Friday, 10 April, 2026 

ICIN welcomes the release of two new Savanna Fire Management carbon methods, that have been in development for some years, and include new important updates that will potentially generate substantial benefits for ICIN members. 

The two new methods, announced today under the Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) Scheme and approved by Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy Josh Wilson MP, are:

• 2026 savanna fire management sequestration and emissions avoidance method, please find the method here.
• 2026 savanna fire management emissions avoidance method, please find the method here.

ICIN is pleased that under the new sequestration method, sequestration accrued to-date under existing savanna fire management projects will be credited, this is a really important positive outcome for all existing savanna fire management projects and in-line with ICIN's advocacy efforts. 

The Indigenous Carbon Industry consists of 43 Indigenous-owned and -run carbon projects, of which 37 are savanna fire management projects. Since the industry began in 2012, these projects have abated around 1 million tonnes of emissions a year on average, or >12 million tonnes of emissions since 2012. 

These new savanna fire management methods will enhance these results, with CSIRO estimates indicating projects within these new methods are capable of abating around 180 million tonnes of extra emissions over the next 25 years.

This fire management program has been successful on so many levels: culturally, economically and environmentally. Through reinstating traditional burning practices, new generations of landowners have been trained in traditional and western fire management, hundreds of thousands of tonnes of greenhouse gas have been abated, and the landscape is being managed in the right way," said Dr Dean Yibarbuk, Co-Chair ICIN, Fire ecologist and Senior Traditional Owner, West Arnhem Land. 

For the first time, the savanna fire management methods will account for carbon stored in specific savanna vegetation, allowing more accurate crediting of strategic fire management across Northern Australia.

Whist scientists working in northern Australia have long recognised the carbon sequestration benefits from improved fire management in northern Australia, to date, savanna fire projects have been able to earn carbon credit revenue for avoided emissions only.

Today’s announcement completes a key missing piece of the carbon story by acknowledging these projects have also accumulated stored carbon in the landscapes,” said Dr Jennifer Ansell, CEO ALFA - an ICIN full member.

This new development will help project owners, especially Indigenous savanna fire management businesses, earn more Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) by moving existing projects to these new methods, said the Hon Josh Wilson MP's, Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy, in his press release. 

Today’s announcement is a very welcome acknowledgement of the well-established carbon sequestration achieved by the reintroduction of traditional savanna fire management that protects and maintains healthy savanna landscapes,” added Dr Jennifer Ansell, CEO of ALFA.

Photo: ICIN member Demed Aboriginal Corporation