Emerging carbon economies in northern Australia

Andrew Campbell

Shaun Ansell, Rowan Foley

Terrah Guymala, Geoff Lipsett-Moore

Andrew Roberts

http://riel.cdu.edu.au

The local coNText place-based distinctiveness

• Relatively intact, vast landscapes and seascapes− the largest network of free-flowing rivers in the world

• Extraordinary cultural heritage, ancient and contemporary

• Rich opportunities & intense development pressures− more than $1 trillion of resources projects in the pipeline

• Strategic national significance on the edge of Asia

• Darwin closer to Jakarta, Singapore and KL than to Sydney− Closest Australian university (JCU) is 2500km away

Savannas burn every year• Dry season - highly flammable landscape• Exacerbated by introduced weeds, especially Gamba Grass• Fire emits Greenhouse gases CO2, methane, N20

Photo Sam Setterfield

• Western Arnhemland – 25,000 km2 (6 million acres)– Significant biodiversity hot spot– Significant fire problem

• Unique partnership between traditional owners, NT and Commonwealth Governments and private funders

• Aims– Shift fire regimes at landscape scales– Reintroduce traditional burning regime, increase early dry

season fires and patchiness– Accurately quantify savanna GHG emission factors – Develop remote sensing techniques to map fires and

calculate emissions

WALFA – savanna fire abatement scheme

Savanna burning – 2011 fire scars

Investigate savanna fire cycleon mass and energy exchange

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1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

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Pre-project baseline(b) GHG Emissions

West Arnhem Land Fire Abatement Project

Conoco Phillips $20m

Inpex $37m

Biodiversity Fund $??

Other investors?

Before After

The orange, red to pink areas represent the significant fire abatement opportunities

(where we have the greatest frequency of late dry season wildfires)

http://extranet.ilc.gov.au/ilcw/pm/Logos/ILC%20Logo%20-%20In%20line.jpg

http://extranet.ilc.gov.au/ilcw/pm/Logos/ILC%20Logo%20-%20In%20line.jpg

Fish River Fire Project

The orange, red to pink areas represent the significant fire abatement opportunities

Fish River Station

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Base line Avg Fire Project Avg0.00%

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Base Line Period Fire Project Implemented

37,000 tonnes emissions

17,000 tonnes emissions

20,000 tonnes

abatement

Fish River Fire Project Emissions Performance

INDIGENOUS CARBONRowan FoleyGeneral Manager

Aboriginal Carbon Fund(not for profit company)

National Indigenous Climate Change

a. National Indigenous Climate Change (NICC) Forum held in Alice Springs March 2011 attended by over 50 Indigenous leaders, Land

Councils, DCCEE and corporates

b. Indigenous delegation @ Senate Inquiry into CFI

c. Indigenous Negotiation Roundtables in Canberra, Melbourne and Townsville with the Hon. Mark Dreyfus (Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change)

Aboriginal Communities, Lands & Native Title determinations with IPAs & ILUAs

Outcomes to Date

a. $22m Indigenous Carbon Farming Fund,b. Indigenous seat on the $1.7b Land Sector Carbon

Board,c. $29m of funding from first round of Biodiversity Fund d. Indigenous Negotiation Roundtablese. Recognition of native title rights and interests in CFIf. Amendment of ALP policyg. Development of the Indigenous Co-benefits Criteria

and Requirements to inform the Development of Australia’s CFI

h. Participation in the UN Workshop on Climate Change Mitigation with Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples.

Aboriginal Carbon Fund

Enrichment Planting Methodology Development

Steering Committee: Kimberley Training Institute, RIRDC, CSIRO, RM Williams, NT Parks & Wildlife, Allens and Commonwealth Bank

Gubinge (Kakadu plum) propagation Broome

Aboriginal Carbon Fund

Blue Carbon Methodology Working Group: AIMS, GBRMPA, QLD Dept of Fisheries, Balkanu, TSRA, Tierra Mar consulting, Alloporus Environmental, Allens and Charles Darwin University

Torres Strait Regional Sea Claim

Aboriginal Carbon Fund

Australian Carbon Rangelands Enterprise (ACRE) Rangelands Methodology

Fauna and Flora International, RM Williams Agricultural, Canopy, Aboriginal Carbon Fund, NorthWest Carbon, Do-Tank and Bush Heritage

An agenda for Indigenous Carbon (1)

1. A Fair Carbon Australia system to mitigate risk and promote a fair price for a genuine product

2. An Aboriginal Carbon Standard tool so community based Traditional Owner and/or ranger groups can undertake 99% of project development and auditing

3. An annual Indigenous Carbon and Co-benefits Investment Forum

4. Indigenous and environmental co-benefits promoted as integral to all carbon projects for a premium price

5. The regulatory role of Australian Government is kept minimal, allowing Indigenous land and sea owning groups to negotiate a fair price within a mutually agreed framework

An Agenda for Indigenous Carbon (2)

6. National Reserve System modified to allow land owners the ability to engage in both carbon and cattle markets within a conservation framework

7. State and Territory Governments allow Indigenous groups to trade ACCU’s from their land = real jobs in a real economy

8. Public register detailing all companies, institutions and government agencies source ACCU offsets from TOs

9. Indigenous Negotiation Roundtable provides direct advice and guidance to Ministers and officials

10. Indigenous carbon trading offices in Europe and/or Asia in 10 years.

Threats to our Indigenous Carbon Industry

Fledgling industry will make mistakes

Lack of industry standards (focus on govt regulation)

Non-Indigenous groups accessing Indigenous funding

Too many ‘carbon baggers’

Project failures damage our brand

Risks and rate of returns to investors not well understood

Industry overheads too high, not enough professionals operating at competitive rates

Not enough carbon agreements in place with 500 companies

Cost shifting by governments

Carbon workshop with Warrumungu people

Planning for the future

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For more info: http://riel.cdu.edu.auwww.nailsma.org.au