Can we do this better?
Following the globe’s hottest year on record in 2023, we are confronted with a world in which bushfires are more frequent, intense, and destructive. This pattern of extreme fire events, directly resulting from anthropogenic climate change, will only become more intense. Unfortunately, too, these fire events release massive greenhouse gas emissions into the environment, in turn leading to greater climate warming and therefore to even more frequent and extreme fire events.
The ways that Australia measures and reports the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions these events generate is not very well understood and could be improved to aid Australia in reporting transparently, accurately and accessibly on its bushfire emissions. In August 2023, the University of Tasmania’s Fire Centre and the TPE convened a workshop in Hobart to host a national group of experts to discuss better ways to report Australia bushfire GHG emissions.
Based on the discussions at this workshop, although not representative of the views of all attendees, the TPE produced a report. It is intended that this report helps explain this relatively little understood area of GHG reporting and provides some ideas for policy consideration which may make reporting more accurate.
Please see the following for more information: