Australia Moves to Refine Direct Action Process, Create New Carbon Credit Options

摘要

The Australian government is refining aspects of its Direct Action plan, the program will offer to pay companies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Backed by Prime Minister Tony Abbott, the policy replaced the country's carbon price scheme, which required large emitters to pay for their carbon emissions and was repealed last July. Direct Action has two main parts: an emissions reduction fund, which will use government money to buy carbon credits created by authorized offset projects; and a "safeguard mechanism," which will require that facilities that emit more than 100,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas annually to keep net emissions below specified baselines. Target Issues Paper. The government March 28 released an issues paper that discusses measures that could be used to supplement Direct Action and help Australia cut emissions after 2020. "These could include fuel efficiency standards for light and heavy vehicles, building and appliance energy efficiency standards, and measures to reduce synthetic greenhouse gas emissions," the paper said.