Plantation Forestry method

This Methodology Determination (method) provides the rules for crediting emissions reductions to forest growers and landholders who establish new plantations or change existing plantations from short-rotation to long-rotation. As part of the Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF), crediting is based on carbon sequestered in the plantations and the harvested wood products.

Read the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative—Plantation Forestry) Methodology Determination 2017 and the explanatory statement for the method as originally made.

Using the method

The department is responsible for developing the methods and policy oversight of the ERF.

The Clean Energy Regulator manages project registration and compliance, and crediting emissions reductions for projects under the ERF. To use this method in your project and take part in the ERF, you need to apply to the Clean Energy Regulator.

View eligibility requirements and how to apply on the Clean Energy Regulator website.

The eligibility requirements include meeting conditions designed to help manage the effects of commercial tree plantings on water availability in locations where average annual rainfall exceeds 600 millimetres.

Projects can meet the conditions if they either:

• have a suitable water access entitlement
• are in a region where the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment determines the relevant state or territory government is adequately implementing National Water Initiative commitments to manage water interception by plantations
• are in a region specified as one in which tree planting is unlikely to have a material adverse impact on water availability. The areas assessed and included in these initial maps are in the five pilot Regional Forestry Hubs created under the Australian Government’s National Forest Industries Plan.
  • View the specified regions map [18MB PDF].
  • View the maps' data layer on data.gov.au
• are in a region where a water access entitlement cannot be obtained, and they can be demonstrated (supported by advice from a state or territory agency) to not have a material impact on water availability or water access entitlements, or
• can be shown to help manage dryland salinity

To demonstrate the planting mitigates dryland salinity, view our Salinity Guidelines [384 KB PDF] [90.6KB DOCX].

Calculating the abatement

Project proponents must use the Full Carbon Accounting Model (FullCAM) software to calculate the carbon abatement of their projects.

There is specific guidance for using FullCAM with this method:

Read the FullCAM Guidelines for the Plantation Forestry method [3.4MB PDF] [1.9MB DOCX].

Download FullCAM.

Project proponents need to meet the requirements of the Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) Mapping Guidelines for mapping project areas and carbon estimation areas.

Read the CFI Mapping Guidelines.

Variation to the method

A minor variation to the method was made in 2020.

The Emissions Reduction Assurance Committee (ERAC) conducts public consultations. Once finalised the ERAC advises the Minister on whether the method meets the offsets integrity standards.

Public consultation, drafting of the method, and the ERAC’s advice to the Minister is on the department’s Consultation Hub.

Read more

• Environmental data—including forest cover data layers and the CFI rainfall map—is available on data.gov.au
• The department is responsible for developing methodology determinations
• The Emissions Reduction Fund incentivises Australian businesses to cut the amount of greenhouse gases they create and to undertake activities that store carbon
• This method is enabled by the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act 2011 which also enables the 2015 Rule and 2011 Regulations

Contact us

Email ERFforests@industry.gov.au