Australian Resources Minister Madeleine King claimed at the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday that all greenhouse gas emissions from the Beetaloo gas basin development in the Northern Territory will be offset. Research contradicts that assertion.
King defended the Beetaloo project after being asked whether she was comfortable with the emissions impact on Australians. She stated that emissions from the basin "are accounted for and offset."
A study found that 95 percent of emissions from the basin this decade would not be required to be offset under current policy, according to The Guardian. The discrepancy between King's public statement and the research findings has prompted calls for her to issue a correction.
The Beetaloo basin lies south of Darwin. The development represents a substantial fossil fuel expansion project that Australia's resources minister has publicly supported.
King's statement at the press club appears to mischaracterize the offset requirements applying to the project. The research indicates that the vast majority of near-term emissions from Beetaloo operations would fall outside offset obligations, contradicting her claim of comprehensive emissions accounting and mitigation.
The issue centers on climate policy implementation. Australia's current framework apparently does not require offset of 95 percent of Beetaloo emissions during the 2020s, yet King represented the project as fully offset to address climate concerns raised by journalists.