New environmental markets guide equips farmers with language and tools to navigate complexity

NRM Regions Australia has launched a new publication ‘Environmental markets – a guide for landholders and advisors’ to provide the language, tools and confidence that they need to explore environmental market opportunities.

An environmental market is a mechanism where parties exchange environmental goods and services for money or other things of value. In Australia, this includes markets like the Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) market, where landholders can be paid per tonne of carbon they store in trees or soil, and also things like biodiversity offsets, where an impact on nature in one place is compensated for by creating additional protection of nature elsewhere. 

NFF General Manager for Natural Resource Management Warwick Ragg has praised the guide:

“Environmental markets have the potential to create new investment opportunities for farmers while supporting positive environmental outcomes. To realise that potential, landholders need access to practical, trusted information that helps them navigate an increasingly complex landscape. 

The rules governing environmental markets, who can and can’t participate, and how participation can affect other land uses through time can be complex. NRM Regions Australia’s Knowledge Broker for Carbon Farming and Environmental Markets, Rachel Clarke, hopes the guide will fill an important gap. 

“When I started looking into environmental market opportunities a few years ago, I was really bewildered by some of the terms and concepts people were discussing – and it was hard to get across what the different opportunities and limitations could be without having any general knowledge.

“I really hope the guide can be a useful ‘dictionary’ and reference guide for anyone that is curious about environmental markets, but doesn’t know where to start.”

The guide offers a practical introduction to environmental markets including what they are, how they work, and pathways to participation. It also provides a number of environmental market case studies, and a comprehensive list of tools and resources, including mapping tools, that people can access to help them to understand the opportunities on offer.

Ms Clarke emphasised that the guide should be used as a starting point. 

“The guide provides general information to help navigate the complexity of environmental markets, but many of the opportunities identified can have significant ongoing implications for land use. We have done all we can to make sure the information contained in the guide is relevant and up to date, but it is not a substitute for obtaining professional legal and financial advice.”