Meet our record-breaking carbon project for 2023

Tonnes of native seeds and thousands of seedlings are set to be planted in 2023. Photo: Jesse Collins.

Greening Australia and its nature-based solutions business Canopy have responded to rising demand for high-integrity carbon projects from corporate Australia with a reforestation carbon aggregation, which will see over 2.26 million native biodiverse plants established across 1,228 hectares in 2023 – that’s almost three times the size of Melbourne’s CBD.

The project, registered with the Clean Energy Regulator, brings together 14 landholders from across Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria, doubling the number of landholders engaged in our previous 2022 record-breaking aggregation.

While the wider carbon industry navigates increased public scrutiny, heavy-weight corporates are craving reliable, trusted partners to help meet their ambitious environmental commitments. The strengthening of the Safeguard Mechanism – the first successful national reform to cut Australia’s emissions in a decade – is expected to further contribute to growing demand in the carbon market, with approximately 30 percent of Australia’s total emissions falling under the scope of the revised law.

A key feature of the aggregation is collaboration with landholders, integrating biodiverse plantings into agricultural systems to build healthier, more productive landscapes. Photo: Hayden Dib.

Greening Australia Acting COO and Canopy Executive Director Paul Della Libera says that while less than one percent of the carbon market is currently made up of Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) generated by native environmental plantings, this method is critical to delivering tangible biodiversity restoration outcomes alongside carbon sequestration.

“The year-on-year growth of Greening Australia and Canopy’s carbon aggregations is a testament to our position as a market leader delivering high-integrity carbon projects that unlock positive outcomes for nature at scale, while driving financial returns for local landholders and helping large businesses meet environmental commitments.

“We don’t have a moment to waste tackling the environmental challenges we collectively face. We’re committed to continuing our leading role in delivering innovative nature-based solutions that tackle climate change while simultaneously restoring Australia’s unique biodiversity,” says Mr Della Libera.

Farmer Clinton Dolan is one of the 14 landholders across Australia participating in Greening Australia and Canopy’s 2023 carbon aggregation. Image courtesy Clinton Dolan.

For participating local Western Australian farmer Clinton Dolan, the opportunity to work together with Greening Australia and Canopy on a project to reinvigorate an area of semi-arable land he leases could not be passed by.

“We have witnessed firsthand the process undertaken by our neighbours who have had extensive areas planted and are achieving amazing results. Partnerships such as this enable our business to make steps towards leaving the farm in a more thriving and healthy condition for our children, who are beginning to make their way back home to the farm,” says Mr Dolan.

The aggregation is expected to generate over 250,000 ACCUs via the environmental planting methodology, and is Australia’s largest carbon aggregation via reforestation plantings by number of landholders and area.

Biodiverse carbon plantings at Peniup in Western Australia, showing the dramatic growth in vegetation cover and habitat over ten years (October 2013 to October 2022). Source: Google Earth.

Interested in joining a future aggregation? Go to our landholders page to learn more about how we work with landholders around Australia and to register your interest in a chat about planting on your property.

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