CO2 Australia Creating a Better Climate Project

CO2 Australia Creating a Better Climate Project is a permanent mallee and mixed-species environmental planting project dispersed across multiple agricultural properties in regional New South Wales, with key sites situated near inland towns such as West Wyalong and Condobolin. Registered in March 2014, the project spans a wide geographic area encompassing multiple local government areas, including Bland, Lachlan, Dubbo, Narromine, and Narrandera.

The project operates under the Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings methodology. This method involves establishing permanent plantings of native tree and mallee species on land that was previously cleared and used for agricultural purposes. The standard requirement for this methodology dictates that trees must be planted at a sufficient stocking density and spatial configuration to have the potential to reach a height of at least 2 metres and achieve a minimum 20% crown canopy cover.

The Central West and Riverina regions of NSW are traditionally known for mixed agricultural land use, particularly broadacre dryland cropping and sheep grazing. The region generally falls within a semi-arid to temperate climate classification, experiencing moderate and sometimes highly variable rainfall. The area is characterized by soil types consisting of red-brown earths, transitional clay loams, and sandy loams. To thrive in these specific environmental conditions, the project has established resilient and drought-tolerant native tree species, primarily Eucalyptus loxophleba (York Gum) and Eucalyptus polybractea (Blue Mallee).

Originally registered as the Green State Power Forest Sequestration Project, the project underwent variations in early 2016 to change its name and transfer participation to Carbon Estate Pty Ltd, with CO2 Australia acting as the agent. In April 2016, the project successfully secured an Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) fixed delivery contract (CAC304660) to supply 47,000 Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) to the Commonwealth. This contract was fully delivered and completed by December 2021. Beyond carbon sequestration, the project was recognized for delivering valuable co-benefits, including improved on-farm biodiversity and diversified farm income streams. These environmental and social outcomes motivated institutions like Charles Sturt University to purchase and retire ACCUs from this specific project to help meet their carbon-neutral certification goals.