Pillar 3: Planet

Theme: Carbon

Objective:
Establish a sustainable low-carbon cotton production system for a changing future.

Impact: 
In 2028, the cotton industry meets market, community and government expectations for carbon.

In response to climate change, more and more countries and industries are committing to transitioning towards carbon neutrality. In June 2022, the Australian Government affirmed Australia's commitment to net zero emissions by 2050, with a more ambitious interim target to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 43 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030.

Cotton production creates GHGs; Australian cotton is estimated to emit about 0.2 per cent of the country's annual GHG emissions. In the Australian Cotton Sustainability Framework, the cotton industry aspires to contribute to the Paris Agreement's aim for a climate-neutral world. To achieve this, growers need to reduce cotton production emissions — especially those associated with nitrogen (N) — and sequester carbon on-farm in the soil and vegetation.

Through this Carbon theme, CRDC's RD&E investments will play a major role in helping growers meet this challenge.

The theme aims to help the cotton industry meet market, community and government expectations for carbon by helping to establish a sustainable low-carbon cotton production system.

It will help set baseline levels for the carbon content of soils, carbon potential, and soil health across cotton-farming systems. It will map potential pathways to carbon neutrality, and model the benefits of the practices and technologies available to achieve climate neutrality, which aligns with the PLANET. PEOPLE. PADDOCK ambitions to contribute to the Paris Agreement's aim for a climate-neutral world.

To enable long-term sustainable market access for Australian cotton, we need to understand and meet the demands of the supply chain and customers. There is a need for significant innovation and research to contribute to the broad 2030 GHG emission reductions targets being set by the textile value chain.

Under this theme, CRDC will do three other things:

  • establish ways to reduce GHG emissions on cotton farms
  • define and describe pathways for carbon sequestration and capture on farms
  • improve understanding about managing soils for organic carbon and supporting soil health.

This theme will also help improve industry N-use efficiency by reducing fertiliser rates to match plant demand.

Through this theme, Australian cotton growers will have clarity on how to reduce their GHG emissions and have options to respond to a changing climate and market demands.

Outcomes:

  • By 2023, CRDC has established partnerships to investigate options for reducing GHG emissions from broadacre agriculture production systems
  • By 2024, CRDC collaborates to collectively inform community expectations of broadacre agriculture's contribution to a sustainable and healthy production environment
  • By 2025, cotton growers have clarity on how to reduce their GHG emissions and have options to respond to a changing climate and market demands