Albanese Labor Government delivering new support for farmers to improve emissions accounting

As part of its commitment to support farmers and producers reduce emissions and boost productivity, the Albanese Labor Government is partnering with industry to put Australia at the forefront of on-farm emissions accounting approaches worldwide.

Agricultural Innovation Australia (AIA) has been awarded a $6.4 million grant to help improve the consistency of farm level greenhouse gas emissions calculators.

An agricultural emissions calculator is a tool that helps farmers and agricultural businesses estimate greenhouse gas emissions from various on-farm activities, including from livestock, manure management, and nitrogen fertiliser.

AIA will provide free access to their Environmental Accounting Platform and open source calculator code through to June 2028, which will support the incorporation of voluntary emissions standards into industry accounting tools and calculators.

Ensuring there is consistency across emissions calculators and tools will support our agricultural sector to better understand and manage emissions.

This will help our farmers to make informed decisions on-farm, which can improve productivity, reduce their operating costs, diversify income streams, and better protect our environment.

The Albanese Labor Government is ensuring our farmers benefit from Australia’s net zero economy, and the global transition to lower emissions technology.

The grant is part of a $28.7 million package announced in the 2024-25 Budget, which is also funding the development of voluntary greenhouse gas emissions estimation and reporting standards for agriculture, fisheries and forestry industries.

AIA is a not-for-profit company established by the 15 rural Research and Development Corporations to facilitate joint investment and collaboration in cross-industry agricultural issues of national importance.

For more information on AIA’s Environmental Accounting Platform, visit: https://aginnovationaustralia.com.au/AIA-eap

Quotes attributable to Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Julie Collins MP:

“This is another way the Albanese Labor Government is delivering practical support to our farmers and producers.

“Our agricultural sector has a strong focus on sustainability and productivity, which is why we are helping them to better understand their emissions.

“Supporting farmers to calculate their individual on-farm emissions can help them reduce their carbon footprint, save on operating costs, and improve their productivity.

“This will help our farmers to diversify their income streams, and ensure they continue to remain internationally competitive in terms of emissions per unit of production.

“Trusted greenhouse gas calculators are becoming an essential part of doing business for producers, which is why we are supporting more farmers to use these critical tools.”

Quotes attributable to Agricultural Innovation Australia CEO, Sam Brown:

“Advancing Australian agriculture, fisheries and forestry is about not leaving anyone behind. Understanding emissions helps all producers to make more informed decisions that benefit both the environment and their bottom line.

“AIA’s calculation engine makes available the latest science and delivers the precision that key production sectors – such as grains and livestock – demand. At the same time, our online calculator supports producers of niche commodities or those without access to third-party accounting tools and calculators.

“Our online calculator is also proving to be a valuable tool for education and training providers who are helping producers understand their emissions.

“AIA welcomes this grant as recognition of our unique cross-sectoral role, and of the efficiencies that can be achieved through effective industry collaboration.”