The Northern Territory lags behind all jurisdictions when it comes to climate change prevention through carbon farming, according to a new national report card.

The Carbon Farming Scorecard report recently released by the Carbon Market Institute (CMI), showed that Queensland ranked highest with a score of 80 per cent as the outstanding jurisdiction in recognizing the significant role carbon farming can play in delivering the state’s environmental commitments, including emission reduction.

The NT, however, was ranked lowest with only 31 per cent. This is despite CMI’s report that Australia has strong frameworks able to foster a world-leading industry for all jurisdictions.

“There is a need for greater policy ambition and leadership, as well as an ongoing focus on integrity and stronger alignment with private finance,” the report said.

Carbon-negative farming (carbon farming) is any farming method that absorbs more carbon than it creates. This practice offsets environmentally harmful emissions, restores degraded soil—enhances crop production, and minimizes pollution by lessening erosion and nutrient runoff. It also purifies surface and groundwater and increases microbial activity and soil biodiversity.

The report found that while the NT has a history of carbon farming through collaboration with Aboriginal traditional owners, particularly on savanna burning projects, it still has an “under-developed policy framework”.

Darwin has already been affected by climate change as a result of more extreme weather events. It will face significant challenges in building its natural environment, according to an NT Government report into the issue.

The report stated that the NT can expect warmer spells to last longer, increased fire weather, intensified heavy rainfall and tropical cyclones, and increasing sea levels.

Territory’s prospects: What methods are relevant?

In the climate change discussion paper by the NT Government, it was pointed out that opportunities abound to manage the Territory’s economy and environment in a way that will help mitigate greenhouse gasses (GHG) emissions while creating potentially significant social and economic benefits.

“By taking early action to reduce GHG emissions wherever possible (mitigation) and acting to respond to the impacts of climate change that are already occurring (adaptation), we can develop new approaches and build resilience in our communities and our economy,” the paper said.

However, economic growth and diversification of the NT resulted in a larger environmental footprint, including rising emissions of GHG, the paper said. The Territory generates around 3 per cent of Australia’s GHG emissions.

The NT Government said it is already taking actions to mitigate risks posed by climate change and adapt to the changing environment in key sectors.

“We are committed to achieving 50 per cent renewable energy by 2030, introducing new environmental protection legislation and developing an offsets policy,” the paper stated.

The government said it will invest in broad-scale research and development to help it understand and adapt to impacts on the agricultural systems, natural environment and workplaces.

“By further improving the energy efficiency of our buildings, infrastructure and transport, we can both mitigate emissions and build resilience to the impacts of climate change.”

Under the Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) businesses can commit to using approved methodologies and be awarded carbon credits, which can be sold or traded, for demonstrable avoided emissions or additional carbon stored. Presently, there is a widespread uptake of land-based mitigation projects under the ERF.

Much research and policy development has focused on reducing carbon emissions, mostly cattle gas and fires, or increasing carbon storage (sequestration) in the soil.

Meat and Livestock Australia has a goal for the beef cattle industry to become carbon neutral by 2030.

Current options for the reduction of greenhouse gas production and storing more carbon on NT pastoral land include:

• For reducing carbon emissions

1) Methane emissions by beef cattle can be reduced by feeding additives or supplements. Additives can inhibit the microorganisms that produce methane in the rumen and subsequently reduce methane emissions.

2) Savanna burning projects method is widely applied in the NT with around 25 approved projects covering 165,767 square kilometres (around 12 per cent of the total NT area). Savanna fire carbon projects give a broader environmental and social outcome through improved biodiversity, reinvigorating social and cultural traditions, transferring knowledge and strengthening climate change adaptability. It also reverses socioeconomic disadvantage by increasing employment in the areas.

• For carbon storage

1) Savanna burning sequestrations (are methods) that include planned fire management to increase carbon sequestration in dead organic matter and avoid emissions by reducing the frequency and intensity of late dry season fires in Australia’s northern regions.

2) Carbon farming sequestration methods not yet applied to the NT are:

• reforestation
• avoided deforestation
• avoided clearing of native regrowth
• vegetation methodologies
• human-induced regeneration of even-aged native regrowth
• permanent environmental plantings of native species
• native forest from managed regrowth
• soil carbon sequestration
• plantation forestry
• new farm forestry native plantations

The CMI said while carbon farming can produce economic benefits and reduce carbon footprint in the NT, the real challenge is to ensure that other benefits are achieved by weighting economic, social and resilience effects equally.

CMI is an independent industry association for businesses leading the transformation to net-zero emissions. It represents more than 90 corporate and associate members including multi-nationals from Australia and New Zealand.