Still smouldering: Growing Indigenous engagement in the Low Carbon Economy

Abstract

Pre-colonially and today, fire is a central tool deployed by Aboriginal1 people in the tropical savannas to envi- ronmentally manage their country for both economic and cultural purposes. In the past decade, Aboriginal landowners in northernAustralia have increasingly adapted their savanna burning practices to the greenhouse gas abatement schemes established by the Australian Gov- ernment to further leverage economic opportunities on their land. In this article, we explore the complexities of operating under a new legislative framework, the Car- bon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act 2011 (Cth) (henceforth CFI). We then identify the emergence of some innovative Indigenous governance models in very remote contexts that seek to productively engage with the CFI. Show more