Challenge
Protecting and restoring nature go hand in hand with emissions reductions.
Conservation, restoration and improved management of land, freshwater and the ocean can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance carbon storage in nature.
Nearly half of Australia’s GDP depends on nature. Businesses can benefit from actions that boost the health, diversity and resilience of ecosystems while also reducing emissions.
The solution lies in holistic approaches that address biodiversity loss and climate change as interconnected challenges.
Impact
Location
Sector
Strategy and Actions
Climateworks Centre has developed first-of-its-kind tools to help companies and governments align decisions with climate and nature goals.
Understanding changes in land use for a net zero, nature positive future
Companies' targets and plans will require scientifically grounded pathways to align with the Global Biodiversity Framework and the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Developed through a collaboration between Deakin University and Climateworks Centre, with research contributions from CSIRO, the Land Use Trade-Offs model v2 (LUTO2) is a world-leading spatial model that maps the best way to use and manage land in Australia to meet climate and biodiversity targets without compromising economic growth and food and water security.
LUTO2 can help identify the interconnectedness between climate and nature goals.
Promoting consistent natural capital measurement to guide action and track progress towards nature-positive goals
Measuring changes in ecosystems and species is more challenging than measuring greenhouse gas emissions.
To address this challenge, Climateworks has developed the Natural Capital Measurement Catalogue(Opens in a new tab/window) (NCMC), a user-friendly, open source, scientifically rigorous natural capital measurement resource.
Scientifically credible and standardised metrics are crucial to understanding if actions taken by companies or governments are halting and reversing nature loss.
The metrics, methods and data sources outlined in the Natural Capital Measurement Catalogue can be a critical, trusted resource as companies seek to monitor progress against their climate and nature targets.
“There is no path to net zero emissions without nature and Australia is well positioned to play a key role in the global integrated approach to climate and nature.”
- Anna Skarbek, Climateworks Centre CEO
Outcomes and lessons learned
Climateworks Centre is working with industry and government to lay the foundation for integrated nature-climate pathways, targets, reporting and implementation.
The Natural Capital Measurement Catalogue (NCMC) has been well received by a wide range of stakeholders. It features in in CSIRO’s Natural Capital Handbook, the Australian Agricultural Sustainability Framework, NRM Regions Australia Natural Capital Accounting Report, AACo’s 2024 Sustainability Report, the Clean Energy Finance Council’s Measuring what matters: An approach for natural capital investors, the Australian Institute of Company Directors, the Capitals Coalition Natural Capital Toolkit, the TNFD Tools Catalogue and TNFD Pilot Australian Case Study.
Climateworks is also working with land managers to test the use of satellite remote sensing for a holistic set of nature metrics listed in the NCMC (approximately 12 metrics covering water, land and soil, biodiversity and ecosystems, as well as atmosphere and carbon).
Climateworks and Deakin University have developed a number of LUTO2 scenarios that show how Australia can achieve climate and biodiversity targets while supporting agriculture. These scenarios can inform government policy, regional planning, and pathways that underpin credible transition plans and targets for companies.
Road ahead
Major corporations and governments have a critical role to play in laying the foundations for integrated nature-climate planning and implementation in the future.
Climateworks seeks to deepen its engagement with industry and government to embed nature in net zero planning and implementation.
Learn more about LUTO2.
Learn more about the Natural Capital Measurement Catalogue(Opens in a new tab/window).
About Climateworks Centre
Climateworks Centre bridges the gap between research and climate action, operating as an independent not-for-profit within Monash University. Climateworks develops specialist knowledge to accelerate emissions reduction, in line with the global 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature goal, across Australia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
Related case studies
Investing in a Nature Positive Future
Committed to a Net Zero, Nature Positive Future
