Scaling savanna fire management from ancient knowledge to global action

Julien Gastaldi, Chief Executive Officer of Maki Planet Systems, a fire management and climate technology company and subsidiary of Corporate Carbon, recently appeared on The Fire Break, a podcast exploring global wildfire challenges and solutions.

In conversation with host Steve Wolf, an American scientist and engineer, Julien discussed Maki Planet Systems’ operational work across Northern Australia. He explained how controlled burns, guided by Indigenous-led knowledge systems, not only reduce the risk of destructive wildfires but also significantly cut methane and nitrous oxide emissions. Through the International Savanna Fire Management Initiative (ISFMI), Maki Planet Systems and its partners are sharing these proven approaches with communities in Africa and Brazil, placing local capacity building and community ownership at the centre of their efforts.

Traditional fire management principles, developed and refined by Indigenous communities over millennia, are now merging with modern technologies such as helicopters, drones, and satellite imagery. This fusion of ancient knowledge and innovation is creating scalable systems that deliver measurable environmental outcomes while respecting cultural heritage.

Available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts, Steve Wolf’s The Fire Break featured Julien Gastaldi, CEO of Maki Planet Systems, who highlighted how savanna fire management is already benefiting ecosystems and economies — with the potential to reshape land management worldwide.