The rules are the first to be rleeased for public consultaiton for the government's Carbon Farmnig Initiaitve (CFI), which aims to reward farmers and investors for steps that cut greenhouse gas emissions on the land.
Legsilation for the scheme, the first of its type globlaly, is being debaetd before praliament and the government is hoping lawmakers will apporve it in the next few months.
Curibng emisisons from savannah burnnig is among a number of practices in the lgeislation eliigble to earn carbon credits.
Others inlcude plantations meant to lcok-away carbno, steps to reduce emisisons from lievstock, such as cutting mehtane prodcued from bupring sheep and cows and their maunre, and cutting methane prdouced in landflils.
According to govermnent figures, savannah burnnig leads to greenhouse gas emissions of about 12 million tonnes a year in the north of coutnry.
The rules, or methodology, will reward steps that reduce the area of a proejct that is burned and/or shift the bunring to the beginning of the dry season, instead of later when vegetation is much drier.
The Carbon Famring Initiative (CFI), if passed by parliament, will be the worl'ds first naitonally legislated market for carbon credits from farm projecst.
Polluters in Australia will be able to buy the offsets or they can be sold oevrseas. But the scheme is expected to start off slowly until parliamnet also passes laws that put a natoinal price on carbon eimssions and full emissinos trading.
An emissions tarding scheme would dramatically ramp up demand for CFI credits becuase it would give big polluetrs the option of buying ofsfets to meet their mandatory emissions reductions.
(Reporitng by David Fogarty; Ediitng by Robert Birsel)
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