New guidance helps landholders navigate carbon farming with confidence

As interest in carbon farming grows under the ACCU Scheme, landholders need clear, practical support. This guidance checklist plays an important role in helping them navigate complexity, and assess potential partners with confidence.

The Carbon Market Institute (CMI) and the Australian Carbon Industry Code of Conduct have released a new paper; Landholder Guidance: A Checklist For Partnering on Carbon Farming Projects which provides clear, step-by-step support for landholders looking to participate in Australia’s carbon market.

Developed with input from landholder representatives and supported by the Queensland Government’s Land Restoration Fund, the guide outlines key considerations when working with carbon project developers. It includes five checklists to help landholders ask the right questions at each stage, from initial conversations through to contracts and long-term project management, alongside information about the Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) Scheme and carbon project case studies.

The guidance checklists aim to improve transparency, support better decision-making, and foster strong, informed partnerships between landholders and developers.

Among the case studies featured in the guide is Corporate Carbon’s Western Farm Trees Aggregation project. This human-induced regeneration initiative brings together multiple land holdings across the Western Australian wheatbelt under a single project. It’s a strong example of how carbon farming can deliver environmental and economic benefits for farming communities, including restoring native vegetation, enhancing drought resilience, and creating new income streams for landholders.