The government has scrapped its Climate Active certification scheme after it was labelled “greenwashing” for big polluters by lobby groups.
It enabled high-polluting companies to register their emissions, and claim carbon neutrality, by purchasing carbon offsets gained by paying for projects like tree planting to reduce carbon in the atmosphere.
Climate Active, which was established by Opposition Leader Angus Taylor in 2019 (when he was minister for energy and emissions reductions), permitted companies to source up to 80 per cent of their credits from international projects.
Several large companies had already quit the scheme, including Telstra, Australia Post and PwC.
The move was welcomed by the Climate Council.
“Climate Active gave the green tick of approval to everything from polluting gas corporations to petrol at the bowser,” said the council’s Ben McLeod.
A spokesperson for the assistant minister for climate change Josh Wilson said the government had reviewed the scheme and decided to “move on from government certification” for polluters.
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