ICIN is participating in multiple initiatives aimed at ensuring our members actively contribute to policy and method development. We are engaging in consultations with our members to gather views and recommendations on the development of the Integrated Farm and Land Management (ILFM) and Savanna Fire Management (SFM) carbon methods.

An ICIN Position Paper on the IFLM method is in preparation and will be lodged with the  Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) prior to end of the year. An ICIN Technical Paper on Fire will be developed with members in the new year to advise and inform DCCEEW on fire across all ACCU methods.

ICIN’s blue carbon presentation was well received at the Charles Darwin University (CDU) hosted Blue Carbon Workshop in November generating discussion around opportunities, technical challenges and feasibility for Indigenous blue carbon projects. ICIN continues to work with partners and stakeholders including the Northern Australia Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance (NAILSMA), CDU, University Qld, The Nature Conservancy, ICIN members and others in this space. ICIN will be undertaking related blue carbon engagement activities in the new year – stay tuned for more details.

Excitingly the ICIN 2022 Mapping Opportunities Report is being updated and expanded as part of the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) project National Approach to Indigenous Engagement in Blue carbon and environmental markets. We anticipate its release in the first quarter of 2024. The report, including mapping to capture Indigenous rights & interests across Australia, will be publicly available through Seamap. 

The next phase of the project involves engagement with Indigenous stakeholders through workshops and interviews, building knowledge and capacity around blue carbon opportunities but also developing an understanding of the barriers, concerns and priorities for Indigenous groups. Phase 3 will develop a set of principles and recommendations to inform best practice to empower Indigenous groups to engage in the blue carbon market. This work builds on ICIN’s FPIC Best Practice Guide launched in 2020. ICIN acknowledges its project partners CDU and NAILSMA. 

The ICIN team has prepared a brief submission regarding the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forests' (DAFF) Agriculture and Land Sector Plan and is working with our members to understand implications of the passage of the Nature Repair Bill. This will be a substantive piece of work going into 2024.