Governance of savanna burning carbon projects: maximising beneficial outcomes.

Savanna burning has emerged as an important industry in remote northern Australian communities. As well as successfully implementing fire management strategies across vast areas of the northern Australian savanna to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it is also seen as a culturally appropriate livelihood with social, cultural and economic benefits for remote communities and landowners.
Land owners on the West Arnhem Land plateau have been central to the creation of this industry and are now operating well-established savanna burning carbon projects, with nearly 20 years of experience using the savanna burning method to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The number of groups operating carbon projects has expanded since the introduction of the Carbon Farming Initiative Act (2011), and there are now diverse governance structures emerging across northern Australia. These governance structures affect what the objectives of a carbon project are, who makes decisions about projects, and who decision-makers are accountable to.
Understanding how these governance structures enable or hinder benefits to landowners and communities is an important part of maximising the benefits from savanna burning carbon projects. Analysing existing strategic planning documents and conducting semi-structured interviews with people involved with savanna burning carbon projects will inform the research.
By understanding how the governance of these projects has affected the outcomes of carbon projects to landowners and communities, there will then be an opportunity to improve the outcomes of current carbon projects and inform the establishment of organisations for future carbon projects.