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Integrated Farm and Land Management method

North Australia Savanna Fire Forum 2024

Megan Surawski

Director

Carbon Crediting Branch

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

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We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present.

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Integrated Farm and Land Management method

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History

  • 2021 – Submission led by CMI Taskforce seeking its prioritisation
  • 2021 - Prioritised by Minister for development in 2022
  • 2022 – Co-design workshops commence led by the Clean Energy Regulator
  • 2022-23 – Independent ACCU Review undertaken
  • 2023 – method development function moved to DCCEEW
  • 2023 - technical workshops and stakeholder meetings re-commence

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Rationale

  • Stacking of land-based activities on the same land 
  • Reduce participation costs
  • Streamline reporting
  • Improve accounting – reduce risk of double-counting between carbon pools
  • Encourage more high integrity ACCU projects to help meet Australia’s emissions reduction targets

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Potential activities

Initial proposal: Vegetation and soil, subject to outcomes of co-design process

Considering:

  • native forest regeneration
  • plantings
  • soil carbon
  • fire management

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Opportunities

  • Hybrid (measure-model-measure) approach to vegetation: benefits to model-only, data collection/availability?
  • Improving project financial viability: scaling-up
  • Modular approach: activities, measurement technologies
  • Regeneration + planting: typical of restoration projects
  • Lessons from existing methods: evidence base for activities, use of FullCAM, improved administration, updates to guidelines/supplements

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Legislated Offsets Integrity Standards

  1. Additionality: A method should result in carbon abatement that is unlikely to occur in the ordinary course of events (disregarding the effect of the Act).
  2. Measurable and verifiable: A method involving the removal, reduction or emissions of greenhouse gases should be measurable and capable of being verified.
  3. Eligible carbon abatement: A method should provide abatement that is able to be used to meet Australia’s international mitigation obligations.
  4. Evidence-based: A method should be supported by clear and convincing evidence.
  5. Project emissions: Material greenhouse gas emissions emitted as a direct result of the project should be deducted.
  6. Conservative: Where a method involves an estimate, projection or assumption, it should be conservative.

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Challenges

Complexity

Diversity

- many potential inclusions

Additionality

E.g. rainfall vs activity

Evidence

Leakage – how to account for

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Timeline

Nov – Dec 2023

    • Technical workshops and stakeholder meetings held.

Jan – Apr 2024

    • Ongoing consideration of stakeholder feedback and further research into complex issues raised by stakeholders.
    • Exposure draft of proposed IFLM method finalised by DCCEEW for consideration by ERAC.

 From May 2024

    • ERAC consultation on exposure draft of proposed IFLM method.

 June – July 2024

    • ERAC considers feedback on the exposure draft, assesses the draft method against the Offset Integrity Standards and provides any other advice requested by the Minister.
    • ERAC advises the Minister about the proposed IFLM method. 

August 2024

    •  The Minister considers whether to make the proposed IFLM method, taking into consideration ERAC's advice.

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Contact us

ACCU Engagement and Implementation team�ACCUScheme@dcceew.gov.au

ACCU methods�ACCUmethods@dcceew.gov.au

dcceew�gov.au

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