Dr. Cathy Waters (Leader, Climate Research, NSW DPI, Dubbo)

NSW Primary Industries Climate Change Research Strategy

Value stacking carbon farming (Accessing Carbon Markets project)

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2019

Source: Clean Energy Regulator, August 2019

Accessing carbon markets

Maximising opportunities for primary industries

– Additional income

– Decision support

– Land use (prioritisation, optimisation)

– Management of carbon areas

Increased future opportunities

– New markets

– Contribution to NSW net-zero emissions target

– Integration of sequestration and emissions reduction with agriculture

Reduce the risk of primary industries transitioning

to carbon farming and carbon neutrality

Windbreaks Better livelihoods and community cohesion

Provisioning

Supporting

Cultural

Regulating

Ecosystem Services Environmental Economic

Carbon Farming

Production of Food

and Fibre

Soil health

Livestock shelter

Biodiversity enhancement

Pest and weed management

Pollination

Salinity control and mitigation

Water quality (runoff)

Carbon income

Income diversification

Infrastructure improvement

Improved physical and mental health

Knowledge sharing and education

Indigenous land management

Indigenous community development

Adapted from: Baumber et al. (2019) Ecosystem Services. 39: 100982

Socio-cultural

Purpose of co-benefit indicators

Enabling transition & verifiable to support market access

• Evidence-based indicators (outcome & activity based)

• Prioritisation & optimisation of benefits (farm & region)

• Payments for co-benefits

• Markets (advantages & share)

• Protecting against risks and dis-benefits

Criteria

• Single & multiple benefits (hierarchical)

• Reflect management (desired outcome)

• Broad applicability (rangelands and higher rainfall, ERF methods)

• Low cost, near real time (remotely-sensed, existing data sources)

• Scalable

Inside Outside

Management of grazing intensity

Waters et al (2017) Land Degradation & Development 28, 1369-1375 Orgill et al (2018) The Rangeland Journal 39:157-167

• Increased ground cover (perennial)

• Increased SOC (some soil types)

• Avoid the loss of SOC

• Soil surface condition

• Changes in patch structure & composition

Biodiversity impacts

• Neutral to positive effect on biodiversity

• Un-thinned regrowth (INS) negative

impact

• Greater structural complexity in regrowth

compared to INS

Waters et al. (2017) Forest Ecology & Management 409, 571-583 Gonsalves et al. (2018) Forest Ecology and Management 425, 177-188

Proposed testing of co-benefit indicators

Multi-year/Monthly/weekly Land cover changes Fractional ground cover (Sentinel-2: Landsat)

Multi-year Structural vegetation changes Patch configuration Soil surface condition

Seasonal Pasture utilisation Pasture biomass Vegetation health, exotic weed spp.

Validation Pasture composition Soil surface condition

Incr

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spat

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Multiple temporal scales

Need for quantification of co-benefits

• National Outlook 2019

• NSW net-zero emissions target 2050

• Red meat net-zero emissions target 2030

• Beef sustainability framework

• Carbon Market Institute Roadmap

• Land Restoration Fund (QLD)

Value-stacking carbon farming and realising co-benefits

Increasing access to carbon markets – optimise primary industries

achieving net zero emissions targets while supporting sustainable

production

• Support greater market access

• Widen carbon farming activities

• Increased farm income & diversification