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Industry innovation and science
- Artificial intelligence
- Australian Radioactive Waste Agency
- Australian Space Agency
- Boosting innovation and science
- Co-hosting the Square Kilometre Array
- Increasing international collaboration
- Industry growth centres
- Industry Innovation and Science Australia
- National Measurement Institute
- Optical astronomy in Australia
- Participating in the digital economy
- Promoting innovation precincts
- Science in our department
- Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)
Energy
Resources
Northern Australia
Trade
Business support
Measurement services
Government to government services
- Regulations and standards
Emissions reduction
Energy
Resources
- Applying to export rough diamonds
- Applying to export uranium and controlled ores
- Offshore mineral exploration and mining
- Offshore oil and gas exploration and development
- Offshore petroleum exploration acreage release process
- Regulating offshore oil and gas in Australian Commonwealth waters
- Regulating the Ranger Uranium Mine
- Taxes and royalties on minerals and petroleum
Measurement
Trade
Space industry
Building industry
Business support
- Funding and incentives
Emissions reduction
Industry innovation and science
- Australian Square Kilometre Array Fellowships Programme
- Business Research and Innovation Initiative
- Business-research collaboration
- Collaborating with Asia-Pacific on science, research and innovation
- Collaborating with China on science and research
- Collaborating with India on science and research
- Cooperative research centres
- Enabling international space investment
- Industry 4.0
- Inspiring Australia: Science engagement in Australia
- International research collaboration
- Moon to Mars: opportunities for Australian businesses
- Prime Minister's Prizes for Science
- Research and Development Tax Incentive
- Supporting advanced manufacturing
- Supporting business and innovation
- Supporting space infrastructure growth
- Transitioning Australia’s automotive manufacturing industry
- Venture capital
Resources
- About us
COVID-19
Jobs
Who we are
- Our Ministers
- Our Executive team
- Organisation chart
- Our portfolio agencies
- Overseas engagement
- Anti-Dumping Commission
- Anti-Dumping Review Panel
- Australian Radioactive Waste Agency
- Australian SKA Office
- Australian Space Agency
- Critical Minerals Facilitation Office
- National Measurement Institute
- Office of Innovation and Science Australia
- Office of Northern Australia
- Office of the Chief Economist
- Office of the Chief Scientist
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- Assurance and Audit Committee
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- Continuing Order of the Senate
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- Methods for the Emissions Reduction Fund
- Plantation Forestry method
On this page
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
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Last updated: 8 December 2020
Content ID: 67378