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Description generated by AI
Australia’s National 
Science Agency

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Priorities for Low 
Emissions Agricultural 
Solutions Investment

Summary Report

Leith, P.B., Battaglia, M., Schrobback, P., Lema, Z., Nelson, R., 
Hammond, P.



Citation

Leith, P.B., Battaglia, M. Schrobback, P., Lema, Z., Nelson, R., Hammond, P. (2026) Priorities for 
Low Emissions Agricultural Solutions Investment: Summary Report. CSIRO, Canberra, Australia. 

Joint lead authors and contacts for the report are Peat Leith (peat.leith@csiro.au) and Michael 
Battaglia (michael.battaglia@csiro.au)

Copyright 2026

© Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation 2026. To the extent permitted 
by law, all rights are reserved and no part of this publication covered by copyright may be 
reproduced or copied in any form or by any means except with the written permission of CSIRO.

Important disclaimer

CSIRO advises that the information contained in this publication comprises general statements 
based on scientific research. The reader is advised and needs to be aware that such information 
may be incomplete or unable to be used in any specific situation. No reliance or actions must 
therefore be made on that information without seeking prior expert professional, scientific and 
technical advice. To the extent permitted by law, CSIRO (including its employees and consultants) 
excludes all liability to any person for any consequences, including but not limited to all losses, 
damages, costs, expenses and any other compensation, arising directly or indirectly from using 
this publication (in part or in whole) and any information or material contained in it.

CSIRO is committed to providing web accessible content wherever possible. If you are having 
difficulties with accessing this document please contact csiro.au/contact. 

Acknowledgement of Country

CSIRO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands, seas and waters of the area that 
we live and work on across Australia and pays its respects to Elders past and present. CSIRO 
recognises that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have made, and will continue to 
make, extraordinary contributions to Australian life including in cultural, economic, and scientific 
domains.

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the contributions of collaborators from the Department of Agriculture, 
Fisheries and Forestry, along with other contributors including project Reference Group 
members, peer reviewers, and participants in the workshops and interviews, and others who have 
provided input into the development and review of this report. Any remaining errors or omissions 
are the responsibility of the lead authors. Full acknowledgements are included in the full report.



Contents

1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

1.1 What this report is about . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

1.2 Why this report matters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

1.3 What we did . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

1.4 Strategic insights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

2 Investment, intervention and action across the three time horizons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

2.1 Horizon 1 (2025-2030) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

2.2 Horizon 2 (2030-2035) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

2.3 Horizon 3 (2035 onwards) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Box 1: Explanatory note on proportional MRV and incentives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

3 Best-bet Actions and Investment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

3.1 Horizon 1 (now-2030) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

3.1.1 Whole of agriculture and cross-sector priorities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

3.1.2 Red meat and sheep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

3.1.3 Dairy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

3.1.4 Cropping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

3.1.5 Horticulture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

3.1.6 Pigs and poultry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

3.2 Best bet actions Horizon 2 (2030–2035) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

3.3 Best bet actions Horizon 3 (post 2035) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

4 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Appendix 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22



A sunset over a green field and dam.
2

A field of tall wheat with a cloudy sky in the background.

1 Introduction

1.1 What this report is about

This summary report distils the findings of a 
comprehensive national assessment of options 
to reduce on-farm (Scope 1) greenhouse 
gas emissions in Australian agriculture, with 
a focus on the technologies and enabling 
conditions required to move from promise 
to practical impact. It complements existing 
national and state-level plans and strategies 
by providing a sector-specific analysis 
of technologies available now and those 
that are emerging, and looks at which of 
these may plausibly scale over time. This 
underpins analysis of investment priorities and 
sequencing for accelerating credible, scalable 
agricultural emissions reduction across three 
time-horizons:

The full report examines emissions reduction 
technologies—not sequestration or removals—
across six agricultural sub-sectors: 

Icon of a cow and sheep
Red meat and sheep

Icon of a milk bottle and cheese
Dairy

Icon of a wheat plant and fields
Cropping

Icon representing time horizon 1
Now to 2030

Icon of a plant seedling
Horticulture

Icon representing time horizon 2
2030-2035

Icon of a pig
Icon representing time horizon 3
Pigs

Beyond 2035

Icon of a chicken.
Poultry

It assesses these technologies in terms of 
their emissions reduction potential, as well as 
through the lens of feasibility, adoptability, 
commercial readiness, system fit and 
investment requirements. This perspective 
reflects a recognition that transitions to low-
emissions agricultural industries will be shaped 
by what can be credibly delivered at scale and 
across highly diverse farming systems.



A central finding of this assessment is that 
scope 1 agricultural emissions reduction is 
constrained less by the existence of effective 
technologies than by challenges with system 
integration and the limited mechanisms to 
provide incentives for adoption. As a result, 
early emissions reductions (in Horizon 1) are 
expected to be modest at the sector level, 
even where technological readiness appears 
high.

This work is intended to be read alongside 
the Agriculture and Land Sector Plan1
1 DAFF, 2025. Agriculture and Land Sector Plan. DAFF, Canberra, Australia.

, 
Pathways to Zero Net Emissions: Stocktake 
Paper2
2 ZNE-Ag CRC, 2025. Pathways to Zero Net Emissions: Stocktake Paper. Zero Net Emissions Agriculture Cooperative Research Centre.

, and recent state-based assessments 
such as the NSW Land & Primary Industries 
Low Emissions Options Report3
3 Cowie, A., Carlson-Perret, N., Nakamichi, N., England, M., Adkins, M., Badgery, W., Cacho, O., Coleman, M., Cowley, F., Fawcett, S., 
Hutton, L., McCann, V., Mortimer, S., Scott, F., Simmons, A., Ximenes, F., Golding, J., Crean, J., Jenkins, B., Johnston, E., Medway, J., 
Sharwood, R., Wilson, B., 2025. NSW Land and Primary Industries Low Emissions Options Report: Land and Primary Industries 
Emissions Abatement Roadmap. NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.

. Differences 
between this work and those assessments 
reflect analytical purpose and resolution, rather 
than disagreement on direction. This work 
places greater emphasis on sector specific 
technology assessment, feasibility constraints, 
and the sequencing of investment and 
intervention over time, and at a national scale.

1.2 Why this report matters

Reducing on-farm emissions from agriculture 
is a long-term, system-wide challenge. 
Agriculture is biologically complex, spatially 
heterogeneous, and characterised by thin 
margins, high climate variability and dispersed 
decision-making. While significant volumes 
of agricultural emissions historically have 
been offset through land use change and 
sequestration, these opportunities are finite 
and will have diminishing returns. Over 
time, sustained progress toward Australia’s 
national emissions reduction targets will 
rely on contributions from direct reductions 
in emissions from agricultural production 
systems. This work focusses on these 
emissions, recognising that these ultimately 
need to be considered alongside sequestration 
opportunities and economy-wide transition 
pathways and options. Sequestration4
4 Fitch, P., Battaglia, M., Lenton, A., Feron, P., Gao, L., Mei, Y., Hortle, A., Macdonald, L., Pearce, M., Occhipinti, S., Roxburgh, S., Steven, 
A., 2025. Australia’s sequestration potential. CSIRO.

 options 
and priorities are detailed elsewhere.

Pressures on agriculture as a sector to 
reduce emissions are rising. As the rest of the 
economy decarbonises, agriculture’s relative 
share of national emissions proportionally 
increases. International markets, corporate 
supply chains and financial institutions are 
placing greater scrutiny on emissions intensity, 
verification and claims. Climate disclosures 
and Scope 3 reporting are beginning to 
flow through supply chains, creating new 
expectations for producers.

Despite the growing imperative, the available 
emissions-reduction technologies have not 
scaled. While some technologies and practices 
have provided productivity gains alongside 
abatement and have been widely adopted 
(win-win solutions, such as minimum till), 
many options deliver weak or uncertain private 
returns; others impose additional management 
complexity, rely on immature delivery 
mechanisms, or require regulatory approval 
(including those under National Electricity 
Rules). Many solutions require alignment of 
incentive mechanisms with proportional and 
credible monitoring, reporting and verification 
(MRV) systems (see explanation in Box 1) 
that do not yet exist at scale, or inadequately 
capture the complexity of the combinations 
of actions that together will reduce on-farm 
emissions. 



As a result, technological readiness alone has 
proven to be a poor predictor of adoption by 
producers. The scaling of options (i.e. where 
they can be delivered, financed, verified and 
sustained at sector relevant scale, under real-
world conditions) is constrained by a variety of 
factors.

The full report responds to these challenges 
by making constraints explicit. Rather than 
assuming smooth diffusion, it highlights where 
delivery risks, economic barriers, system 
interactions and institutional gaps are likely 
to limit adoption and scaling, and shows how 
these differ across sectors and time horizons. 
By doing so, the report aims to support robust 
prioritisation and targeted investment in 
agricultural emissions-reduction technology 
scaling and adoption, as well as a clearer 
understanding of the trade-offs involved in 
accelerating agricultural emissions reduction. 

Well-directed and important work is underway 
across industry, government and research 
organisations, and much of it aligns with the 
actions defined here. This summary report 
provides a big-picture overview of the detailed 
analysis, insights and actions in the full report.

Photo of a cabbage seedling growing out of soil
5



1.3 What we did

The work underpinning this report was 
funded and completed by CSIRO, with the 
assistance of the Commonwealth Department 
of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), 
combining independent technical assessment 
with strategic engagement across industry, 
research and government.

At its core, the work applies a sector-
specific technology assessment framework. 
Individual technologies were assessed 
against a consistent set of criteria, including 
feasible abatement potential, breadth 
of application, co-benefits, barriers and 
knowledge gaps, stacking potential, readiness 
levels and financial costs and benefits. These 
assessments were used to group technologies 
into archetypes reflecting their position 
along transition pathways, spanning from 
foundational research through to scaling ready 
deployment. These technology assessments 
(appendices to the full report) are preliminary 
and a first pass. They should be seen as a 
starting point for sector-wide dialogue on 
the evaluations against criteria, rather than 
definitive assessments.

Crucially, the analysis does not treat 
technologies in isolation. Following on from 
technology assessment, it explicitly examines 
enablers and system interactions that 
determine whether technologies can move 
from trials and pilots to widespread use. We 
have considered, among other things, MRV, 
advisory systems, regulation, finance, markets, 
supply chains and interactions with energy and 
digital infrastructure. Investment profiles were 
assessed to identify areas of alignment, under 
investment and potential missed opportunities, 
recognising that public and private resources 
can play different but complementary roles in 
innovation and scaling.

To identify broad investment patterns, the 
analysis drew on indicative RDC data covering 
emissions-reduction projects from 2022/23 to 
2024/25, supplemented by publicly available 
ZNE-Ag CRC investment information. These 
data provide a snapshot of investment 
direction and relative emphasis, rather than a 
comprehensive accounting of all low-emissions 
agricultural RD&E activities. This is appropriate 
to understand broadly if recent investment 
directions are aligned with future priorities.

Findings and interpretations were iteratively 
tested through targeted workshops and expert 
review, drawing on the insights of more than 
80 expert contributors across agricultural sub-
sectors and states. 

Importantly, this work provides an analysis that 
can evolve into a living, updatable knowledge 
base on emissions reduction technologies. The 
Sector Technology Assessments are presented 
as a structured evidence base that can be 
revisited and revised as uncertainties are 
clarified, technologies mature, markets shift, 
and enabling conditions change. This approach 
recognises that sustained progress will depend 
not only on making good decisions now, but 
on building collective capability to adapt, learn 
and reprioritise over the long time period of 
the transition to low-emissions agriculture.

A black chicken sitting on the ground

1.4 Strategic insights

The work identifies a set of insights that 
underpin recommendations and will be critical 
to development and scaling of emissions 
reduction technologies in coming years and 
decades. In sum, these insights highlight how 
intermediating functions (such as coordination 
across industry and government and across 
sectors) and market incentives can work 
together to create an environment that 
supports innovation and scaling for emissions 
reduction, and net-zero transitions more 
broadly (Figure 1). 

Monitoring, reporting and verification 
underpins market function and scale: 
Fit-for-purpose monitoring, reporting 
and verification (MRV) systems 
provide the foundation for incentives, 
procurement, insetting and finance. 
MRV that is proportional (that is, where 
process burden is consistent with risk), 
interoperable and capable of handling 
stacked actions enables markets and 
policy mechanisms to operate efficiently 
and with confidence (see Box 1).

Demand side mechanisms play a decisive 
role in uptake: Where private returns are 
weak or risks are concentrated, adoption 
will rely on demand-side interventions that 
distribute costs and rewards across supply 
chains. Procurement preferences, insetting 
arrangements, concessional finance 
and related market mechanisms would 
be integral to scaling many currently 
mature technologies that cannot pay for 
themselves.

Early emissions reductions will be 
gradual, while system readiness 
develops: In the near term, the principal 
value of investment lies in building the 
foundations for technologies to scale— 
confidence, coordination and learning. 
These investments position agriculture 
to deliver material, repeatable abatement 
as technologies, markets and capability 
mature over time.

Real world impact depends on 
delivery conditions and incentives: The 
effectiveness of emissions-reduction 
technologies is shaped by support 
and delivery systems, farm system fit, 
commercial readiness, and market drivers. 
Adoption and impact are determined at 
least as much by these conditions as by 
the efficacy of technologies themselves.

Sequenced investment reduces risk 
and strengthens legitimacy: Staged 
and coordinated intervention—building 
delivery capacity, assurance and value 
capture mechanisms before large scale 
deployment—reduces the risk of stranded 
assets, loss of confidence or misalignment 
across the system, and supports sustained 
progress.

Integrated and farm-system-aligned 
technology stacks are central to 
pathways that deliver significant 
abatement: Across agriculture, emissions 
reductions will rely on combinations 
of multiple practices and technologies 
that fit with farming systems. Blanket 
approaches will not work. Designing, 
validating and deploying technology 
stacks that work together under real 
operating conditions is a critical focus for 
investment.

Coordination is the critical enabler of 
progress: Emissions reduction in practice 
will be accelerated by aligning action 
across research, policy, markets, advisory 
services and supply chains. Strengthening 
direction-setting, coordination, 
learning and legitimacy across the 
innovation system is essential to convert 
technological potential into durable, 
sector-wide outcomes.

7



A quadrant chart illustrating the strength of intermediation functions versus the strength of market incentives with four categories describing system-aligned discovery, strong pipeline scalable deployment, technology-led R&D with limited system alignment, and delivery systems constraining uptake, each with examples and explanations.
Description generated by AI
Strength of intermediating functions
Strength of
market incentivesHIGH
HIGH
System-aligned discovery,
limited maturation
Research and innovation are aligned
to system needs and future
deployment pathways, but adoption
remains limited because demand-
side incentives are still weak.
Examples
Well governed breeding platforms
Coordinated R&D and
demonstration site networks don't
deliver uptake
Strong pipeline, scalable
deployment
Incentives, coordination and delivery
systems are aligned, enabling
technologies to be combined,
adopted, verified and scaled as
normal business practice.
Examples
MRV a market enabler that shares
value and costs
Coordinated public and private
investment
Market incentives catalyse
innovation and early adoption
Technology-led R&D,
limited system alignment
Technologies are developed and
validated, but lack delivery pathways,
coordination and market alignment,
causing scaling to stall despite
apparent technical readiness.
Examples
Feed additives in extensive grazing
systems (delivery constraint)
Efficacy-focused trials without
scaling pathways
Delivery systems
constrain uptake
Demand signals for emissions
reduction exist, but weak
coordination, high transaction costs
and limited assurance systems
constrain uptake and scaling.
Examples
Incentives without delivery or
MRV systems
Manure methane projects without
finance and coordination
Market incentives without
supporting advisory systems
Figure 1. Diagnostic synthesis of constraints to technology development, scaling and embedding 
across Australian agricultural industries examined in this report. These relate to the strength of market 
incentives (x-axis, e.g. procurement, premiums, contracts, finance, cost-sharing mechanisms), and 
strength of intermediating functions (y-axis, e.g. MRV, advisory systems, coordination, standards, 
sequencing of action and investment).

8



A large field of wheat
9



2 Investment, intervention and action 
across the three time horizons

This section provides an overview of the sequencing of action, intervention and investments 
across three distinct time-horizons that could accelerate scaling and adoption of solutions, and 
underpin a transition to low-emissions agriculture in Australia. 

2.1 Horizon 1 (2025-2030): Deploy 
scalable technologies, mature 
the next generation, and build 
foundations

Horizon 1 focuses on two action areas that 
are industry-specific and a third critical area 
that supports adoption and scaling across 
industries:

a) Industry-specific: Deploy currently scalable 
emissions reduction technologies that 
deliver profitability and other co-benefits; 

b) Industry-specific: Deliberately mature the 
next generation of likely-to-succeed and 
key high-risk, high reward technologies 
required for later scaling through targeted 
investment; and,

c) Cross-industry: Build foundations through 
confidence, capability and enabling 
infrastructure (MRV, incentives, etc) that 
will ensure promised technologies can 
move from pilots to credible, investable 
options in later time horizons.

This phase also seeks to create “spill in” 
opportunities from transitions underway in 
other sectors, particularly energy systems, 
transport and digital infrastructure. For 
example, technologies, data systems, and 
supply chains associated with energy 
transitions are changing fast, and can 
accelerate progress towards low-emissions 
agriculture, and provide opportunities for 
new products and roles for agriculture 
in supporting the nation’s economy and 
sovereignty (e.g. through biofuels).

Total emissions reduction in this phase is 
expected to be modest at the sector level. 
However, targeted opportunities, such as 
emissions intensity reductions associated with 
improved animal health and productivity in 
dairy, cattle and sheep, or productivity gains 
in parts of the northern beef herd, may be 
significant where conditions are favourable 
and key risks can be managed. Such actions 
will be important to build momentum and 
show positive intent.

The strategic value of Horizon 1 action lies 
in positioning the sector and capability 
across industry, research, policy and advisory 
systems, to ensure scaling of emissions 
reduction can be achieved in horizons 2 and 3.

A group of pigs in a field.
Icon representing time horizon 1
10



Two sheep laying in the grass.
Icon representing time horizon 3
Icon representing time horizon 2
2.2 Horizon 2 (2030-2035): Creating 
an enabling environment and scaling 
next generation technologies

Horizon 2 is oriented to active scaling of next 
generation technologies that were deliberately 
matured during Horizon 1. Continued focus 
on an enabling policy, market, advisory and 
institutional environment, and robust MRV and 
accounting systems underpin scaling. By this 
period, targeted investment and learning have 
reduced technical and delivery risks, allowing 
a shift from proving technologies to deploying 
enterprise- and region-specific technology 
stacks at scale.

Robust data, accounting and MRV 
systems, together with clearer cost-sharing 
arrangements, enable profitable adoption 
pathways to be developed. These can be 
designed to share costs and benefits across 
supply chains and markets. For example, 
targeted procurement strategies, or 
contractual preferences are starting to be used 
within corporate programs to pay farmers a 
premium for products grown using specified 
methods or with clear outcomes. Such 
programs can reduce costs and accelerate 
uptake as technologies reach commercial 
scale.

Investment in MRV (e.g. standards, cost 
reduction, interoperability of measures, and 
stacking of methods – see Box 1) developed in 
Horizon 1 will be a foundation for investment 
in emissions reduction technologies that 
were previously priced out of the market. 
By the end of Horizon 2, a strong innovation 
environment will be established, with 
connected policy–industry–research capability 
not only supporting emissions reduction, but 
increasingly transferable to other systemic 
challenges facing agriculture. Total agricultural 
scope 1 emissions begin to drop in line with or 
exceeding Agriculture and Land Sector Plan 
ambitions, depending on market incentives. 
Without Horizon 1 and 2 investment, 
technologies that appear ready may remain 
stuck in pilot or niche deployment.

2.3 Horizon 3 (2035 onwards): 
Integrating emissions reduction 
into markets and consolidating low 
emissions agriculture

Horizon 3 focuses on embedding emissions 
reduction into the normal functioning of 
financial, commodity and supply-chain 
markets, rather than relying on stand-
alone programs or incentives. Sustained 
and visionary investment in high-risk, high-
reward science and technology, supported by 
international collaboration, regionally-focused 
development, trialling and extension, unlocks 
new approaches to emissions reduction and 
drives down the cost of emissions abatement. 

By this stage, private sector investment 
in commercialisation and rapid scaling is 
supported by a stable policy and investment 
environment, and by widespread confidence 
among growers, financiers and supply-chain 
actors in technologies and MRV systems. 
Aggregators and downstream agents play a 
routine role in supporting farmers to adopt, 
optimise and verify low-emissions practices. 
Foundational work in earlier time horizons 
means that emissions reduction technologies 
can move faster from the R&D pipeline to 
implementation and scaling. 

Australian agriculture continues to operate 
at world-leading reduced emissions intensity, 
reinforcing market access and competitiveness 
in global markets, access to all markets, and 
contributing to national and international 
climate ambitions. The feasibility of Horizon 
3 outcomes is contingent on earlier sustained 
and coordinated investment in shared 
infrastructure, regulatory alignment, and 
learning and capability.



Box 1

Explanatory note on proportional MRV and incentives: aligning assurance 
with function and risk

This work uses monitoring, reporting 
and verification (MRV) in a broad sense, 
recognising that MRV is required for a wide 
set of decision, market and regulatory 
purposes. These include corporate reporting, 
supply-chain participation, financial decisions 
and participation in carbon markets. Each 
application requires credible data, but these 
may differ in precision, cost and verification 
approach5
5 CCA, 2023. 2023 Review of the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Legislation. Climate Change Authority, Commonwealth 
of Australia, Canberra, Australia

. The credibility of MRV depends 
on auditing, compliance processes and 
enforcement powers to maintain confidence in 
both markets and policy mechanisms6
6 ANAO, 2024. Issuing, Compliance and Contracting of Australian Carbon Credit Units, Auditor-General Report No. 24 of 2023–24. 
Australian National Audit Office, Canberra, Australia.

.

Within these constraints, MRV can be 
understood as proportional to the function 
it serves, within an overarching framework 
that maintains consistency, transparency and 
integrity across the national system. Systems 
already incorporate differentiated approaches. 
These can be illustrated via a simple MRV–
incentive ladder:

Low - moderate assurance

Moderate assurance

High assurance

Focus

Management, learning and 
finance access

Supply chain differentiation 
and reporting

Crediting, compliance and 
regulated markets

Purpose

Inform decisions; enable 
participation; reduce 
uncertainty; support early 
action

Support product claims; 
benchmarking; transparent 
reporting across value chains

Support tradable units; 
enforce compliance 
obligations; ensure 
environmental integrity

Mechanisms

Advisory tools; 
benchmarking; concessional 
finance; internal decision 
support

Supply chain programs; 
procurement policies; 
climate disclosures

ACCU scheme (carbon 
markets); Safeguard 
Mechanism; regulated 
disclosures

MRV features

Modelled estimates; 
proxy data (e.g. inputs, 
productivity); simplified 
methods

Standardised methods; 
auditable datasets; 
increasing use of facility 
level data; alignment with 
life cycle assessment 
frameworks

Method based accounting 
(e.g. ACCU methods); strict 
baselines; additionality 
requirements; independent 
auditing and verification

Example 
applications

Lenders or corporates using 
emissions intensity metrics 
derived from standard 
methods to inform risk and 
investment decisions

Facility level emissions 
data informing corporate 
disclosures or supply chain 
reporting

ACCU projects requiring 
approved methods, audit 
schedules and regulatory 
oversight





12



Proportional MRV should be designed to: 

• Maintain integrity across all levels 
(recognising that credibility is foundational 
to both reporting systems and markets) 
and harmonise core methods, which are 
prerequisites for effective proportional 
MRV. 
• Align assurance with risk and use, with 
higher-stakes applications requiring more 
rigorous measurement, verification and 
audit 
• Enable participation across diverse 
producers and systems by allowing lower-
cost approaches where appropriate, 
recognising that parallel MRV systems can 
impose multiple reporting requirements 
on producers, reduce comparability, and 
dilute incentives for mitigation 
• Facilitate interoperability and data reuse 
across assurance levels, recognising that 
multiple accounting ledgers (national 
inventories, Scope 3 reporting, product 
footprints and project-level accounting) 
increasingly rely on shared farm-level data 
foundations5.
• Support consistency and comparability, 
particularly where data contributes to 
or is derived from national reporting 
frameworks and international obligations5. 


In summary, proportional MRV is a structured 
approach to aligning the level of assurance, 
cost and verification with the function, risk 
and value of different applications within an 
overarching requirement for system integrity 
and consistency.

This perspective on MRV aligns with ongoing 
efforts across jurisdictions and industries, 
particularly the Australian Government’s 
development of Voluntary Emissions 
Estimation and Reporting Guidelines (VEERG).

Multiple sheep grazing in a field
13



Aerial view of a yellow and green field seperated by a dirt road
3 Best-bet actions and investments

Best bet actions are drawn from the sectoral and system pathways identified in the full report. 
They focus on removing the key constraints to scaling identified in the analysis. The summary 
report provides an overview of industry-wide and sector-specific actions, focusing particularly 
on those that influence delivery feasibility, MRV, coordination and weak value capture. This builds 
on high-level overviews of the three Horizons in section 2. Across sectors, the highest leverage 
near term investments are those that enable multiple technologies to scale over time, rather than 
those that pick individual technological winners. These investments are specified under Horizon 1, 
and generalised in later horizons, reflecting uncertainties. An overview of key sector-wide actions 
and their sequencing across all three time horizons is presented at the end of this section in 
Figure 2. Each industry pathway is presented in Appendix 1. Many key actions in Horizon 1 have 
already commenced.



Icon representing time horizon 1
3.1 Horizon 1 (now-2030)

3.1.1 Whole of agriculture and cross-sector 
priorities

Within agriculture and food sectors

• Invest in robust farm-level emissions 
accounting platforms and proportional 
MRV to support market-based 
mechanisms and accounting, and thereby 
incentives for adoption and scaling.
• Test and develop demand-side 
mechanisms (such as procurement, 
contracting or insetting - see Section 3.4, 
full report) in targeted contexts where 
delivery and MRV are credible, to reduce 
risk and create viable scaling pathways for 
mature technologies with low / negative 
return on investment
• Build digital support and foundational 
data infrastructure to improve outreach 
and adoption, including looking at how 
to harness emerging AI capabilities 
(intermediated by Agtech sector 
capacity).
• Upskill advisors and farming system 
groups through well-targeted processes 
and programs, especially via long-term 
investment in a hub-and-spoke model 
centring on state-owned research 
farms, data and knowledge sharing, 
and as critical, long-term infrastructure 
supporting development of regionally 
focused technology stacks and solutions 
and extension. 
• Use grants, concessional loans and other 
mechanisms to reduce early‑stage risk and 
crowd in private investment.
• Streamline regulatory approvals (across all 
areas that pertain to emissions reduction 
including national grid regulations) and 
harmonise standards to fast‑track pilots.
• Establish baseline emissions data and 
digital platforms to support learning and 
continuous improvement beyond pilots.


Across sectors: agriculture-energy nexus

• Establish coordinated, place‑based 
pilot and demonstration programs that 
integrate energy solutions with local 
agricultural systems. 
• Support renewable diesel opportunities, 
to build familiarity, demand, and reduce 
vulnerability to global diesel supply shocks 
and price volatility.
• Consider grants or concessional finance 
for on-farm fuel storage to buffer against 
supply disruptions and improve logistics 
flexibility. 
• Support electrification rebates and 
incentives for stationary equipment 
such as pumps, grain handling and dairy 
infrastructure.
• Reform electricity distribution and 
connection rules to enable local 
generation and use of biogas from 
anaerobic digestion, particularly in 
intensive systems. 
• Trial fringe-of-grid energy distribution and 
storage solutions to improve resilience 
of agricultural supply chains and remote 
producers to grid constraints.


A group of pigs in a field.
15



Icon of a bottle of milk and cheese
Icon of a cow and sheep
3.1.2 Red meat and sheep

Deploy current scalable, and underutilised 
technologies

• Improve herd and flock efficiency (animal 
health, fertility, mortality reduction, 
herd structure) and pasture and grazing 
management, supported by advisory 
systems and MRV recognition.
• Improve pasture and grazing management 
to lift feed quality and utilisation.
• Selectively pilot existing feed supplements 
in delivery-feasible settings (e.g. feedlots 
and semi-confined systems) to build 
evidence on delivery, safety, MRV and 
value capture.
• Improve operational efficiency (energy 
use, logistics, management practices).
• Improve access to measurement 
infrastructure to support feed supplement 
testing and dossier preparation.


Progress next generation technologies

• Develop methane-reducing feed 
interventions suitable for grazing 
systems, with particular focus on 
delivery, persistence, cost, safety and 
accompanying MRV.
• Continue genetic and breeding 
approaches targeting lower methane 
emissions, while improving recognition 
of genetic gains in MRV and claims 
frameworks.
• Integrated nutrition–genetics–
management stack designs for different 
grazing systems.
• Develop MRV approaches suitable for 
extensive, variable landscapes and capable 
of accounting for stacked and interacting 
technologies.
• Partner internationally on high-upside 
biological solutions, including vaccines and 
novel interventions, to accelerate learning, 
share risk, and avoid duplication of global 
R&D.


3.1.3 Dairy

Deploy current scalable, and underutilised 
technologies

• Improve greenhouse gas efficiency 
through milk yield, herd health and 
longevity, including through improved 
genetics.
• Scale optimised nitrogen use, nitrification 
and urease inhibitors through advisory 
support, regional demonstration and MRV 
recognition.
• Selectively pilot methane-reducing feed 
additives where reliable delivery is feasible, 
while continuing to optimise feed and 
ration management.
• Improve energy efficiency and 
electrification in sheds and on-farm 
operations.
• Support manure and infrastructure 
options where commercially viable, 
including through targeted incentives and 
concessional finance where investment 
barriers remain.


Progress next generation technologies

• Develop methane-reducing feed additives 
and delivery systems suitable for pasture-
based systems, with attention to delivery, 
persistence, safety and MRV.
• Convert breeding investment into 
recognised, system-level abatement 
outcomes.
• Develop whole-farm dairy technology 
stacks integrating feed, genetics, nitrogen, 
manure and energy.
• Develop proportional, low-friction 
MRV capable of capturing whole-farm 
emissions intensity.
• International partnerships on advanced 
biological solutions, including vaccines and 
novel rumen interventions, where upside is 
large but development costs and risks are 
high.




Icon of a seedling growing out of soil
Icon of a wheat plant and fields
3.1.4 Cropping

Deploy current scalable, and underutilised 
technologies

• Develop nutrient management-related 
technologies through regionally targeted 
testing, demonstration and scaling 
(including enhanced efficiency fertilisers, 
precision nitrogen applications, and 
legume integration where proven).
• Continue to develop regional MRV linked 
to real farm systems, applications and 
decision-contexts.
• Improve machinery efficiency, through 
precision farming, control traffic and 
operational practices.
• Strengthen advisory capacity and expand 
regional demonstration and learning 
networks.
• Investigate and develop incentives or 
protected niche opportunities where 
mature technologies could scale and cost/
benefit ratios improve.


Progress next generation technologies

• Accounting and attribution methods for 
stacking technologies, and measuring 
cumulative and long term outcomes, 
including regional benchmarks.
• Precision agriculture tools requiring multi-
year validation.
• Breakthrough pathways (e.g. biological 
nitrification inhibitors, biostimulants) 
via international research collaboration, 
and standard setting to build market 
confidence.
• Digital platforms integrating soil, climate 
and management data for future stack 
deployment.


3.1.5 Horticulture

Deploy current scalable, and underutilised 
technologies

• Support the embedding/adoption of 
electric variable-speed drive irrigation 
pumps and small machinery.
• Improve energy and operational efficiency 
through investments in farm electrification 
RD&E (including robotics and AI to reduce 
costs and emissions of agrichemical use, 
and other input footprints).
• Expand precision fertigation and 
input optimisation (intensive annual 
horticulture).


Progress next generation technologies

• Modular, crop-specific technology stack 
designs.
• Low-cost/friction digital monitoring, 
control and benchmarking systems.
• MRV approaches suited to diverse crops 
and production systems.




A large group of chickens in a field.
Icon of a pig and chicken
3.1.6 Pigs and poultry

Deploy current scalable, and underutilised 
technologies

• Implement covered anaerobic lagoons and 
solids separation (where scale allows).
• Improve energy efficiency and integrate 
renewables.
• Improve litter, manure and shed 
management.
• Deploy low-protein diets with amino-acid 
supplementation and precision feeding.


Progress next generation technologies

• Integrated facility-level stack designs.
• Advanced waste, energy and nutrient 
recovery systems.
• MRV embedded at shed and facility scale.
• Digital optimisation platforms for intensive 
systems.




A herd of black cows in a field.
Icon representing time horizon 3
Icon representing time horizon 2
3.2 Best bet actions Horizon 2 
(2030–2035)

In this period, material, repeatable enterprise-
scale abatement is expected. Technologies, 
deliberately matured during Horizon 1, are 
scaled, supported by enabling policy, markets 
and infrastructure. 

Core actions across agriculture cannot 
currently be specified in detail, or at an 
industry level with much granularity and are 
included here as a direction-setting agenda. 
Actions include: 

• Deploy enterprise- and geography-specific 
technology stacks across sectors.
• Embed MRV and digital systems as routine 
infrastructure, reducing transaction costs.
• Establish cost-sharing and benefit-
distribution mechanisms that make 
adoption profitable.
• Build on and extend from Horizon 1 pilots 
to create market-based incentives (e.g. 
procurement, concessional finance, etc) 
to lower costs, build economies of scale in 
input manufacturers and service providers, 
and accelerate adoption.
• Align policy, finance and markets so 
emissions performance is rewarded 
consistently.
• Catalyse spill-in from other sectors 
(energy, transport, digital) and across 
agricultural industries as technologies 
reach scale.
• Strengthen connected policy–industry–
research capability to rapidly identify and 
address emerging system challenges.


3.3 Best bet actions Horizon 3 

(post 2035)

Actions in this phase are very much future-
state aspirations, framed as the system we 
are seeking to enable. In this horizon, low-
emissions performance becomes normal 
business practice.

• Emissions intensity embedded in 
commodity pricing, procurement 
standards and contracts.
• MRV functions as shared market 
infrastructure, supporting finance, claims 
and trust.
• Advisors have integrated capability 
to support producers with trialling, 
evaluation, valorisation and adoption and 
optimisation of technology stacks as part 
of normal farm business.
• Private capital drives commercialisation 
and rapid scaling in a stable investment 
environment.
• High-risk, high-reward technologies 
matured earlier are deployed where viable, 
within system that supports rapid scaling.
• Australian agriculture maintains world-
leading emissions intensity, supporting 
global competitiveness and national 
ambitions.




A diagram showing the actions across government, industry, producers and research across three time horizons.
Shared
capability
and
governance
Build the demand side
Government
Industry and
supply chains
Building capacity
Producers
and advisor
Research
Policy, standards
and MRV design
Early-stage risk
absorption
Policy and
incentive
alignment
Low-emissions as
business-as-usual
Markets reward
emissions
performanceEnterprise-level
stack deployment
and integration
MRV enabled
advice/decisions
Stack
optimisation
Systems learning
Scan globally and
prepare entry
points for high-
upside emerging
technologies
Procurement at
scale
Develop demand
signals for low-
emissions products
Co-investment
incentives and pilots
Advisors embedded
in normal practice
Private capital
leads scaling
Build advisory and
adoption capability
Participate, test,
feedback
Design systems
of use with
producers scaling-
constrained
technologies
Validate delivery,
MRV and stacking
feasibility
Seed and partner in
high-risk pathways
Aggregation
models
Research focuses
on next frontier
Horizon 1
2025-2030
Build foundations
Horizon 2
2030-2035
Scaling and
orchestration
Horizon 3
2035+
Embed and normalise
Data platforms
Standards
Trust
Coordination and demonstration
Learning
MRV
Figure 2. Sequenced, coordinated action across government, industry, producers and research builds the 
capability that enables scalable emissions reduction. H3 items are end-state goals, reflecting the limited 
value of defining actions over decadal timeframes. NB: Many actions allocated to one entity in Horizon 1 
would be undertaken as partnerships. They are ascribed by the likely lead.

A green and yellow field with a road in the middle

4 Conclusion

This report suggests that prioritising investment in Scope 1 emissions reduction in Australian 
agriculture will will require deliberate targeting and sequencing of investment to ensure emissions 
reduction can be accelerated over time—but it does so with important caveats:

1) Estimates of feasible abatement remain uncertain, particularly for emerging technologies 
and in highly variable farming systems. Data on adoptability, costs and returns at scale are 
limited, and national-level analysis masks regional and enterprise specific dynamics.

2) The analysis does not attempt to predict future policy or market settings; it instead examines 
how different goals and incentives would interact with existing capabilities and constraints.

3) The report focuses on emissions-reduction technologies, and should be interpreted alongside 
complementary work on sequestration, land-use change and Scope 2 and 3 emissions for 
agriculture, as well as how these connect with and complement economy-wide net-zero 
transition pathways. 

There are clear next steps to sustain the work started in here, and to scale low-emissions 
agriculture solutions more widely. Firstly, this work can be extended to other industries such 
as forestry and fisheries; maintaining and updating the sector technology assessments that 
are the foundation of this report. Second, to develop and scale solutions, key actions include 
strengthening a national MRV spine that supports stacking, learning and credible claims; 
investing in regional demonstration and advisory capability; and improving coordination across 
research, policy, finance and supply chains. Importantly, these are not one-off tasks, nor are their 
benefits confined to emissions reductions alone; they will strengthen the absorptive capacity 
and robustness of Australia’s agricultural innovation system at large, supporting competitiveness, 
profitability and sustainability.

This work shows that accelerating agricultural emissions reduction requires the development 
of technologies alongside strengthening of systems that allow options to scale credibly and 
equitably. The primary risks ahead are not scientific failure, though technologies will fail, but mis-
sequencing, over-confidence in early abatement, and under investment in shared infrastructure 
such as MRV, advisory capacity and coordination. Addressing these risks deliberately will ensure 
that agriculture can contribute appropriately to Australia’s long-term emissions goals.



Appendix 1

A detailed roadmap infographic outlines goals and actions for government, industry and supply chains, producers and advisors, and research across three future horizons focused on scaling, orchestration, and embedding innovations in red meat and sheep sectors.
Description generated by AI
Build the demand side
Government
Industry and
supply chains
Support shared
measurement, testing
infrastructure
Policy settings
enable procurement,
supply incentives
Align policy,
finance, market
signals
Scale supply-
chain emissions
incentive programs
Embed emissions
into procurement
decisions
Coordinate
delivery and
measurement
across regions
Emissions
performance
embedded in market
transactions
Herd-scale
measurement widely
trusted and adopted
Advisory systems
optimise integrated
farm performance
Private capital
mobilised for large-
scale deployment
Standardise MRV
and claims
frameworks
Streamline
approval pathways
for emerging
technologies
Horizon 1Red meat
and sheep2025-2030
Build foundations
Horizon 2
2030-2035
Scaling and
orchestration
Horizon 3
2035+
Embed and normalise
Shared data
standards
(e.g. VEERG) support
diverse market
requirements
Trial emissions
measurement in
supply chains
Pilot supply
incentives and
procurement
approaches
Producers
and advisors
Research
Building capacity
Adopt validated
regional stacks
Refine delivery,
stacking, MRV
Enable integration
into supply chain
platforms
Accelerate
deployment of
novel technologies
and delivery
mechanisms
Support joint
profitability and
emissions goals via
benchmarking and
advisory systems
Align practices
and on-farm data
with contract and
reporting
requirements
Lift herd, pasture
performance with
measured
accountability
Trial and adopt
integrated breeding,
management systems
Trial methane-
reducing feed
additives in feedlots,
semi- confined
systems
Develop grazing-
compatible delivery
systems
Advance herd-scale
emissions
measurement
methods
Partner on vaccines
and novel biology
Technologies
deployed across
extensive grazing
systems
Pilot methane
reducing feed
additives in feedlots,
semi-confined
systems
Figure A1. Sequenced, coordinated action across government, industry, producers and research builds the 
capability that enables scalable emissions reduction in the red meat and sheep sub-sector.



A diagram showing the actions for the dairy sub-sector across government, industry, producers and research across three time horizons.
Build the demand side
Government
Industry and
supply chains
Support shared
measurement,
baselines, data reuse
Policy settings
enable procurement,
supply incentives
Expand incentive
options for key
technologies
Implement
contracts linking
emissions
performance to
payments
Embed emissions
requirements into
procurement
decisions
Emissions priced in
contracts
MRV embedded in
processors
Integrated farm
stack optimisation
Private capital
mobilised for large-
scale deployment
Align reporting
requirements
across schemes
and markets
Horizon 1
2025-2030
Build foundations
Horizon 2
2030-2035
Scaling and
orchestration
Horizon 3
2035+
Embed and normalise
Fund pilots linking
measurement,
contracts and
finance
Pilot integrating
emissions
measurement into
processor workflows
Pilot incentives linked
to verified emissions
outcomes
Producers
and advisors
Research
Building capacity
Adopt whole-
farm mitigation
stacks
Engage supply-
chain programs
Refine stacking,
assurance methods
Accelerate new
technology uptake
Integrate
measurement into
supply chain
platforms
Optimise
production
systems for
multiple goals
Improve herd, feed,
nutrients using
measured
accountability
Trial and refine
methane-reducing
feeding additives
and delivery systems
Build advisory
capability for
emissions
measurement and
system optimisation
Develop grazing
delivery systems
Integrate MRV,
processor workflows
Advance breeding,
stack design for
whole farm
outcomes
Energy-nutrient
systems optimised
Globally competitive
low-emissions dairy
Dairy
Develop and refine
delivery approaches
for methane-reducing
feed additives, and
manure systems
Figure A2. Sequenced, coordinated action across government, industry, producers and research builds the 
capability that enables scalable emissions reduction in the dairy sub-sector.



A diagram showing the actions for the cropping sub-sector across government, industry, producers and research across three time horizons.
Build the demand side
Government
Industry and
supply chains
Enable incentives tied to
validated practices and
regional emissions
baselines
Transition to
performance-based
incentives using verified
emissions outcomes
from MRV systems
Integrate MRV data into
contracts, enabling
differentiated pricing for
verified low-emissions
grain production
Scale procurement
programs linked to
Scope 3 targets using
auditable, regionally
calibrated emissions
metrics
Expand digital platforms
linking input use, yield,
and emissions into
supply chain assurance
and reporting systems
Low-emissions cropping
standard practice
MRV regional, cost-
effective, automated, and
enabling technology
stacks
Integrated system
optimisation is
mainstreamed
Productivity and emissions
intensity gains result in an
overall reduction in
emissions
Industries known for
increasingly globally
competitive and low-
emissions products
Horizon 1
2025-2030
Build foundations
Horizon 2
2030-2035
Scaling and
orchestration
Horizon 3
2035+
Embed and normalise
Support data-sharing
linking farm records, trials,
and inventories to
proportional MRV
Build appropriate
proportional MRV systems
that link grower data,
calibrated emissions
factors, and auditable
aggregation mechanisms
Advance regionally
targeted benchmarking
that integrates practices/
technology, yield, nitrogen
efficiency, and emissions
intensity
Establish incentive pilots
(procurement, rewarding
verified low-emissions
grain using traceability
and MRV-linked claims)
Producers
and advisors
Research
Building capacity
Embed regionally
optimised technology/
practice stacks using
MRV feedback to
continuously improve
emissions intensity
Ensure advisory
systems capacity
supports whole-of-
enterprise optimisation
Deploy EEFs, legumes, and
rotations with measured
nitrogen budgets and
enterprise-level
performance tracking
Participate in regional
trials generating paired
productivity-emissions
datasets for calibration of
local recommendations
Build advisory capability
to use MRV outputs and
optimise whole-system
nitrogen and emissions
performance
Quantify interactions
across nitrogen practices,
soil types, and climate to
support stackable
abatement estimates in
regionally targeted ways
Collaborate internationally
on next-generation
technologies (e.g. BNI,
nitrogen-fixing
non-legumes) for
Australian field conditions
Validate integrated
technology stacks with
paired productivity,
emissions, and economic
performance datasets
Policy settings enable
investment and supply
chain incentives
Align carbon,
sustainability, and
procurement policies to
reward low-emissions
production through
supply chains
Institutionalise a
national proportional
MRV system, integrating
farm-level data, regional
models, and inventory
reporting systems
Participate in supply-
chain programs
monetising verified
abatement through
contracts, premiums,
and/or carbon markets
Translate validated
nitrogen technologies
and system stacks into
regionally deployable
advisory and decision
tools
Continuously update
emissions factors,
models and practice
stacks using MRV data
to reduce uncertainty
over time
Cropping
Figure A3. Sequenced, coordinated action across government, industry, producers and research builds the 
capability that enables scalable emissions reduction in the cropping sub-sector.



A diagram showing the actions for the horticulture sub-sector across government, industry, producers and research across three time horizons.
Build the demand side
Government
Industry and
supply chains
Support
electrification,
automation and
infrastructure
Develop proportional
MRV systems
Harmonise
incentives with
emissions
measurement rules
Scale bundled
technology
packages
Expand marketing
linked to emissions
performance
claims
Electrified and
automated
production systems
widely adopted
Low-burden
emissions
measurement
embedded across
systems
Emissions reduction
advice fully
integrated across
supply chains
Market demand
consistently rewards
emissions
performance
Support regional
scaling programs
Actively align
domestic and
export-facing
emissions
standards
Horizon 1
2025-2030
Build foundations
Horizon 2
2030-2035
Scaling and
orchestration
Horizon 3
2035+
Embed and normalise
Fund demonstration
programs
Pilot procurement
linked to emissions
performance
Trial bundled
technology and
service delivery
models
Develop product
differentiation signals
Producers
and advisors
Research
Building capacity
Enable regionally
coordinated
deployment
models
Refine MRV and
QA systems
Improve
performance of
biological and
input solutions
Support
integration into
supply chain
platforms
Optimise
production
performance using
data automation
and advisory
services
Engage supply-
chain programs
Adopt precision
fertigation, irrigation
Electrify pumps,
machinery and
controlled
environments
Participate in
demonstration
networks and
learning networks
Develop multi-crop
MRV approaches
Validate biological
inputs in commercial
conditions
Integrate digital
monitoring
Horticulture remains
globally competitive
and low-emissions
Horticulture
Figure A4. Sequenced, coordinated action across government, industry, producers and research builds the 
capability that enables scalable emissions reduction in the horticulture sub-sector.



A diagram showing the actions for the pigs sub-sector across government, industry, producers and research across three time horizons.
Build the demand side
Government
Industry and
supply chains
Streamline approvals for
anaerobic digesters via
standardised
environmental, planning,
and grid-connection
pathways
Align carbon, energy,
and waste policy to
enable stacked revenue
streams from integrated
facility systems
Enable aggregation and
clustering to achieve
scale in nutrient and
carbon markets
Integrate emissions
performance into
contracts and
procurement linked to
corporate Scope 3
commitments
Circular waste energy
systems standard
Facility-scale MRV
embedded
Nutrient recovery widely
implemented
Supply chains drive
optimisation
Low emissions intensive
systems
Horizon 1
2025-2030
Build foundations
Horizon 2
2030-2035
Scaling and
orchestration
Horizon 3
2035+
Embed and normalise
Support facility-level MRV
pilots integrating energy,
waste, and emissions data
other operational data
Develop concessional
finance bundling capex for
digesters, lagoons, and
energy systems with
verified revenues
Activate demand signals
through low-emissions
product procurement and
Scope 3 supply-chain
commitments
Enable aggregation
models clustering nearby
facilities to achieve scale
in energy, nutrient and
carbon markets
Integrate biogas output
into energy markets via
offtake agreements, grid
connection, or on-site
displacement
Producers
and advisors
Research
Building capacity
Deploy full-facility
mitigation stacks
integrating waste,
energy, nutrient
recovery and emissions
management systems
Engage finance and
carbon programs to
monetise verified
abatement across
energy and waste
Deploy covered lagoons,
solids separation, and
biogas systems with
integrated nutrient and
energy recovery
Continuous improvement
of precision feeding
using real-time ration
optimisation to reduce
nitrogen excretion and
emissions
Participate in clustered
demonstration sites linking
waste management,
energy production and
emissions performance
Develop facility-scale MRV
protocols integrating
manure, energy, and
production data for
audit-ready reporting
Support training and
accreditation for operators,
advisors and MRV
practitioners
Advance nutrient recovery
systems producing
marketable fertiliser
products from waste
streams
Support regional
bioenergy/circular
economy hubs linking
piggeries, waste streams,
and local energy or
nutrient markets
Support scaling of
regional bioenergy and
nutrient recovery
infrastructure through
targeted co-investment
programs
Refine accounting and
verification systems to
support market
integration and reduced
transaction costs
Support optimisation
of integrated systems
under commercial
conditions, reducing
cost and performance
uncertainty
Pigs
Figure A5. Sequenced, coordinated action across government, industry, producers and research builds the 
capability that enables scalable emissions reduction in the pigs sub-sector.



A detailed infographic outlines a phased strategy for poultry industry development from building foundations to scaling and normalizing, highlighting goals and actions across government, industry, producers, and research sectors.
Description generated by AI
Build the demand side
Government
Industry and
supply chains
Support concessional
finance and co-investment
for electrification,
ventilation upgrades, and
energy efficiency
improvements
Support scaling of
electrified energy
systems through grid
upgrades, finance
mechanisms and policy
alignment
Scale manure-to-energy
and waste processing
systems integrated
across multiple
production facilities
Embed emissions
performance in
contracts driving
continuous improvement
and differentiated
market access
GHG-neutral poultry
systems
Embedded low-cost MRV
compliance
Contracts reward
emissions performance
Integrated supply-chain
optimisation
Resilient low-emissions
poultry sector
Horizon 1
2025-2030
Build foundations
Horizon 2
2030-2035
Scaling and
orchestration
Horizon 3
2035+
Embed and normalise
Develop proportional MRV
methods using energy,
feed, and production
datasets
Embed emissions metrics
into grower contracts
linking performance to
premiums
Support investment in
shared regional
infrastructure, such as
energy recovery systems
Coordinate industry
programs to align data
and continuous
improvement across
supply chains
Producers
and advisors
Research
Building capacity
Adopt advanced
electrified energy
systems integrated
with automated
environmental control
and monitoring
Engage refined supply-
chain programs linking
benchmarking, MRV,
and performance-based
incentives
Upgrade ventilation,
heating, and lighting
systems using
electrification, automation
and real-time
environmental control
Improve litter and manure
management including
energy recovery pathways
Participate in supply-chain
programs
Integrate MRV into
production systems using
existing operational data
streams for low-burden
reporting
Support ongoing
optimisation of housing,
feed, and energy systems
to reduce emissions
intensity
Trial manure-to-energy
and nutrient recovery
systems under commercial
poultry production
conditions
Align regulation to
support electrification,
waste utilisation, and
integration with energy
and carbon markets
Harmonise proportional
MRV approaches across
energy, agriculture and
supply-chain reporting
systems
Refine system
integration across
energy, waste and
production to improve
performance and
reduce costs
Identify and address
residual adoption
barriers including
capital, operational
complexity and
regulatory constraints
Poultry
Figure A6. Sequenced, coordinated action across government, industry, producers and research builds the 
capability that enables scalable emissions reduction in the poultry sub-sector.



Priorities for Low Emissions Agricultural Solutions Investment - Summary Report