About Action for Climate Change
Action for Climate Change is a program developed by Conservation Volunteers aimed at achieving real and practical environmental results by working with individuals and businesses to reduce their carbon (greenhouse gas) emissions and by offering those emissions that can't be reduced through plantings in key habitats. The Program will be delivered in both Australia and New Zealand.
Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions will be encouraged by providing resource material found either on the Action for Climate Change website or recommended links from trusted sources.
Opportunities are being developed for individuals and businesses to help sequester some of their unavoidable emissions by funding a series of habitat forests under our Action for Climate Change Program.
Action for Climate Change: Habitat Forests - Selection Criteria
- Habitat forest sites will be selected initially for their positive contribution to biodiversity outcomes and the natural environment
- These sites will also capture and store quantities of carbon during the life of the vegetation being established.
- We will calculate their carbon capacity according to information provided by the Australian Department of Climate Change.
- The establishment of indigenous vegetation will also assist these locations to have a higher ability to adapt to climate change
- Where possible, sites will also be selected to protect vulnerable species and vegetation communities
- Sites with some form of long term legal protection and management plans will be given priority in the selection process
Action for Climate Change: Carbon Forests
- Our 'carbon forests' will typically be much larger sites to warrant the additional benefits of obtaining formal accrediation. This will be achieved using the current 'accreditation' process managed by the Australian Department of Climate Change. Currently this is the Greenhouse FriendlyTM standard.
All our supporters will be able to visit our habitat and carbon sites and participate in voluntary activities where appropriate.
All sites will be individually reported upon on the Action for Climate Change website.
We will always ensure that information about our Action for Climate Change Program is available and transparent.
Community volunteer days will also be made available for the sites and will be promoted via the Action for Climate Change and Conservation Volunteers websites.
Who is Conservation Volunteers?
Conservation Volunteers is Australia's leading practical conservation organisation. In 2006 Conservation Volunteers also commenced operations in New Zealand.
Since 1982, Conservation Volunteers has fulfilled its mission to attract and manage a force of volunteers in practical conservation projects for the betterment of the environment.
Key information about Conservation Volunteers:
- welcomes more than 10,000 volunteers a year
- works in partnership to assist more than 2,000 priority conservation projects
- real conservation results, including planting more than 1 million trees per annum
- provides training to more than 1,000 individuals and groups per annum
- works in partnership with all levels of government
- assists Land managers in local Councils, Landcare Groups, National Parks, Friends of Groups, private landowners and Government agencies
- partners with many top businesses to tackle conservation priorities
- has representation in over 25 locations across Australia and New Zealand and 130 full-time employees
- Member of the IUCN (World Conservation Union)
- Federation of Youth Travel Organisations
- Founding member of the International Alliance of Conservation Volunteers
- Winner of numerous Banksia Awards
- Winner of the PM's Award for Excellence in Community Business Partnerships
- Winner of United National Global 500 Award
Where does the Action for Climate Change program operate?
Action for Climate Change is conducting its activities throughout Australia and New Zealand in line with other Conservation Volunteers programs.
What am I supporting and what do I get when I join Action for Climate Change?
- The ability to support a series of habitat forests across the country
- A certificate acknowledging your membership and support towards the program's annual targets
- Practical support to threatened species under threat due to dangerous climate change
- bumper sticker showing your support for this practical program
- regular updates showing the progress and results of the program
- ongoing invitations to visit habitat forest sites and participate in revegetation activities as a volunteer
- regular reporting of each site via the Action for Climate Change website in regard to the biodiversity and carbon storage outcomes
What is my funding used for?
Funding will be used to support the following:
- Provision of seedlings
- Site preparation
- Land manager/owner maintenance support
- Site coordination, mapping, record keeping and sequestration estimation
- Covenanting (or other form of permanency guarantee in the case of carbon forests)
- Covering costs of community and volunteer plantings (transport, catering, tools, insurances, protective equipment and supervision etc.)
- Direct costs of Wild Futures projects (these projects do not result in carbon storage but rather assist species suffering from issues caused by dangerous climate change such as rising temperatures, sea levels etc.)
- Ongoing development of education support to Action for Climate Change supporters aimed at reducing initial emissions
- General administration costs of running the program
Can I support Action for Climate Change on a regular basis?
Yes - simply visit the JOIN US page.
Are financial contributions to Action for Climate Change tax deductible?
Yes
How does Action for Climate Change calculate carbon emissions?
The Action for Climate Change program at all times uses the calculations and formulae available to the general community on the Department of Climate Change website.
Is there a verification process?
An independent verification process will be undertaken on the 'carbon' forests which are selected for the appropriate accreditation process (the first site is currently being assessed) by Action for Climate Change.
Habitat forests selected by Action for Climate Change will be reported on using the formulae available to the general community on the Department of Climate Change website.
How long does it take for Action for Climate Change carbon forests to actually capture and store carbon?
In line with the accreditation process, all calculations on carbon being sequestered into Action for Climate Change forest vegetation are based upon a 70 year timeframe. Of course the rate of sequestration is higher in the earlier years of growth. However, for all calculations, Action for Climate Change uses the average annual rate across the 70 year period. So, for example, a carbon forest site may be estimated (using the Department of Climate Change National Carbon Accounting system software) to sequester 350 tonnes per hectare over the 70 year period. Action for Climate Change would then use a 5 tonne per year rate (5 tonnes x 70 years = 350 tonnes) as the average figure in calculations.