REPORT: Large-scale abatement potential of the Australian land sector

Analysis indicates that the abatement contribution of the Australian land sector has potential to be vast, with increased investment in land sequestration and tighter land clearing controls able to deliver comparable cumulative abatement (500-950 Mt) as the complete phase out of fossil fuels from the Transport (100 Mt) and Electricity (500-700 Mt) sectors.

This positions the land sector as a significant pillar of Australia’s long-term decarbonisation plan, underscoring the potential role the land sector can play in Australia’s national emissions reduction policy framework, while supporting the deep decarbonisation of the economy as it transitions to net zero emissions prior to 2050.

In this report, we analyse the potential role of the land-use sector to support Australia’s 2030 emissions target, modelling the abatement potential of increased investment in land sequestration, and policy targeting emissions reductions and removals attributed to land clearing (deforestation).

Key findings include:

• • The land sector’s ability to remove CO₂ from the atmosphere is vast, with between 200 million – 1.1 billion tonnes of potential CO₂ sequestration possible by 2030 through direct investment of between $5 – 50 billion.

• • Should emissions from deforestation be phased out by