The study of six Indigenous Land Corporation properties across Western Australia, Northern Territory, and Queensland looked at land management practices including fire management, reforestation and grazing land management. These practices can sequester carbon or change emissions regimes and the change in carbon stocks or emissions could be sold as offsets.
“This research found potential greenhouse emissions offsets from fire management on Indigenous lands are worth A$52 million per year* to Indigenous communities,” says CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems Chief Dr Dan Walker.
“In employment terms this is equivalent to 346 full-time jobs or 1029 seasonal jobs for Indigenous people.
“This industry could prevent 2.6 million tonnes of carbon entering the atmosphere each year.
“Indigenous lands account for 54 per cent of all potential emissions reductions from Australia’s fire-prone savannas and rangelands, meaning that Indigenous contributions to greenhouse gas abatement are very significant to Australia,” he says.
“This research found potential greenhouse emissions offsets from fire management on Indigenous lands are worth A$52 million per year* to Indigenous communities,”
says CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems Chief Dr Dan Walker.Prominent Indigenous leader, Joe Ross, said this research is a positive development especially in light of the role Indigenous people can play in helping reduce carbon emissions through savanna burning and forestry land management.
“Our people are often best placed to help mitigate the impacts of climate change because of where they live and their unique knowledge of the land,” Mr Ross says.
“This research is an encouraging sign that Indigenous people can have a key role in tackling climate change as well as actively participating in Australia’s emerging carbon economy.”
Mr Ross is Chair of the Northern Australia Land and Water Taskforce which is tackling environmental, economic and social challenges in northern Australia, including looking at the opportunities and threats to Indigenous people resulting from climate change.
Dr Walker said Indigenous fire management for carbon offsets has multiple benefits – greenhouse mitigation, biodiversity protection and helping to break the poverty cycle in Indigenous communities.
The report showed the main drivers determining whether offset projects would be feasible will be access to markets and the price paid for offsets.
Other issues of importance in Indigenous land management for carbon offsets are property rights on Indigenous lands, side effects on other natural resource management considerations such as biodiversity and water availability, and whether offset projects are compatible with traditional land management practices.
Dr Walker warned that while the preliminary study demonstrates that greenhouse gas offsets from Indigenous land management can operate on paper more research was needed to further explore the potential of the research findings.
CSIRO is working in partnership with Traditional Owners, Indigenous academics, land council representatives, indigenous agency management staff, Natural Resource Management board members, and scientists from across Australia to explore research opportunities to help address the needs and aspirations of Indigenous Australians.
* Based on potential emissions offset of 2,597,758 t CO2-emissions per year and a carbon price of $20 per tonne.
