Land Use Change
Historically clearing of land for agricultural purposes has been a significant source of GHG emissions in many countries around the world, including Australia.
Acting as both a source and sink of GHG and carbon, land-use, land-use change, and forestry (often termed LULUCF) have a significant role to play in Australia's overall greenhouse gas and carbon balance. The LULUCF sector, including deforestation, land-degradation, reforestation offsets, and improved land management, contributes about 4 per cent of Australia's total emissions.
Land use change towards reforestation and restoration/rejuvenation of land condition has significant potential to act as a net carbon sink (plant and soil sequestration)1 and to contribute to nature positive targets2 through enhanced habitat for biodiversity.
Sustainable agricultural practices that integrate trees and shrubs into the landscape can support broader productivity goals by creating wind breaks and shelter, improving landscape hydrology, and enhancing ecosystem functions3.
1 Australia's Carbon Sequestration Potential: a stocktake and analysis of sequestration technologies. A report for the Climate Change Authority, CSIRO 2022.
2 Nature Positive Plan: better for the environment, better for business. Australian Government, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, December 2022.
3 Managing Natural Assets on Farms: Shelterbelts, Sustainable Farms Initiative, Australian National University, December 2022.