Positive and negative lists for CFI

The success of the Australian Government’s Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) will rely on its reputation and integrity in achieving positive environmental outcomes, which will in turn influence buyer confidence and the prices offered for CFI credits. In the interest of ensuring all CFI credits are consistent with internationally recognised standards, the government is preparing a list of positive and negative CFI activities.

The positive list will identify activities that are additional (i.e. they would not occur without the CFI) and unlikely to have unintended negative consequences for the community and the environment, and are therefore eligible to participate in the CFI. The negative list will identify activities that could be additional but are ineligible in certain circumstances due to adverse impacts on the community and the environment.

In July 2011 the Australian Government released a consultation paper on the approach to be used to develop positive and negative lists and the proposed activities for consideration under the CFI. As such, the government’s intention is to ensure that each carbon credit issued under the CFI represents one tonne of genuinely additional greenhouse gas abatement while also protecting the community and environment from any foreseeable negative consequences of greenhouse gas abatement.

The use of positive and negative lists will be a useful resource for farmers, landholders and forest growers to determine whether their activity is eligible under the initiative. This approach also helps minimise administrative costs by avoiding the need for intensive eligibility tests for individual projects.

For further information

CFI positive and negative lists

CFI consultation paper

Draft regulations on the CFI positive and negative lists

Commentary on the draft regulations for CFI positive and negative lists