The Australian government on Tuesday launched two one-month consultations on the biodiversity assessment instruments and methodology determinations of its Nature Repair Market (NRM) scheme, including eligible lands, activities, and monitoring guidelines.
The move follows a previous consultation launched last month, through which the country is gathering feedback on rules relating to biodiversity projects and their registration, Biodiversity Certificates and their content, the register, and rules around assurances and compliance.
The government is slated to launch the NRM in Jan. 2025, marking the world’s first government-run voluntary biodiversity market after it was legislated last year.
The newly announced round will remain open until Oct. 30.
METHODOLOGY
Dubbed the “Replanting Native Forest and Woodland Ecosystems”, the methodology selected under the NRM applies to projects that boost biodiversity in native species by replanting native forest and woodland ecosystems in intensive-use landscapes.
The document includes rules on how NRM projects are carried out, such as what type of land is eligible, what type of activities a project can include, and the monitoring for biodiversity benefits.
Feedback is mainly required on three sections – cleared land, certificate issuance, and monitoring.
Furthermore, the government is seeking comments on how well the method can be ‘stacked’ with the Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) scheme.
ELIGIBLE AREAS AND ACTIVITIES
Under the methodology, eligible projects will be restricted to plantings on land, including wetlands, coastal lands, and areas adjacent to inland waters like rivers or lakes.
These lands must be located within specified sub-regions defined by the Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) landscape classification framework, which includes areas that have historically undergone extensive clearing and loss of native vegetation.
Source: The NRM Committee
The land must have been comprehensively cleared more than seven years prior to the date of the project application – meaning that native trees have been removed from at least 90% of the area.
Biodiversity uplifts are measured over 25 years and must be determined following several preliminary steps, including identifying the ‘reference ecosystems’ within each activity area and assessing the initial baseline.
The so-called reference ecosystems vary depending on the area and act as a model or benchmark for restoration activities, which can be outlined depending on their circumstances, the document said.
“The degree to which the proponent seeks to replicate the reference ecosystem will depend on factors including project funding, availability of seed stock, and the starting condition state of the project area,” it said.
In any case, to issue a biodiversity certificate, developers must demonstrate that all activity areas associated with the project have met their respective thresholds.
The thresholds differ in turn depending on three indicators:
- Canopy height
- Native vegetation crown cover
- Native species richness by life form, including the number of tree, shrub, vine, and grass species
Notably, the methodology also proposed a definition for “forest”, described as:
“[A] land of a minimum area of 0.2 of a hectare on which trees have attained, or have the potential to attain, a crown cover of at least 20% across the area of land; and have reached, or have the potential to reach, a height of at least two meters.”
The term has been widely debated in the country due to the EU deforestation regulation, which will ban from January the import of products linked to deforestation overseas.
Last month, industry group Cattle Australia published its definition of ‘forest’ and ‘deforestation’, seeking to exempt agricultural lands from the rules.
BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT (BAI)
The NRM Committee also provided a set of guidelines to enable potential buyers to compare the biodiversity benefits of different methods and projects. The biodiversity assessment instruments (BAI) would apply to all methods under the Nature Repair Act, covering projects on terrestrial, marine, and freshwater ecosystems.
According to the document, the instrument aims to deliver measurable environmental gains by establishing a set of standard “biodiversity project characteristics”, including:
- Ecosystem condition
- Removal of threats
- Commitment to the protection of biodiversity
- Capability of the project area to support threatened species
- Culturally significant entities
The consultation is seeking feedback on whether the proposed BAI has the potential to allow for determining the consistency of a project.
The proposal builds on a range of prior consultations, which engaged several stakeholders and encompassed insights from First Nations people and local organisations.
So far, feedback has also highlighted the importance of the principles of cultural integrity, including exercising free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) when the project involves First Nations rights and interests.
On this issue, the government is in the process of developing a framework to appropriately deal with First Nations knowledge and value, due to be released in mid-2025, the document said.
By Giada Ferraglioni – giada@carbon-pulse.com
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