operators can already start planning projects to permanently plant native species, flare landfill gas and reduce methane from manure generated in piggeries,” Mr Dreyfus said.
The new panel will begin assessing further methodologies immediately, providing more opportunities for farmers and other landholders to benefit from the carbon market.
“The Committee, which meets for the first time today, is comprised of internationally renowned experts with a diverse range of board experience and scientific expertise in areas relevant to the CFI including sustainable agriculture, soil carbon sequestration and revegetation.
“The committee has the skills and expertise to make sure that CFI methodologies are based on robust science and will lead to verifiable abatement of carbon pollution,” Mr Dreyfus said.
The members of the Committee are Professor Tim Reeves (Chair); Dr Tony Press; Professor Lynette Abbott, Ms Rebecca Burdon, Dr Brian Keating and Ms Shayleen Thompson (biographies on following page).
This committee replaces the interim Domestic Offsets Integrity Committee set up to fast track assessment of methodologies submitted for assessment prior to commencement of the CFI.
Further information on the CFI and the role of the Domestic Offsets Integrity Committee is available at www.climatechange.gov.au
THURSDAY, 22 MARCH 2012
Biographies – Domestic Offsets Integrity Committee members:
Professor Tim Reeves (Chair) is an international consultant with expertise in the development and extension of sustainable agricultural productions systems and croplivestock integration. He is a Professorial Fellow at the Melbourne School of Land and Environment, a director of The Future Farm Industries Cooperative Research Centre, was a Senior Expert for the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and was formerly the Director-General of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement
Centre.
Dr Tony Press has led one of Australia’s leading climate science bodies, the Australian Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre as CEO since 2009 and has been Chair of the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens Board for many years. He was previously a senior executive on the Environmental Forest Taskforce in the Department of the Environment and Heritage and was the Director of the Cooperative Research Centre for the Sustainable Development of Australia’s Tropical Savannas.
Ms Rebecca Burdon is the principal economist at the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). Ms Burdon has extensive international experience assessing the economic impact of existing and proposed regulatory interventions using statistical and econometric analysis and modelling. Prior to working with ACMA Ms Burdon assisted the NSW government with the development of the Greenhouse Gas Abatement Scheme, specifically with the rules governing the creation of NSW Greenhouse Gas Abatement Certificates from demand side abatement activities.
Professor Lynette Abbott is the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Science and Professor in the School of Earth and Environment at the University of Western Australia. Professor Abbott is an internationally well known and respected scientist who has published widely in soil, agricultural and botanical research journals. Professor Abbott’s principle area of scientific expertise is within the agricultural sector with broad expertise in soil biology, including retention/protection of soil carbon.
Dr Brian Keating (CSIRO nominee) is Director of the National Research Flagship on Sustainable Agriculture focusing on productivity, greenhouse gas abatement and sustainability challenges in Australian agriculture, forestry and land-use systems. Brian has 35 years experience in agricultural and natural resource management R&D with leadership roles including the Chief of the CSIRO Division of Sustainable Ecosystems (2004-2008) and a past Board member of Sugar, Rainforest Ecology and Management and Tropical Savannas
CRCs. Brian has authored over 200 scientific papers covering diverse topics including soil and water management, plant nutrition, soil carbon and nitrogen cycling, crop physiology, farming systems analysis and design, bioenergy, simulation modelling, climatic risk management and food security. He is a continuing member of the Editorial Board of the international journal, Agricultural Systems.
Ms Shayleen Thompson (Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency representative) is the Head of the Land Division in the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency. She has worked on international and domestic climate change policy and programs since 1995. The Land Division was established in July 2010 to provide a coherent and coordinated approach to climate change mitigation.
