The architect of Australia’s agricultural carbon accounting framework honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award

The prestigious award honours individuals who have made an outstanding and sustained contribution to innovation through industry–research collaboration, demonstrating national impact, leadership and an enduring legacy.

Attending the award ceremony in Perth, Professor Eckard said his career has centred around partnerships and ensuring the right stakeholders are involved in research from the idea to implementation.

“From my earliest work through to my current role, my focus has always been on making sure the science is built with industry, so it can be taken up, trusted and used long after the research ends.

“It is an honour to be recognised with a Lifetime Achievement Award. I believe that agriculture’s strength is its willingness to align around shared science. That alignment has given industry the confidence to measure emissions and take action based on evidence, because carbon conscious farming leads to better outcomes.” Professor Eckard said.

ZNE-Ag CRC Chair, Dr Debra Cousins congratulated Professor Eckard on the tribute and said the award recognises both national impact and a lasting legacy.

“Rich exemplifies what this award stands for, sustained leadership in bridging research and industry, and an enduring positive influence on others. We are very proud and privileged to work alongside Rich and share in his knowledge and leadership in carbon accounting.

“Across several decades, his work has reshaped how Australian agriculture understands and manages greenhouse gas emissions. Beyond his impressive research career, he has mentored and inspired a generation of researchers and industry leaders to focus on impact. Very well deserved, and on behalf of the CRC we congratulate him.”

Professor Eckard is Professor of Carbon Farming at the University of Melbourne and Research Program 3 Lead at ZNE-Ag CRC, where he continues to lead nationally coordinated research focused on whole-of-farm systems and practical pathways for reducing agricultural emissions.

He led the development of Australia’s first comprehensive greenhouse gas accounting tools for agriculture, frameworks now used across every major commodity sector and embedded in industry sustainability strategies and government policy.

Professor Eckard’s influence extends internationally through advisory roles with governments in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the European Union, as well as global organisations including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the International Livestock Research Institute.

A defining feature of Professor Eckard’s career has been his ability to break down silos between sectors that once operated independently. He has worked across red meat, dairy, cotton, grains, horticulture, sugar, rice, pork, poultry, eggs and aquaculture to co-design emissions accounting approaches tailored to real production systems. This approach has helped unify historically fragmented industries under a consistent, science-based framework, enabling alignment between producers, supply chains, financiers and policymakers.

ZNE-Ag CRC is funded by the Australian Government through the Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Program and the contribution of Partners.