The CSIRO has updated its tool to support farmers in understanding opportunities in carbon abatement from their land use activities.

The Commonwealth science agency’s LOOC-C (‘Look See’) app provides detailed assessments of how a user’s land use and farming activities square with eligibility for rebates under the Climate Solutions Fund (CSF).

The tool aims to provide an easy entry point for carbon farming, encouraging landholders to help reduce national carbon emissions by capturing carbon in their plants and soil — and get paid for it.

The app estimates abatement quantity for a given land area, with calculations consistent with the latest version of the National Carbon Accounting Model. The updated tool now models soil carbon and beef herd cattle management.

CSIRO’s LOOC-C project leader, Peter Fitch, said the tool’s overarching aim is to help pastoralists and land managers participate in abatement activities profitably — contributing to emission mitigation and incentivising sustainable activities on the plot or pasture.

“LOOC-C is unique and the quickest way of finding out what carbon farming options are available for your farm, what you’re eligible for and what the benefits might be,” he said.

“We see it as a high-tech conversation starter that enables farmers to undertake a preliminary assessment of options and connect them with a suitable next step for their carbon farming journey.”

The Queensland government has been using LOOC-C in the rollout of its Land Restoration Fund.

Dr. Kate Andrews, CEO of NRM Regions Australia, also endorses the tool.

“This app is an example of what the industry needs at the moment, allowing opportunities in the carbon market to be explored simply and without obligation,” Dr Andrews said.

“You can tell that the development of the app included input from both landholders and project developers, it’s great to see these types of products coming from CSIRO.”

The app can be accessed at https://looc-c.farm/.

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