A partnership between the Aboriginal Carbon Foundation and a major bank has helped preserve Cape York country and employ a number of Traditional Owners.

As part of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s carbon neutrality, the bank supports traditional Aboriginal fire management generating Australian Carbon Credit Units for the second year running.

The Aboriginal Carbon Foundation supports rangers from Kowanyama and Traditional Owners to undertake their savannah burning carbon farming project.

ACF chief executive Rowan Foley said having the Commonwealth Bank committing to a second year of purchasing carbon credits was testament to the rigour of Traditional Owner fire management to generate credit units with verified environmental, social and cultural co-benefits.

“Our nature-based solutions support the Traditional Owners and rangers look after country and provide local jobs,” Mr Foley said.

“We are as much in the people business as we are in the carbon farming business.

“While the International Panel on Climate Change has identified the protection and restoration of natural ecosystems could play an important role in limiting global warming, it is also about valuing environmental, social and cultural co-benefits for both First Nations people and the corporate sector.

“It’s partnerships like ours that is helping to address the UN sustainable development goals.

“Our peer-to-peer strengths-based approach, contained in the core benefits verification framework, enables local expertise to lead the verification process – rather than it being done by non-Indigenous external parties.”

Mr Foley said the carbon burning was providing opportunities.

“People have been talking about generating natural-based solutions, and we are consistently demonstrating that this model works. It is generating economic opportunity for Traditional Owners in regional areas while also strengthening culture and cultural practice,” he said.

This article appeared in Cape York Weekly, 19 October 2021.