September 2021 - WA Carbon Connections

This month:

• ERF hits a thousand projects registered

• The IPCC 6th Climate report

• Santos sued over 'greenwashing'

• Research into aids for dryland carbon farming

• CF-LRP deadline for soil projects now October 1

First, as always, a carbon price update:

Keeping up with the ERF project register

This month the ERF cracked 1000 registered projects with nine new projects added to the register in August. Woohoo!! WA has 3 new projects added in August, bringing its total to 169 projects. 

ERF projects cover vegetation (generally tree plantings of some kind), agriculture (soil projects as well as emissions reduction projects including piggery and cattle herd management), and other emissions reduction methods in waste management, transport, and energy sectors.

In WA, we have:
13 Reforestation by environmental or mallee planting projects
13 Plantation method projects 
6 Afforestation and reforestation projects
75 Human-induced regeneration (HIR) projects
15 Savannah burning/management projects
2 Soil carbon in agricultural systems projects  
1 Beef cattle herd management project
44 Other and industry emissions reduction projects

The IPCC 'Code Red' - but why?

This month's main carbon-related news is the already very well reported IPCC report on climate change and it's "Code red for humanity" warning. We want to briefly look at why this report is as significant as it is, and what it has to say about changes which will impact WA landholders. 

To us, it certainly seems like dire warnings about the climate's trajectory have been coming thick and fast for many years now, so why is this one any different? It mainly comes down to the change in language used in this report compared to previous IPCC and other scientific reports, and the pace at which we are hurtling towards 1.5 or 2.0°C of warming.  

In terms of the actual content of the report, the authors' language is now just about as serious and certain as scientific report language can get. So now not only has every sentence of the report been read and approved by scientists and officials from 196 member countries, but its message is clearer and more direct than in any of the previous five reports.  

In 1990, the consensus was that climate change could "largely be due to natural variability", in 1995 "a discernible human influence" on the world's climate was reported, and in 2001, it was stated that "most of the observed warming … is likely attributed to the increase in greenhouse gas emissions". So today, when the IPCC says "it is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land", that is what you call undeniable.  

The key takeaway from the report is that it is no longer likely that a warming of 1.5°C is avoidable, and at current pace (or lack of action), 2.0°C of warming is becoming a much more real possibility. The IPCC now has an interactive tool, which is as interesting as it is worrying, for indicating the changes we can expect with different levels of warming, and its forecast for WA is lower annual rainfall, longer stretches between any rainfall and higher temperatures across the board. Try it here: https://interactive-atlas.ipcc.ch/   

At risk of sounding like a broken record, it is certainly time to act on this dangerous future, and we believe that improving the levels of stored carbon in soil and vegetation across the state will both help reduce climate change and mitigate its effects for landholders. 

Santos sued and superfunds shun big emitters

A not-for-profit shareholder advocacy group is suing oil and gas company Santos over its claims that it produces "clean fuel" and plans to reach net zero emissions by 2040. The Environmental Defenders Officers acting on behalf of the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility (ACCR), argues that Santos' clean fuel and clean energy claims are misrepresentations of the amount of greenhouse gases released when extracting natural gas.  

They also question the veracity of Santos' net zero target which relies heavily on carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology which is yet to yield any positive results (despite $4Billion invested into the technology in Australia alone). Adding to the ACCR's concerns is Santos' plans for massive expansions in fossil fuel extraction even beyond 2040. The term 'greenwashing' is going to feature heavily in this case. 

Big emitting companies have been feeling the heat (we're unashamed of the pun!) in the past few years, with analysis released last week by environmental finance group Market Forces indicating that since 2018, Australian superfunds have pulled more than $5bn from oil companies including Santos, Woodside, BHP and others across the industry. 

Rush to develop soil carbon sequestration aids

It's no secret that Carbon West's favourite place to store carbon is in the soil. We think it's a no-brainer... it reduces atmospheric carbon, improves food and fibre production and increases agriculture's resilience in a changing climate.  

A big challenge, particularly in low-rainfall areas, is retaining the carbon which plants pump into the soil during the growing season throughout a long, hot, dry summer. Without careful management, our soils gain carbon in the winter and lose it in the summer.

Generally speaking, the deeper and more developed plant root systems are, the more carbon stays, protected, down into the soil profile. So it was with considerable interest we read about research being done in the US on a harvestable, perennial wheatgrass which has a far superior root system to annual wheat varieties. Kernza is an intermediate wheatgrass from Eurasia with a very deep and robust root system which is being studied to try to increase yield, seed size, and disease resistance, with the grain being adopted by small numbers of millers, bakers, and brewers as well as being usable as a fodder. Click here to read more about Kernza. 

We're not saying Kernza is the bee's knees, but we are suggesting that there is an immense amount of R&D money being directed towards initiatives which will help farmers sequester carbon in their soils. For another example, here in Australia, Soil Carbon Co and Soil C Quest, based in northern NSW, are doing some amazing work on developing easy-to-deploy formulations of fungi and bacteria which support soil carbon sequestration. For more info, see www.soilcarbonco.com    

DPIRD CF-LRP October 1 deadline for soil carbon EOIs

In previous newsletters we've mentioned the Carbon Farming and Land Restoration Program (CF-LRP) funding opportunity for landholders establishing ERF carbon projects. This is just another quick reminder that the deadline for submitting an expression of interest (EOI) to have a soil carbon project considered for inclusion in the program is October 1. The process of submitting an EOI is one which Carbon West can help landholders with if doing it yourself seems too daunting. Have a look at the information about the CF-LRP here and/or contact us if you'd like to chat (Jen - 042168055 or Sam - 0421 329418). October 1 is not far away, so in the interest of our sanity and your EOI making it in on time, please call soon!

Quote of the day

"I used to say, ... that climate change is serious, certain, and soon. But this is no longer accurate. Now it is very serious, very certain, and now."

Linda O. Mearns, Ph.D. 

Senior scientist, Research Applications Lab, National Center for Atmospheric Research 09/08/2021 

This quote is as important as it is direct, and coming from just one of the many authors of this month's IPCC report, we think it's one to listen to and act on before our farms feel more of the heat from climate change.