Read the full report
NSW Land and Primary Industries Low Emissions Options Report [PDF 26.8 MB]
We delivered a Roadmap for the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development to transition to a low-emissions future – one where greenhouse gas emissions are reduced and carbon sequestration is enhanced, all while maintaining the productivity and sustainability of the sector.
Primary industries are central to the state’s economy and wellbeing, yet they face complex challenges in addressing climate change while maintaining productivity and sustainability.
– Steve Orr, Secretary, NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
Informing development of enabling policy and funding programs at state and national levels
Leveraging a group of experts and industry with diverse experience and skills to develop innovative and credible abatement strategies
Identifying feasible abatement options and carbon farming opportunities to industry and government
The Roadmap identified viable emissions reduction and carbon sequestration pathways and evaluated them in terms of feasible abatement potential and likely rates of adoption. This involved:
The project will assist the NSW government in meeting its net-zero targets. The Roadmap can be integrated into future state-wide multi-sectoral assessments of net-zero pathways. For example, relevant primary industry subsectors can use the Roadmap to identify where private investment in developing greenhouse gas emissions reduction strategies should be focussed. The findings also provide a basis for peak bodies to develop greenhouse gas emissions targets, if they have not yet done so.
The Roadmap is an important foundation piece for the Land and Primary Industries Network of the NSW Decarbonisation Innovation Hub as it identifies future research priorities and areas of focus.
Meeting the NSW emissions reduction targets of 50% reduction by 2030 and net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 requires rapid and widespread adoption of mitigation strategies across all sectors. The NSW primary industries sector has a key role to play in reducing emissions and sequestering carbon to offset emissions from hard-to-abate sectors.
In order to accelerate abatement activities, there was a need to identify emissions reduction pathways that could be enabled through industry and government actions. The existing NSW Net Zero Plan and policy actions such as the ACCU scheme provided a helpful start, but the following gaps remained:
This project aimed to fill these knowledge gaps, and develop a Roadmap that set out a comprehensive suite of prioritised actions towards a low emissions future for NSW land and primary industries sectors.
The Roadmap evaluated a range of alternative abatement options applicable to the diverse landscapes of NSW. It considered both management and technology strategies.
The emissions reduction and carbon sequestration pathways included:
Climate KIC Australia facilitated industry engagement around the Roadmap. This process included seeking industry feedback and perspectives on potential emissions reduction approaches. This helped ensure the decarbonisation pathways included in the report reflected the realities of farmers and industry.
We also brought a systemic view of the insights, which shaped the strategic priorities of the report.
NSW Land and Primary Industries Low Emissions Options Report [PDF 26.8 MB]
Nodoka designs and leads multi-stakeholder collaborations that enable systems-level climate action. With over six years’ experience across energy, transport, agriculture, heavy industry and health, her practice combines systems innovation, experience design, knowledge brokering, and visualisations to shape strategy, unlock shared value, and support coordinated action to accelerate decarbonisation solutions to market scale. Nodoka also leads cutting-edge co-design initiatives that integrate bespoke AI tools with human-centred processes to generate actionable insights and support collaborative decision-making.
As Director – Strategic Initiatives at Climate KIC Australia, Meredith brings her experience in strategy, design, innovation and facilitation to shape and deliver projects and portfolios for systemic impact. She leverages her experience in consulting, financial services, corporate innovation and a start up to help people and organisations tackle the complexity of climate action.
