October 2021 - WA Carbon Connections

This month:

• EU ETS price almost cracks $100 AUD

• CF-LRP applications close for this round

• Soil C-Quest hosts virtual field days in October

• Report released with concerns for Avoided Deforestation credits

First, as always, a carbon price update:

Fingers crossed...

The October 1, 12 noon deadline for the WA State Government’s Carbon Farming and Land Restoration Program (CF-LRP) is now behind us, phew!  Carbon West has been assisting with several Expressions of Interest submissions for soil carbon projects to be considered for inclusion in the program.  

The CF-LRP is a WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development initiative intended to promote the uptake of Federal Government Emission Reduction Fund (ERF) land-based carbon projects.  WA Agriculture Minister Alannah McTiernan’s strong interest in soil health and climate resilience in agriculture is well known, and the CF-LRP initiative encourages soil carbon project development (indicated by them giving us all an extra 6 weeks or so on the original deadline date to pull all the required info together). 

With EOIs for projects from throughout the WA agricultural region, we’re hoping the EOIs will fit the bill for the CF-LRP so we can speed up the process of drawing atmospheric carbon down through efficiently photosynthesising plants into well-functioning soil to create water-holding humus beneath a healthy layer of soil-protecting ground cover to produce truly nutrient-dense, health-giving food from our ancient Western Australian soils.  (Try reading that without taking a breath!) 

We’ll keep our fingers and toes crossed until the EOI assessments are complete. 

To all the pioneering landholders making a commitment to this endeavour - let’s call them ‘WA soil carboneers’ - Good luck! 

Soil C-Quest's virtual field days

The carbon industry is firmly in a stage where most people are eager to learn as much as they can, so the virtual field day series from Soil C-Quest is a good opportunity to soak up some more information!  

The events are free of charge and running this month, the first one tomorrow on the 6th, then the 13th, and 20th of October, off the back of the group’s farm research projects. Find more information about the events and register to attend via the links below. 

https://www.facebook.com/711724442287040/posts/4148365611956222/?d=n  

https://twitter.com/soilcquest/status/1443722861311508486  

Are many carbon credits in Australia “nothing more than hot air”?

A report by the Australian Conservation Foundation has raised concerns that carbon credits generated under the ERF’s ‘Avoided Deforestation’ methodology are not actually making a difference to carbon emissions.  

While not currently available in WA due to the state’s laws preventing land clearing, the Avoided Deforestation methodology delivers carbon credits to landholders if they own uncleared land, have an incentive and legal ability to clear it, but choose not to. The report makes the point that there is a possibility for many project owners who meet these criteria on paper but in reality may be receiving credits despite not really intending to clear forest.
The Carbon Market Institute says it welcomes critiques of the methodologies, but denies this claim, on the basis of “fundamental calculation errors”.

The title of this article on the issue might cause some to worry that these veracity concerns extend to other methods of generating carbon credits, but we’re pleased to put those worries aside. The Emissions Reduction Fund in Australia remains one of the world’s most rigorous set of methodologies, and gains reported under these regimes must be strongly supported by auditable evidence and repeatable scientific testing. 

Quote of the day

 “Advances in medicine and agriculture have saved vastly more lives than have been lost in all the wars in history.” - Carl Sagan

 This month’s quote is certainly one to ponder, and along with his shoutout to medicine, a timely one as we navigate a pandemic, we think Carl’s given us an interesting reminder of the potential for agriculture to be more than simply a food provider. Agriculture can improve the quality of food and enhance environmental outcomes.