Carbon Farming Industry Forum

2025 Prospectus

Date

6 - 8 May 2025
Location

Lennox Head, NSW

The 2025 event will be presented as a two-day conference preceded by a day of carbon project site visits in the Northern NSW Region, from 6-8 May in Lennox Head.

The Carbon Farming Industry Forum is the key industry event convening stakeholders across the supply chain of Australia’s carbon market and carbon farming industry. The 9th Forum provides a unique platform to consider latest state and federal policy developments, and to progress actions in CMI’s Carbon Farming Industry Roadmap.

Registration is now open.

CMI is seeking partners to support this event. Please see prospectus for further information and contact details.

Pre-program

Tuesday 6 May

Workshops and Fields Trips - TBC

Pre-forum sessions are OPTIONAL, registration-only workshops for those wanting to learn about particular areas, increase knowledge and capacity based on learning outcomes, exchange and upskill whilst sharing with other stakeholders.

The workshop is followed by field trips in the afternoon, showcasing some regional projects.

The workshop and site visits are separately ticketed events. It is possible to do either the workshop or the site visits, or both.

WORKSHOP: Carbon Farming Fundamentals Short Course

(Delivered by NSW DPIRD)

A course for landowners aimed at building farmers’ capacity and knowledge on carbon and nature – including carbon sources and sinks, estimations of on-farm emissions, emission reduction and carbon sequestration, opportunities to participate in carbon and environmental markets.

CARBON for NATURE FIELD TRIPS

Site visits of in situ carbon projects, visit Carbon Farming Project sites to learn from the project proponents and experts on recent, innovative projects including an overview of successes, pitfalls and lessons to share.

Site details are in coming.

Lunch will be served at a local, rural pub.

Afternoon tea will be provided at the second site visit.

Day One

Wednesday 7 May

OPENING PLENARY: Carbon Farming Industry Stocktake & Outlook

Welcome to country, followed by an address on “Scaling Carbon, Nature and Investment” – Implementing a new Carbon Farming & Nature Roadmap for a prosperous, negative emissions, nature positive future.

Welcome to Country: Native Title Group

Forum Welcome: John Connor, CEO, Carbon Market Institute – Highlighting the need for an Australian Carbon Market Strategy – articulating the role of carbon crediting in supporting decarbonisation and setting goals for reversing deforestation, ecological restoration and carbon removal. and growing ‘carbon for nature’ opportunities.

John Connor

Policy Outlook

A high-level Ministerial address on the Australian policy landscape, ambition and the reform agenda – following the Federal election.

Ministerial address – TBC Pending Election

PLENARY ONE: Optimising Policy Frameworks for Carbon and Nature Markets

An overview of the current state of play in Australia’s national carbon and nature repair markets, and Ag & Land sector net zero plans. This will include an in-depth look at current and potential legislative and administrative ACCU Scheme reforms, policy developments, combined national targets for carbon and nature, as well as the importance of interconnectivity in policy decisions.

Kath Rowley

David Parker AM

Carbon Farming Scorecard Overview

Exploring the 4th annual Carbon Farming Scorecard results, including highlights and opportunities.

Carbon Conversation: Setting the Vision “Scaling Carbon, Nature and Investment”

With a goal to find common ground to frame the future in a shared vision, this session will open with a series of short, overview presentations followed by a moderated Q&A to delve further into the details of how we can draw together existing market frameworks and relationships to scale carbon, nature and investment.

SESSION 1.1

High-Integrity Carbon for Nature Credit Generation

Positioning carbon farming investment to scale supply of high-integrity credits with better outcomes for nature is part of the answer to the twin climate and biodiversity crises. Explore enabling mechanisms such as landscape planning, co-benefit frameworks, new methods and supportive participation pathways for stakeholders, including Traditional Owners.

SESSION 1.2

Scaling Carbon for Nature Investment

Government regulation, and voluntary private sector action both have key roles to play in bridging the estimated USD600 billion funding gap for NbS. This workshop will take a closer look at demand drivers in Australia, the opportunities via different investment approaches and how the ACCU Scheme can be further leveraged for nature outcomes.

SESSION 1.3

Sub-nationals Driving Social License, Planning & Investment

Sub-national governments across Australia are implementing policy suites to support the development of ACCU Scheme projects that are aligned with their unique ecosystems, and support their climate and nature goals. This session will explore sub-national government schemes – their role in supporting market development, scaling positive land use and building social license.

TOWN HALL: Indigenous Carbon & Biodiversity – Opportunities & ‘Right Way, Wrong Way' Engagement

Join this important townhall session addressing how Indigenous market participants can go from being stakeholders to shareholders through their ownership, operation of, and involvement in carbon and nature projects. This panel will discuss core benefits, carbon opportunities, measures to overcome participation barriers, the importance of ‘right way’ engagement, and Free Prior and Informed Consent.

Matt Kean

Sarah Costello

LUNCH BREAK

Lunch & Learn Method Development

Join industry experts working on the first 4 methods approved by ERAC under the new proponent-led method development process, for a lunch & learn session where they’ll highlight the necessary steps to developing a successful EOI.

PLENARY TWO: Integrating Carbon & Nature

As we build a net zero economy in Australia, and globally, there is a substantial opportunity to integrate the protection and restoration of nature. Climate change and nature loss, or damage are interconnected and, if addressed strategically will mitigate economic risks for Australian business and communities and catalyse an emerging source of economic advantage. This session will explore how decarbonisation initiatives, net zero sector plans and nature restoration goals can be leveraged to simultaneously deliver benefits for both the climate and natural environment.

SESSION 2.1

Addressing Land Sector Emissions whilst Scaling Drawdown & Building Natural Capital

Agriculture has the unique opportunity to make a substantial contribution to carbon sequestration while simultaneously addressing sectoral emissions and nature repair. This workshop will explore how ag and land sector systemic approaches can scale carbon sequestration and build natural capital while shoring up agricultural productivity and resilience.

SESSION 2.2

Building the Business Case for Participation – Revenue & Co-benefits

The land and conservation sector are increasingly harnessing market-based mechanisms to drive landscape-scale restoration investment and carbon drawdown. Discuss the role of compliance drivers such as the Safeguard Mechanism, and voluntary action and disclosure that are spurring a new wave of public-private partnerships to foster land-based projects with strong co-benefit outcomes.

SESSION 2.3

Systemic Organisational Planning Towards a Net Zero & Nature Positive Economy

This workshop will explore how businesses can develop integrated plans to address climate and nature risks, and realise opportunities for their investors. Discussion will cover climate & nature risk, TCFD & TNFD, targeted investments and value chain action, as well as the role of policy in delivering clear, consistent signals to support business investment in projects, with confidence.

Carbon Conversation: Farmers on the Frontline

A fascinating conversation with farmers who are at the cutting edge of Australia’s emerging agricultural carbon and nature industry. This session will explore issues around agriculture and land sector decarbonisation and sustainability objectives, increasing market access requirements, building natural capital, productivity and climate resilience gains.

Carbon Conversation: Driving Best Practice

Explore how market architecture and regulation drive integrity and best practice in the ACCU Scheme. Join the final session of Day One for an insightful discussion of existing and evolving market architecture including compliance mechanisms, education and engagement initiatives.

Samuel Dawes

Dr. Karen Hussey

Carl Binning

Moderator

John Connor

Day Two

Thursday 8th May

Indigenous Address

Policy Perspectives: Ministerial Address

Ministerial address – NSW Minister to talk to NSW PIPAP and related programs

PLENARY THREE: Addressing Industry Carbon & Nature Roadblocks

The carbon & nature industries have developed in largely siloed policy landscapes, leaving certain roadblocks on the path to a fully integrated and scalable carbon and nature market. To open Day Two, we will look at the challenges that must be overcome to optimise the growth of a high integrity, diverse, and holistic carbon and nature market. This panel will provide insights on key areas including policy, data, technology and investment, as we consider how to find points of convergence as we scale carbon and nature solutions in Australia.

SESSION 3.1

Addressing the Method Gap – new integrated methods

As we move towards intertwined carbon plus nature projects, we consider the role ACCU Scheme methods can play in supporting the implementation of more holistic projects. This workshop will take a look at new integrated methods (such as IFLM) as well as where the gaps and opportunities lie.

SESSION 3.2

Building Expertise & Capacity

Land-based projects can deliver diverse social, economic and environmental benefits to regional communities, however if these communities are not included in the full planning process, there is a risk of adverse outcomes. Join this workshop for a deep dive into existing capacity building schemes that are addressing the carbon farming literacy gap to ensure that regional communities can equitably participate in land-based carbon and nature projects.

SESSION 3.3

Strengthening Integrity & Consent Arrangements

As Carbon Market 2.0 emerges, robust integrity and consent arrangements will be central to the success of any project. This workshop looks at how integrity & consent requirements are evolving and improving in the ACCU Scheme to support more resilient carbon and nature projects, higher transparency and accountability.

TOWNHALL: Innovation and Integrity in Method Development

Supported by the ERAC, and CMI Taskforce Representatives

This unique townhall will provide the opportunity to discuss methods, both new and under development, as well as their implementation and commercialisation. Explore the processes and practicalities of proponent-led design as well as systems requirements to ensure rigorous design and high-integrity outcomes.

Breakout groups will consider how to:

Build supply and scale projects in a timely manner.
Ensure methods support prosperous rural & regional communities.
Build on NRM landscape-scale planning for better nature outcomes and ecosystem interconnectivity.
Link with agricultural outcomes such as productivity and resilience.
Design and commercialise for uptake and utility.

TOWNHALL: Trading & Investor Room – Scaling up Through Financial Markets

As the ACCU Scheme has grown to encompass a broader array of voluntary and compliance-based private sector buyers, market infrastructure has developed in tandem. Join this plenary to look at the role of trading platforms, carbon ratings and insurance products, alongside institutional investment, in supporting the growth of the ACCU Scheme as a viable financial market. This session will consider how these tools can support nature-boosted projects to gain access to the capital necessary for their growth at scale.

PLENARY FOUR: Connecting Country, Community & Climate

This plenary will focus on key requirements to ensure the social license of carbon farming by connecting country, community and climate. Panellists will discuss the importance of systemic planning in the context of intense competition for land use, as well as trade-offs and the role carbon farming can play alongside agriculture, renewables, biofuels and biodiversity projects. Experts will consider the importance of innovation and how to ensure that regional communities are central to project design and outcomes, while benefits are shared fairly.

SESSION 4.1

Roadmap Workshop – drivers, barriers and opportunities

In small working groups, participants will frame the barriers and opportunities to carbon and nature projects under the thematic ‘connecting country, community and climate’, informing the 3rd iteration of the Carbon Farming Industry Roadmap.

SESSION 4.2

Roadmap Workshop – roles and responsibilities

This workshop will see small groups responding to technical questions related to carbon and nature roles and responsibilities, to inform the Roadmap and future projects.

SESSION 4.3

Roadmap Workshop- Best in Class Data: Metrics and Management Systems

This workshop will define and discuss current industry best practice across metrics and management systems for land-based projects. Experts discuss and showcase best in class use of innovative technology to develop high confidence, high accuracy vegetation mapping to supporting existing public data sets.

CLOSING PLENARY: Land, Carbon and Australia’s NDC

Join the closing session of the Carbon Farming Industry Forum to discuss the outlook for land sector sequestration within Australia’s net zero pathway, as well as its Nature Positive priorities. This session will draw together key learnings from across the two days as we set out the key priorities for the next 12 months, as we embark on a Roadmap to 2050 and help develop a National Carbon Market Strategy.