Overview
This method enables ACCUs to be earned by planting native trees and shrubs on land that has been cleared. ‘Mallee’ refers to hardy multi-stemmed eucalypts suited to drier regions.
The science
Plants capture CO₂ during photosynthesis, converting it into sugars and tissues that build leaves, stems, trunks, and roots. Over time, this carbon becomes stored biomass. As the vegetation matures, carbon accumulates both above ground (in wood and foliage) and below ground (in roots and soil organic matter). Some carbon remains stored for decades or centuries, depending on how long the vegetation is maintained.
Key project steps
- Establish project eligibility
- Use FullCAM to model planned planting
- Prepare a reforestation management plan and register the project with the Clean Energy Regulator
- Plant appropriate native species on previously cleared land in accordance with the reforestation management plan
- Report growth, survival, and any disturbances (e.g., fire or drought) to the Clean Energy Regulator and earn ACCUs for abatement achieved
- Maintain the vegetation for the chosen permanence period (either 25 or 100 years)
Co-benefits
Projects using this method can:
- Restore habitat and biodiversity
- Reduce erosion and salinity
- Increase water retention in soils
- Enhance the beauty and amenity of regional environments
Find out more:
Reforestation by environmental or mallee plantings method.
Explore examples of environmental and mallee planting projects.