ZERO NET EMISSIONS
Agriculture CRC
A multi-stakeholder approach to transitioning Australian agriculture to net-zero, healthy, resilient, and profitable food systems by 2040.
OUR VISION
Exceeding emissions reduction targets, growing market access and creating industry value.
The Zero Net Emissions from Agriculture Cooperative Research Centre (ZNE-Ag CRC) aims to catalyse industry, community and government action to achieve Zero Net Emissions from agriculture from 2040, and below zero net emissions by 2050. Agriculture directly contributes to 16.9% of Australia’s national emissions. Our goal is to ensure Australia’s agricultural industries keep growing, while they simultaneously achieve ZNE by 2040 and exceed international emissions reduction targets by 2050.
Emissions reduction is often seen as a cost burden that creates a trade off against economic imperatives that drive productivity, profitability, growth and asset building – perceived as a win-lose situation.
The ZNE-Ag CRC Win-Win approach, however, will harness and coordinate opportunities to create win-win through rapid research, development and adoption of science and technology-led solutions, driven by our industry and government partners.
OUR CHALLENGE
Unlocking production potential in a sustainable and resource-efficient way.
COP26 in 2021 secured near-global zero mission commitments from 153 countries, as well as future strengthening of mitigation measures by 2050, and over 100 countries committed to reducing global methane emissions by 30% by 2030.
Two months later, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) declared a code red for humanity, calling for rapid emissions reduction to occur by 2035.
With many Australian agricultural industries already committed, these goals can be highly compatible.
The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted how critical food and agricultural sovereignty is for Australia, both now and into the future. The scale of the problem requires both incremental and radical solutions.
AGRICULTURE CONTRIBUTES 14% OF AUSTRALIA’S NATIONAL EMISSIONS.
Methane
(Livestock)
Nitrous Oxide
(crop residue burning and fertiliser use)
Carbon Dioxide
(Lime and urea use)
OUR OPPORTUNITY
Much of the emissions focus nationally has been on defining and meeting targets. Agriculture and land management have the potential to drive down emissions within their own sectors, as well as across other sectors like manufacturing.
ZNE-Ag CRC will provide the tools for our industries to engage with, and leverage, such regulatory, compliance and policy systems and frameworks, offering substantial economic, social and environmental benefits.
Through the Cooperative Research Centre Program, we will provide incisive input to policy formulation as an integral part of the adoption and implementation of solutions.