Projects under the reforestation by environmental or mallee plantings FullCAM method can earn Australian carbon credit units (ACCUs). This is achieved by planting trees in areas where Full Carbon Accounting Model (FullCAM) data exists.
When to use this method
The reforestation by environmental or mallee plantings method may be suitable for your business if you:
- are planting mixed native trees or mallee eucalypt
- have land clear of forest cover for the last 5 years.
Carbon is stored in trees, shrubs and debris (dead plant material). This is called carbon stock and is calculated using Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water's (DCCEEW) FullCAM.
For more information, you can refer to our guide to the reforestation by environmental or mallee plantings-FullCam method.
Legislation
Before you plan or register your project, make sure you read and understand the legislative requirements and the method.
Eligibility
Environmental plantings pilot
For projects with carbon estimation areas (CEA) less than 200 hectares, you may be eligible for the environmental plantings pilot.
To be eligible under this method, projects must:
- run in an area of Australia where FullCAM modelling data exists
- project area must be clear of forest cover, for at least the last 5 years before application
- for Mallee plantings the project area receives 600mm or less of rainfall unless the planting meets exemption requirements for a specific calibration
- have trees established on project land with the potential to attain:
- height of 2 metres or more
- crown cover of at least 20% over the total area of the strata where project trees are located.
Projects under this method are subject to permanence obligations.
You must also meet general eligibility requirements for the Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) Scheme.
Relevant legislation
- Part 3 of the Act
- Section 1.4 of the method
- Part 2 of the method
Exclusions
There are certain exclusions and restrictions under this method.
Your project will be excluded if it plants on:
- roads
- buildings
- dams
- land that contains or needs clearing of:
- woody biomass
- an invasive native scrub species, except for known weed species required or authorised by law to be cleared.
Mallee eucalypt plantings are also excluded from areas that receive more than 600 mm of long-term average rainfall unless planting meets exemption requirements.
Certain activities, such as harvesting and grazing, are restricted but not excluded.
Relevant legislation
- Sections 2.1 and 4.9 of the method
- Division 3.8 of the method
Method requirements
Project activities are for planting trees:
- as seeds or tubestock
- in areas that are linear belts or blocks
- at a density that allows them to achieve forest cover
- with the potential to reach heights of at least 2m and provide cover over a minimum of 20% of the land.
You must also identify your project area using the Australian Government long term average rainfall map layer and DCCEEW's Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) Mapping Guidelines.
Relevant legislation
- Parts 2 and 3 of the method
It may be necessary to seek help from a technical expert. This ensures accurate inputs to FullCAM.
To hire a technical expert, your project will need to pay out-of-pocket. You should consider the cost before starting a project under this method.
Other specialist skills can include:
- sourcing species from natural distribution
- planting species.
Relevant legislation
- Section 13 (f) of the rule
- Division 3.3 of the method
25 years
Relevant legislation
- Part 5 of the Act
Abatement is calculated using DCCEEW's FullCAM.
FullCAM uses a variety of settings, called calibrations, to model the amount of carbon stored in different types of plantings.
Plantings can fall under a range of specific calibrations or a generic calibration.
There are different versions of FullCAM. You must ensure you use the right one for calculating abatement.
This depends on when you registered your project for this method.
You can read our guide to the 2020 FullCAM – transition arrangements to find which version to use.
The data needed for FullCAM includes:
- planned management activities
- the project's location and planting dates
- planting type and species
- planting geometry (i.e. belts or blocks)
- plant spacing
- stocking density (number of seeds or plants per hectare)
- proportion of trees to shrubs.
You can refer to DCCEEW's website for a full explanation of how to use FullCAM.
Net abatement is calculated using the calculations listed in the method. These include removing any emissions associated with the project activities from the net abatement. The resulting net abatement can be used to apply for ACCUs.
Relevant legislation
- Part 4 and Schedule 1 of the method
You must use on-ground observation or remote-sensing imagery to monitor:
- management and disturbance events
- the requirements for any specific calibrations being met.
Remember to also meet the general monitoring requirements of the Act.
Relevant legislation
- Part 17 of the Act
- section 5.3 of the method
You must keep records on:
- forest cover and plantings
- stratification into CEAs
- fires
- fuel use
- FullCAM modelling
- forest management
- any specific calibrations used
- the project area.
Refer to the method for all record-keeping requirements.
You must remember to also meet the record-keeping requirements of the Act and the rule.
Relevant legislation
- Part 17 of the Act
- Part 17 of the rule
- Division 5.3 of the method
You receive ACCUs when you report increases in project area net abatement.
You must report at least once every 5 years but not more frequently than every 6 months.
Your reports must include:
- net abatement amount and related carbon stock data
- data on emissions from biomass burning and fuel use
- project area, forest management and forest cover information
- FullCAM files and output data.
Refer to the method for all reporting requirements.
You must remember to also meet the reporting requirements of the Act and the rule.
Relevant legislation
- Part 6 of the Act
- Part 6 of the rule
- Division 5.4 of the method
We provide you with an audit schedule when your project's declared.
You must provide audit reports according to this schedule.
We schedule at least 3 audits. Extra audits can be triggered.
You may be eligible for alternative assurance arrangements and zero scheduled audits if you meet and maintain eligibility criteria in the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) (Audit Thresholds) Instrument 2015.
For more information on audit requirements, refer to our audit information.
Relevant legislation
- Part 19 of the Act
- Part 6 of the rule
Documents and resources
- Full Carbon Accounting Model (FullCAM)
- A guide to the 2020 FullCAM transition arrangements
- DCCEEW's Carbon Farming Initiative Mapping Guidelines
- Long term annual rainfall map
- Combined CEAs in regeneration and environmental planting projects guidance
- A guide to the reforestation by environmental or mallee plantings - FullCAM method