Soil carbon workshop for research, industry, policy and market stakeholders

Soil carbon seems like a win-win. Building up the carbon content of soil improves soil condition, while it also removes atmospheric CO². In theory, a farmer who did this could make extra income by selling the extra carbon stored in the soil. In practice, things are not so straightforward. To find out why, E3 and the National Centre for Rural Greenhouse Gas Research (NCRGGR) sought views from the research, farming, policy and market sectors.

The result of these efforts was an intensive one-day workshop held in Sydney on 5 May 2010 where representatives shared their perspectives on soil carbon. It was the first time that such a broad range of soil carbon stakeholders has met to exchange information and ideas. A number of key areas requiring multiple-sector collaboration were identified.

The workshop was sponsored by NCRGGR and the National Climate Change ResearchStrategy for Primary Industries (CCRSPI), facilitated by E3 International and hosted by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Workshop agenda and report
Workshop background paper

Workshop presentations

1.  Soil carbon in a carbon accounting framework – Jeff Baldock, CSIRO
2.  Towards more efficient soil carbon measurement and monitoring – Alex McBratney, University of Sydney
3.  Estimating soil carbon change, for Market Based Instruments, Lachlan Pilot Program – Andrew Rawson/Brian Murphy, NSW DECCW
4.  Key elements of an ideal system for wool producers – Louisa Kiely, Carbon Farmers of Australia
5.  Current practices and new approaches to broad-acre cropping – role of regulators, markets and economics – Bryan Clark, Grain Growers Association Limited
6.  Drivers of, and barriers to, the changes required to sequester soil carbon – David Eyre, NSW Farmers Association
7.  Soil carbon in the carbon market – National policy settings – Kath Rowley, Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency
8.  Current status of the economics of soil carbon – Anna Skarbek, ClimateWorks Australia
9.  Changing land management practices through the use of market-based instruments (MBIs) – Jason Crean, Industry and Investment NSW
10. International policy context and market requirements, Ilona Millar, Baker & McKenzie
11. Lessons from forest carbon sequestration – Penny Baalman, GHG offset Services (11a); Nick O'Brien, New Forests (11b)
12. The Prime Carbon Experience – a legal and practical framework for turning a change in land management practices into tradeable "carbon credits" – Ian Conrad, Boulton Cleary & Kern Lawyers