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In the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) White paper, the Government committed to implementing policies for reducing agricultural emissions from 2015, so that the sector can contribute to Australia meeting its emissions reduction targets. The Government has not yet decided whether agricultural emissions will be included in the CPRS, or whether agricultural emissions will be reduced using alternative policy measures. A decision on policy options for agriculture has been deferred until 2013 to allow time for research and consultation with agricultural industries into policy options for cost-effectively reducing emissions.
Department of Climate Change (DCC) 2009
With two-thirds of total Australian farm produce being exported, the international context is vital for Australian farmers in the development of domestic climate change policies. Recent indications are that Australian farmers will be isolated if agriculture’s direct emissions are covered within an Australian CPRS. Developed countries including the United States, Canada, Japan and European countries, have already disclosed that they will be adopting a carrot, not a stick, approach to driving mitigation outcomes from their agriculture sectors. That is, these countries will not cover agriculture under an emissions trading cap.
National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) 2009
Although agriculture will not be covered from the beginning of the scheme, the agriculture sector will be affected through increases in farm input costs, such as fertilizer, energy and fuel, due to increased costs of producing these goods under a CPRS.
Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia 2009
Presenters:
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Dr Craig Meer
Assistant Director – Agriculture Section,
in the Federal Department of Climate Change,
based in Canberra
Download slides (.pdf 1.5MB) |
Dr Craig Meer is running the National Technical Options Development Group that seeks to develop, evaluate and report on policy options for the agricultural sector. Its focus is on creating incentives to reduce emissions from livestock and cropping activities, and building incrementally on data and information already collected by farmers. Considerations in its deliberations include exploring the interactions between alternative points of obligation (farms, factories, input suppliers), alternate approaches to emissions reporting, and complementary technologies such as livestock tracking systems.
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Dr Richard Eckard
Associate Professor,
Melbourne School of Land and Environment,
The University of Melbourne.
Download slides (.pdf 760KB)
Download audio (.mp3 4.8MB approx 27mins) |
Dr Richard Eckard is a highly experienced scientist who has focused his research on greenhouse emissions from agricultural systems; nitrogen cycling in agro-ecosystems; and wholefarm modeling of intensive grazing systems. He is a Science Leader in ‘Greenhouse in Agriculture’ and the Victorian Climate Change Adaptation Program and is an expert participant in DCC’s Technical Options Development Group. He is an excellent science communicator who has given much thought to the topic of this forum.
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Jennifer Hawkins
Nuffield Australia 2009 scholarship winner
Download slides (.pdf 1.63MB)
Download audio (.mp3 6.2MB approx 35mins) |
Jennifer Hawkins from Finley, NSW, received the 2009 Nuffield Scholarship supported by the Sidney Myer Fund. Jennifer has been studying emissions trading and methods for calculating greenhouse gas emissions and storage onfarm. She and her husband John operate a 960ha mixed irrigation enterprise in the Southern Riverina, which includes rice, canola, winter cereals, feedlot beef cattle and prime lamb production.
Jennifer has visited Canada, the USA and China, investigating recording and compliance methods farmers can use to measure their greenhouse gas emissions and farm management options to reduce emissions or improve carbon sequestration. |
