Accelerating to zero

Accelerating to zero. It’s not just the main theme of our forthcoming 7th annual Australasian Emissions Reduction Summit (more on that below). It is also a rapidly mainstreaming commercial reality. It seems almost daily that further investors, businesses and governments are setting net-zero emission goals and/or developing technology investment strategies towards them.

The importance of net-zero emissions was brought home by the tragic, costly and historic bushfire weather this past Summer. The fires catalysed broad acknowledgement that climate change was at least a factor in their intensity. Once this is acknowledged then the division between emission reduction and hazard reduction falls away.

The realisation that emission reduction (and sequestration) IS hazard reduction was one of the main takeaways from CMI’s recent National Carbon Farming and Bushfire Recovery workshop. At the workshop, attendees identified actions to carry forward into the numerous post-bushfire inquiries and engagement with governments reckoning with the aftermath.

With around 800 projects and eight years experience, the carbon farming industry has much to offer regarding landscape restoration and resilience building. Across the top end of Australia, savanna burning has helped drop net fire intensity by over a third since being resourced by the Carbon Farming Initiative and more recently the Emission Reduction Fund and voluntary carbon markets. I was privileged to participate in the Savanna Fire Forum in Darwin last week, witnessing how savanna ‘cool’ burning has revitalised Indigenous knowledge, practices and respect. A unique match of land, climate and history repair.

This year’s Summit is taking shape and will be showcasing not just the ascendance of nature-based climate solutions such as savanna burning, but the ways in which carbon markets, expertise, technology and sophistication are emerging. There are speed humps to be sure, but momentum is building and I look forward to you joining our Summit, membership or other forums.

John Connor
CEO
Carbon Market Institute