Australia's new Improved Native Forest Management (INFM) method, approved under the ACCU scheme, lets state governments earn carbon credits by permanently ending planned logging in state forests. The NSW government plans to use it to fund the Great Koala National Park. But the method is drawing fire from all sides: farmers say it fails additionality tests, foresters question its carbon outcomes, and environmentalists argue it lets polluters offset rather than cut emissions. The Emissions Reduction Assurance Committee spent 18 months reviewing the method and made changes including a project-level leakage deduction of up to 40 percent and removal of a deferral option. Supporters like the Climate Market Institute say the final version reflects genuine consultation. The debate highlights the difficulty of designing carbon methods that satisfy integrity standards while delivering real climate outcomes.
