Part 1
Preliminary
Part 1 Preliminary
1.1 Name of Determination 4
1.2 Commencement 4
1.3 Definitions 4
1.4 Kind of project to which this Determination applies 7
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This Act has been repealed and is no longer in force. It is retained for historical reference.
This Determination prescribes a technical, step‑by‑step method for earning carbon credits by reducing methane and nitrous oxide through planned early dry season burning in Australian savannas that receive over 1,000 mm annual rainfall. It tells project proponents how to map vegetation and fires, calculate baseline and project emissions, and report net CO2‑e abatement so reductions can be quantified and credited. It applies to landholders and businesses running eligible savanna burning projects and makes them responsible for data, validation and reporting (see sections 1.4, 3.3–3.7, 4.7–4.23).
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Part 1 Preliminary
1.1 Name of Determination 4
1.2 Commencement 4
1.3 Definitions 4
1.4 Kind of project to which this Determination applies 7
Part 2 Requirements for declaration as eligible project
2.1 Eligible projects 8
2.2 Location 8
2.3 Project land characteristics 8
2.4 Project mechanism 9
2.5 Identification of project area 9
Part 3 Requirements for operation of eligible projects
Division 3.1 Operation of eligible projects
3.1 Operation of eligible projects 10
3.2 Ineligible activities 10
Division 3.2 Vegetation maps
3.3 Requirements for a vegetation map 10
3.4 Validation of a vegetation map 10
Division 3.3 Fire maps
3.5 Monthly fire maps 11
3.6 Seasonal fire maps 12
3.7 Seasonal fire maps not sourced from NAFI 12
Part 4 The net abatement amount
Division 4.1 The net abatement amount
4.1 The net abatement amount 14
Division 4.2 Calculations—Preliminary
4.2 General 14
4.3 Greenhouse gas assessment boundary 15
4.4 The start and end of the late dry season 15
Division 4.3 Calculations
Subdivision 4.3.1 Developing maps and calculating fire scar area
4.5 Developing maps used to calculate emissions 16
4.6 Calculating the fire scar area (A) in the early dry season and the late dry season periods for each vegetation class 16
Subdivision 4.3.2 Calculating annual fire emissions for the baseline period and the reporting period
4.7 Calculating annual fire emissions 17
4.8 Calculating the area burnt (Ab) 17
4.9 Calculating potential emissions (Pe) 18
4.10 Burning efficiency (BEF) 20
4.11 Fuel load (FL) 20
4.12 Calculating years since last burnt (YSLB) for a pixel 20
4.13 Calculating the relative frequency distribution of fire history 22
4.14 Calculating the fuel load for fine fuels 23
4.15 Emission factors (EF) 23
4.16 Carbon content (CC) 24
4.17 Nitrogen to carbon ratio (NC) 24
4.18 Converting the molecular mass to elemental mass (M) 24
4.19 Calculating the annual fire emissions in tonnes CO2-e 25
4.20 Calculating average baseline emissions 25
Subdivision 4.3.3 Calculating total annual project emissions
4.21 Calculating the emissions from fuel used to establish and manage a project 26
4.22 Calculating total project emissions 27
Subdivision 4.3.4 Calculating net annual greenhouse gas abatement
4.23 Calculating net annual greenhouse gas abatement 28
Division 4.4 Data collection
4.24 Data collection 28
Part 5 Record-keeping and reporting requirements
Division 5.1 General
5.1 Application 29
Division 5.2 Record-keeping requirements
5.2 Records that must be kept 29
Division 5.3 Offsets report requirements
5.3 Information that must be included in first offsets report 31
5.4 Subsequent reporting periods 31
Schedule 1 Vegetation classes
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Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) (Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions through Early Dry Season Savanna
Burning—1.1) Methodology Determination 20131
Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act 2011
I, Yvette D’Ath, Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change, Industry and Innovation, make this Methodology Determination under subsection 106(1) of the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act 2011.
Dated 10 June 2013
YVETTE D’ATH
Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change, Industry and Innovation
Contents
Part 1 Preliminary
1.1 Name of Determination 4
1.2 Commencement 4
1.3 Definitions 4
1.4 Kind of project to which this Determination applies 7
Part 2 Requirements for declaration as eligible project
2.1 Eligible projects 8
2.2 Location 8
2.3 Project land characteristics 8
2.4 Project mechanism 9
2.5 Identification of project area 9
Part 3 Requirements for operation of eligible projects
Division 3.1 Operation of eligible projects
3.1 Operation of eligible projects 10
3.2 Ineligible activities 10
Division 3.2 Vegetation maps
3.3 Requirements for a vegetation map 10
3.4 Validation of a vegetation map 10
Division 3.3 Fire maps
3.5 Monthly fire maps 11
3.6 Seasonal fire maps 12
3.7 Seasonal fire maps not sourced from NAFI 12
Part 4 The net abatement amount
Division 4.1 The net abatement amount
4.1 The net abatement amount 14
Division 4.2 Calculations—Preliminary
4.2 General 14
4.3 Greenhouse gas assessment boundary 15
4.4 The start and end of the late dry season 15
Division 4.3 Calculations
Subdivision 4.3.1 Developing maps and calculating fire scar area
4.5 Developing maps used to calculate emissions 16
4.6 Calculating the fire scar area (A) in the early dry season and the late dry season periods for each vegetation class 16
Subdivision 4.3.2 Calculating annual fire emissions for the baseline period and the reporting period
4.7 Calculating annual fire emissions 17
4.8 Calculating the area burnt (Ab) 17
4.9 Calculating potential emissions (Pe) 18
4.10 Burning efficiency (BEF) 20
4.11 Fuel load (FL) 20
4.12 Calculating years since last burnt (YSLB) for a pixel 20
4.13 Calculating the relative frequency distribution of fire history 22
4.14 Calculating the fuel load for fine fuels 23
4.15 Emission factors (EF) 23
4.16 Carbon content (CC) 24
4.17 Nitrogen to carbon ratio (NC) 24
4.18 Converting the molecular mass to elemental mass (M) 24
4.19 Calculating the annual fire emissions in tonnes CO2-e 25
4.20 Calculating average baseline emissions 25
Subdivision 4.3.3 Calculating total annual project emissions
4.21 Calculating the emissions from fuel used to establish and manage a project 26
4.22 Calculating total project emissions 27
Subdivision 4.3.4 Calculating net annual greenhouse gas abatement
4.23 Calculating net annual greenhouse gas abatement 28
Division 4.4 Data collection
4.24 Data collection 28
Part 5 Record-keeping and reporting requirements
Division 5.1 General
5.1 Application 29
Division 5.2 Record-keeping requirements
5.2 Records that must be kept 29
Division 5.3 Offsets report requirements
5.3 Information that must be included in first offsets report 31
5.4 Subsequent reporting periods 31
Schedule 1 Vegetation classes
Schedule 2 Forms
Part 1 Preliminary
1.1 Name of Determination
This Determination is the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) (Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions through Early Dry Season Savanna
Burning—1.1) Methodology Determination 2013.
1.2 Commencement
This Determination is taken to have come into force on 1 July 2010.
1.3 Definitions
In this Determination:
Act means the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act 2011.
annual fire map means a fire map which shows fire scars for a calendar year for each vegetation class in the project area.
baseline period means the period of 10 years mentioned in subsection 4.20(1) or 4.20(2), whichever is applicable to the project.
calendar year means the period 1 January to 31 December in a given year.
CO2-e means carbon dioxide equivalent.
coarse fuel means twigs and dead branches of not less than 6 millimetres in diameter and not more than 50 millimetres in diameter.
data waypoint means a point within a project area where information is collected.
early dry season or EDS means the months in a calendar year that are not the late dry season.
early dry season burning or EDS burning means a fire or prescribed burn which occurs in the early dry season.
fine fuel means grass, leaf litter, bark and small twigs of less than 6 millimetres in diameter.
fire map means a geospatial map in raster format which shows the presence and absence of fire scars within the project area by way of pixels representing burnt or unburnt areas.
fire scar area means the spatial extent, within a project area, that has been affected by fire.
fire scar means an area that has been burnt.
fire season means a season that is either the early dry season or the late dry season.
fuel load estimation period means the 5 years immediately prior to the baseline period.
GIS means geographic information system.
GPS means global positioning system.
greenhouse gas assessment boundary means the boundary specified in section 4.3.
GWP means Global Warming Potential.
heavy fuel means branches and logs of greater than 50 millimetres in diameter.
late dry season or LDS means the period in a calendar year, for a region, determined in accordance with section 4.4.
monthly fire map means a fire map relating to one or more calendar months of a year and that meets the requirements of section 3.5.
NAFI means the North Australian Fire Information website.
Note NAFI can be accessed at www.firenorth.org.au.
NGER Measurement Determination means the applicable determination made under subsection 10(3) of the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007.
NGER Regulations means the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Regulations 2008.
project commencement means the project’s declaration date, which is the date on which the declaration of project eligibility under section 27 of the Act takes effect.
Note Under the Act a project’s declaration date cannot be earlier than 1 July 2010. Because this Determination operates on a full calendar year basis, offsets projects to which this Determination applies will need to commence after the conclusion of the late dry season that is taken to have ended on 31 December 2010.
raster format means, for a map, the division of a map into a grid of pixels that can be coded according to characteristics of, or relating to, the area represented by the pixel.
registered greenhouse and energy auditor has the meaning given by the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007.
Regulations means the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Regulations 2011.
Savanna burning 1000 mm rainfall map means the map that shows the eligible land area under this Determination (above 1,000 millimetres of rainfall).
Note This map can be found at www.climatechange.gov.au.
seasonal fire map means a fire map that relates to either the early dry season or the late dry season and that meets the requirements of sections 3.6 and 3.7.
shrubs means living plants with a stem diameter of less than 50 millimetres at a height of 1.3 metres.
square kilometre means a unit of measure equal to the area of a square whose side is one kilometre.
Note For example, 3 square kilometres is a square with sides equal to 3 kilometres.
square metre means a unit of measure equal to the area of a square whose side is one metre.
Note For example, 3 square metres is a square with sides equal to 3 metres.
strategic early dry season fire management is the planned and intended deployment of prescribed burns that:
vegetation class means a vegetation class specified in Schedule 1.
vegetation map means a geospatial map in raster format, that identifies the class and location of vegetation in the project area and that is developed in accordance with section 3.3.
Note Vegetation maps must also meet the requirements relating to format, resolution and other matters set out in section 3.4.
years since last burnt or YSLB means the number of years since a pixel was last burnt.
Note Other words and expressions used in this Determination have the meaning given by the Act. These include:
baseline
eligible offsets project
emission
greenhouse gas
methodology determination
offsets project
offsets report
project
project area
project proponent
Regulator
reporting period
1.4 Kind of project to which this Determination applies
Note See paragraph 106(1)(a) of the Act.
This Determination applies to a project to avoid the emission of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) through the use of strategic early dry season fire management across the savannas in Australia that receive more than 1,000 millimetres long-term average annual rainfall.
Note The Savanna burning 1000 mm rainfall map can be used to determine whether a savanna is located in an area that receives above 1,000 millimetres of rainfall.
Part 2 Requirements for declaration as eligible project
Note See paragraphs 27(4)(c) and 106(1)(b) of the Act.
2.1 Eligible projects
To be declared an eligible offsets project, a project to which this Determination applies must meet the requirements in this Part.
Note A project must also meet the requirements in subsection 27(4) of the Act and in the Regulations, including the requirement that the project is not an excluded offsets project (see regulations 3.36 and 3.37).
2.2 Location
The project area must be within Australia.
2.3 Project land characteristics
The project area must include land that:
(a) is located in an area which, according to the Savanna burning
1000 mm rainfall map, receives more than 1,000 millimetres long-term average annual rainfall; and
(b) contains one or more of the following vegetation classes as described in Schedule 1:
(i) eucalypt open forest with tussock grass ground layer (EOF);
(ii) eucalypt woodland with tussock grass ground layer (EW);
(iii) sandstone woodland with a mixed tussock and/or hummock (spinifex) grass ground layer (SW); and
(iv) sandstone heath with a ground layer dominated by hummock grasses (spinifex) (SH).
Note The Savanna burning 1000 mm rainfall map can be used to determine whether a savanna is located in an area that receives above 1,000 millimetres of rainfall.
2.4 Project mechanism
A project proponent must apply strategic early dry season fire management in the project area:
(a) to reduce the areas of savannas that are burnt each year;
(b) to shift the seasonality of the savanna burning from the late dry season to the early dry season; or
(c) to achieve a combination of (a) and (b).
Note Under section 3.2, the area that has been burnt by strategic early dry season fire management cannot be reduced by:
2.5 Identification of project area
The boundaries of the project area must be delineated in accordance with sections 3.3 and 3.4.
Note Sections 3.3 and 3.4 set out the requirements for delineating the boundaries of a vegetation map.
Part 3 Requirements for operation of eligible projects
Note See paragraphs 27(4)(c), 35(2)(a) and 106(1)(b) of the Act and regulations 1.12 and 3.26 of the Regulations.
Division 3.1 Operation of eligible projects
3.1 Operation of eligible projects
An eligible offsets project to which this Determination applies must be operated in accordance with this Part.
3.2 Ineligible activities
The fire scar area must not be reduced by:
(a) indirect methods such as the introduction of cattle; or
(b) inducing an increase in late dry season fires in areas bordering the project area.
Division 3.2 Vegetation maps
3.3 Requirements for a vegetation map
A vegetation map must:
(a) be in raster format with a minimum pixel size of 250 square metres (m2);
(b) assign a vegetation class to each pixel that represents a part of the project area, according to the vegetation classes specified in Schedule 1;
(c) be based on mapping products describing vegetation structure and ancillary land information such as soil type and foliage cover;
(d) include at least one input of a cloud-free satellite image; and
(e) be validated in accordance with section 3.4 not more than 3 years before project commencement.
3.4 Validation of a vegetation map
(1) Vegetation maps must be validated in accordance with this Determination to be not less than 80% accurate overall at a maximum scale of 1:100 000.
(2) The accuracy of a vegetation map must be validated using information from independent data waypoints.
(3) The independent data waypoints specified in subsection (2) must:
(a) be approximately 1 hectare in area and be congruent with the scale of the vegetation map; and
(b) be collected with reference to transects or a grid that samples all vegetation classes over the project area.
(4) For project areas over 10,000 square kilometres (km2):
(a) not less than 500 independent data waypoints must be used to refine the vegetation map; and
(b) an additional 500 independent data waypoints must be used to assess the accuracy of the vegetation map.
(5) For project areas less than 10,000 square kilometres (km2):
(a) not less than 250 independent data waypoints must be used to refine the vegetation map; and
(b) an additional 250 independent data waypoints must be used to assess the accuracy of the vegetation map.
(6) The independent data waypoint information specified in subsection (2) must meet the following requirements:
(a) the independent data waypoint information must be derived from
GPS-based comprehensive ground information, or aerial-based stratified random sampling, that covers all vegetation classes in the project area; and
(b) geospatial software must be used as follows:
(i) the independent data waypoints must be intersected with the vegetation map to derive a standard error matrix including errors of omission and commission; and
(ii) the data in the standard error matrix must be used to determine the accuracy of the vegetation map as a percentage; and
(c) the data from paragraph (b) must be used to improve the accuracy of the vegetation map.
Division 3.3 Fire maps
3.5 Monthly fire maps
(1) Monthly fire maps must be in raster format.
(2) A monthly fire map used to calculate the baseline emissions of a project area for the purposes of this Determination must have a spatial resolution of 1 square kilometre (km2) per pixel or finer.
(3) A monthly fire map used to calculate project emissions of a project area for the purposes of this Determination must have a spatial resolution of 250 square metres (m2) per pixel or finer.
(4) A monthly fire map used in relation to a baseline period, a reporting period or a fuel load estimation period must adopt a consistent time series and be derived from a single satellite imagery product.
Note A single GIS map may be used to meet the requirements in section 3.5.
Note The time series used to calculate the baseline period emissions and reporting period emissions do not have to be consistent with each other.
Note Gaps in the availability of satellite imagery may be filled by supplementing fine scale products with coarser scale products.
3.6 Seasonal fire maps
(1) Seasonal fire maps must be in raster format.
(2) Monthly fire maps for a
This is an opening excerpt, not the complete document.