1,000th carbon project registered under the Emissions Reduction Fund provides confirmation of soil carbon as a key low emissions technology.

Photo supplied by Nathan Simpson

Photo supplied by Nathan Simpson

Today the Australian Government announced it has registered the one thousandth carbon project under their Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF). This declaration is significant as it confirms carbon sequestration as a key instrument in meeting Australia’s emissions reduction targets under the Paris Agreement and is another step on the roadmap to scale for soil carbon projects.

The achievement of this milestone also demonstrates the speed at which carbon project registrations are increasing. The first carbon project was registered on 17 August 2012, while approximately 20 per cent of all carbon projects registered have occurred within the last twelve months.  Around half of these projects over the past twelve months (109) were registered under the agricultural soil carbon method, a clear signal that landholders are seeking to integrate soil carbon management into their day-to-day operations.

This achievement is also testament to the leading work Australia is doing in landscape management. The Clean Energy Regulator (CER) administers a world leading certification scheme for carbon credits.  Nearly 80 percent of all carbon projects registered under the ERF directly relate to agriculture and landscape management methods such as soil carbon (168), vegetation management (526) and savanna wildfire management (78).  These methods all present opportunities for landholders to increase profitability through Emissions Reduction Fund participation.

The CER’s case study on the Binginbar Farm project said the following about the milestone, “Binginbar Farm is the 1000th project participating under the Emissions Reduction Fund – an important milestone for the scheme. The Emissions Reduction Fund continues to back projects that deliver on-the-ground practical action to reduce emissions, providing benefits to our farmers and helping business and industry to offset their emissions.”

Managing Director of AgriProve Matthew Warnken congratulated the CER saying, “Reaching 1000 projects is a tremendous achievement for the Clean Energy Regulator and for the carbon farming industry as a whole.  It is great to see soil carbon as the key area of growth for carbon projects under the ERF, as it allows land to remain in active agricultural production while still being able to participate in a carbon project.”

In another boost to the carbon industry the Government has expanded the functions of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to support the next generation of low emissions technologies, including new measurement technology for healthier soils. 

“We see the uptake of projects increasing in line with the strategic support the Australian Government is providing to soil carbon as a low emissions technology.  AgriProve is also looking to double the size of the team over the next 12 months to enable this uptake.  This investment will make registration and implementation of soil carbon projects easier for landholders while also enhancing Australia’s global leading soil carbon position.”