Australia's Resources Minister, Madeleine King, is facing calls to correct a claim that all greenhouse gas emissions from the Beetaloo gas basin in the Northern Territory will be offset. Speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday, Ms King defended the development, stating her understanding was that emissions are "accounted for and offset," though she added she would "have to check that."
However, research by Tim Baxter of Naru Research found that about 95% of emissions expected from four gas projects in the Beetaloo basin this decade would not have to be offset. The Northern Territory government does not require emissions from the Beetaloo basin to be offset, a requirement that was reportedly dropped after objections from the gas industry.
While a federal climate policy, the safeguard mechanism, requires some emissions from gas developments emitting over 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually to be offset, this applies only to direct facility pollution, not full lifecycle emissions. The Pepper inquiry, a 2018 government-commissioned study, recommended that onshore shale gas developments should not increase Australia's total emissions, requiring full offsetting of climate pollution from extraction, processing, transport, and fuel use.
Kirsty Howey, now leading the Wilderness Society, stated that governments have broken a promise to fully act on the Pepper inquiry's recommendations. Bree Ahrens, acting chief head of Environment Centre NT, called on the minister to "correct the public record."