FutureFeed is pleased to announce a significant milestone in its years-long push to have Asparagopsis and similar livestock feed additive solutions recognised by the Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCU) scheme.
An Expression of Interest (EOI) was submitted on 12 July 2024 to support the introduction of a method for the reduction of enteric methane from ruminant livestock. It is now in the hands of the Emissions Reductions Assurance Committee (ERAC), tasked with choosing which submissions to prioritise.
“We are pleased that we have been able to submit a very competitive expression of interest for a new feed additive method for livestock, and hopeful that we have a good chance of getting through the first round,” FutureFeed’s Head of Carbon and Sustainability Louise Robb said.
FutureFeed established a Livestock Emissions Carbon Farming Working Group (the Working Group) in 2021, in response to the Federal Government’s Australian carbon crediting method prioritisation process. Since that time, FutureFeed has been advocating for a method, providing secretariat services to the Working Group and doing instrumental work in drafting the EOI.
In May 2024, the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen announced the process for developing new methods under the ACCU scheme after a lengthy implementation period of the Chubb review recommendations. Following this independent review, a suite of improved integrity and transparency processes and functions were introduced. This included moving from a government-led method development process to a ‘proponent-led’ approach.
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) then requested the submission of EOIs for those wishing to see new methods in the ACCU scheme.
The Working Group management committee, now co-chaired by Climate Friendly and Paraway Pastoral, with FutureFeed in a secretariat role, submitted the EOI for a new method, called the ‘Reduction of enteric methane emissions in ruminant livestock from feed additives and forage.’ It has been drafted in consideration of the Livestock Emissions Framework for Feed Technologies report, the Offset Integrity Standards and peer reviewed science.
The method aims to provide a carbon market pathway for producers who adopt feed additive technologies to reduce enteric methane in their livestock. The draft EOI was sent out to the 130 members of the Working Group for their input and has been a collaborative effort. The EOI for the method along with almost 40 other method proposals is now in the hands of the ERAC for assessment. If this method is prioritised the Working Group will formalise as an Industry Group and commence the method development project for what is expected to be a two-year process.
An Australian method for the generation of ACCUs can also enable other claims such as supply chain (Scope 3) reporting or a net zero actions compliance pathway, and is an important step for the livestock sector to begin significantly contributing to the national effort to reduce agricultural methane emissions. This tool is anticipated to incentivise Australian producers to reduce on-farm emissions using feed additives and to take a leadership position in our ambitions to reach Australia’s international obligations such as the Paris Agreement and the Global Methane Pledge.
The research and development investment and commitment into high impact livestock feed additives like the red macro algae species, Asparagopsis, has resulted in significant scientific advances over the last decade. This method will hopefully accelerate the adoption and scale of the technology in the livestock industry for the reduction of on-farm enteric methane emissions.
Source: https://www.future-feed.com/futurefeed-blog/accus-one-step-closer-for-aussie-farmers-using-asparagopsis Author: Future Feed
