Project developers are exploring the possibility of creating a methodology that would make it possible to earn carbon credits from land management schemes in Australia's vast desert areas.
South Pole, Natural Carbon – of which South Pole is a shareholder – and Brock Consulting are testing the feasibility of developing projects in arid regions, which cover more than a third of Australia's territory.
"The project aims to identify and scope the opportunity for carbon credit generation through traditional fire management practices such as cool season burns, similar to the savanna burning programme in northern Australia," South Pole said in a statement.
Savanna burning accounts for around a tenth of all projects registered so far under Australia's Carbon Farming Initiative. The study will be carried out in co-operation with the 10 Deserts Project, an indigenous land management collaboration effort led by Desert Support Services. Participants aim to finish the study by December, after which they will decide whether or not to proceed with projects.
Peter See, the 10 Desert Project's general manager, said the initiative would target the government's Emissions Reduction Fund as a potential buyer, with South Pole adding that the credits might also be eligible in the international voluntary market.
This article originally appeared on Carbon Pulse. Please read the full piece here.