Carbon sequestration

One of the great national and international debates around climate change, and the reduction of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, is the potential to sequester (lock up) carbon in vegetation and soils.

This section provides an understanding of the Kyoto rules and how carbon might be sequestered into trees and soils.

Key points:

- International carbon trading rules have been set in the Kyoto Protocol

- Australia did not sign up for soil carbon sequestration

- There will be only limited opportunities for most dairy farmers for carbon sequestration into trees

- Increasing soil carbon is difficult and slow, while reducing soil carbon can be rapid

- The scientific evidence suggests dairy farmers should approach soil carbon sequestration with considerable caution

- On balance, it is not yet appropriate for dairy farmers to consider carbon sequestration trading