CarbonLink™’s Post

The Soil Carbon Industry Group (SCIG) has elected a new board to steer the innovative transformation of soil carbon in Australian agriculture. The election took place at the recent Annual General Meeting in Canberra. Attendees at the AGM also participated in a World Soils Day event in Parliament House hosted by Michael McCormack and Meryl Swanson Co-chairs of the Parliamentary Friends of Soil and Soil Science Australia.   The incoming board members are: Chris Mccosker – Co-Chair Louisa Kiely – Co-Chair Hamish Webb – Company Secretary Su-Mei S. – Treasurer Chloe Kempe Ben Barlow Phil Ireland Philip Mulvey   SCIG, the peak body for soil carbon industry stakeholders, continues to promote alignment and innovation in carbon farming. The new board, with experienced industry leaders from diverse backgrounds, will drive initiatives to boost soil carbon measurement, monitoring and management to crediting.   The 2021 Soil Carbon Method is the fastest-growing method in the Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) scheme. Measurement, monitoring, and management were the themes of this year's World Soils Day. Because of physical measurement at the project level, the 2021 Method is regarded internationally as a high-integrity market mechanism for climate action.

Researchers from the Thünen Institute, (Dr. Nina Grassnick and Craig Chibanda, Ph.D), who are members of the AgriDENZ Project coordination team, recently attended the 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗭𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 & 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰, held on December 3–4, 2024, in Wellington. The conference convened a diverse group of stakeholders, including scientists, government representatives, industry leaders, farmers, and others, to discuss the challenges and opportunities that climate change poses to New Zealand's agricultural sector. The AgriDENZ project was highlighted in some presentations as an important initiative that fosters bilateral cooperation between New Zealand and Germany to address the impacts of global climate change on agricultural production systems. The conference was jointly organized by the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre (NZAGRC), the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), and AgriZeroNZ.

What will agricultural industry development and adjustment in the #MurrayDarlingBasin look like in 50 years' time? The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering (ATSE) recently launched a new essay series – 'A thriving Murray-Darling Basin in 50 years: Actions in the face of climate change' – urging a suite of actions and investments to protect the future of the Murray-Darling Basin in the face of climate change, which is threatening the river’s health and sustainability. RMCG was pleased to contribute to this essay series, #8 in a series of nine by Australia’s leading water experts, that explore the future of this vital system. Dr Anne-Maree Boland with Claire Flanagan-Smith, Carl Larsen, Rebecca Schwarzman and Tim Cummins, identify the preferred future is one where industry works with society and the environment, relying on advances in technology and sustainable management practices, and embedding principles of a circular economy. They identify critical adaptation factors for a future-ready agriculture industry including water resource sharing, producing more from less, using innovative and advanced technologies and responding to the Basin’s societal and cultural values. The essay addresses the emerging challenges and opportunities for the agricultural industry in the Murray-Darling Basin considering four plausible futures in 50 years: 💧 Base case 🚜 Drying and contracting agriculture ↪ Adaptive and market driven agriculture 💪 Water abundance and agriculture powerhouse. The scenarios are evaluated through critical variables including water, climate, commodity mix, production systems and market conditions. The essay series highlights the potential of the Basin if sustainably managed for the benefit of communities and the environment. They provide a long-term, hopeful and optimistic vision for what the Murray-Darling Basin can look like in 50 years with appropriate policy making to address climate change. Read the full essay collection: https://lnkd.in/gSpXsP9K

Excellent news. The #bioeconomy should play a pivotal role in the agricultural context and this is getting more and more recognized by all political stakeholders.

EU policy = Much too much bureaucracy? EU Agriculture ministers will meet 9-10 December and discuss future opportunities for the #bioeconomy. What regulatory and policy adjustments are necessary? As Austrian MEP Alexander Bernhuber points out, current EU policies impose too much bureaucracy for forest owners in a time where wood supply and forest products are needed the most to decouple the EU from its fossil dependencies. Positive incentives are required to usher out the era of fossil materials and energy in favor of a circular and competitive European bioeconomy.   Watch the seminar Building the Bioeconomy: https://lnkd.in/dpaBRBJB   Read the European Forest Coalition’s full input on the New EU Bioeconomy Strategy: https://lnkd.in/dwUKwVMv Council of the European Union #euforests #woodpolicy #sustainableforestry

We’ll be at the Carbon Market Institute (CMI)’s 8th Carbon Farming Industry Forum later this month. In addition to the environmental benefits carbon farming has the potential to deliver substantial social and economic benefits to regional & rural communities. Our Chair & CEO David Parker will be speaking on the panel: Optimising Policy Frameworks & Market Design - overviewing Australia’s carbon market and the current and potential ACCU carbon farming reforms and policy developments. Our Executive General Manager Carl Binning will be speaking on the panel: High-Integrity Credit Generation - discussing the evolution of next-gen delivery of quality abatement, the role of the carbon industry Code of Conduct in supporting market integrity, and future steps to build trust in the industry. The 2-day conference will be preceded by a day of carbon project site visits in the Atherton Tableland Region, from 20 to 22 May in Cairns. Learn more 👉 https://bit.ly/4b2ZUjq #CFIF24

🌲 Today, 16 EU Member States presented a joint statement calling for the sustainable bioeconomy to be placed at the core of the next European Commission's work program during the Agriculture and Fisheries Council Meeting. 🌱 The For Forest group call for strengthened support for the forest-based bioeconomy noting its critical role for the EU to reach its climate targets, develop its open strategic autonomy and supporter of enhanced competitiveness, jobs and prosperity in the EU. #bioeconomy #forestindustry https://lnkd.in/e6REN66H

🗝️ As food, land, and agriculture (#FLAG) organizations endeavor to meet ambitious #ClimateGoals set by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), clear guidance is key. Our must-read guide, a collaboration with the Environmental Defense Fund and EDF + Business, provides just that—clear guidance and a strategic framework for prioritizing 3️⃣ types of action: ➡️ Act to implement scalable solutions  ➡️ Advocate to reduce barriers to adoption of solutions  ➡️ Advance promising solutions from R&D to commercialization Dig into our findings and recommendations: https://lnkd.in/g4kW-JCP

A great piece, ahead of the publication of the Status of the World's Soils report in 2025 by the ITPS (Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils). https://lnkd.in/gcB3jj_4

One more needs assessment paper from our team (Samuel Ikendi, Ph.D., Vikram Koundinya, Namah Taku-Forchu, Ph.D., Steven Ostoja, Daniele Zaccaria, Tapan Pathak et al.). This time on the climate smart agriculture needs of farmers in California. We found that California farmers are in high need of information, knowledge, and skills related to water management, soil health, and renewable energy. The farmers are also seeking insurance and government assistance programs to increase agricultural resilience. The results have implications for extension program development. Link to the article: https://lnkd.in/gSwE6su8