National Australia Bank (NAB) has completed its largest single purchase of Australian carbon credits in a long-term deal with a First Nations-owned carbon farming organization, securing roughly 150,000 units to cover a significant portion of its residual operational emissions through 2031.
The transaction, announced Wednesday, is with Arnhem Land Fire Abatement NT, known as ALFA NT, a local nonprofit owned by Traditional Owners that manages six fire management projects across Arnhem Land in Australia’s Northern Territory.
The credits, classified as Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) under the country’s government-backed scheme, are generated through planned early dry-season burning that prevents the more intense wildfires later in the year that release significantly higher volumes of greenhouse gases and damage biodiversity.
The five-year agreement reduces NAB’s dependence on the annual spot market for carbon credit purchases, providing longer-term supply certainty as Australia’s carbon market continues to develop more active forward and options markets.
The deal follows federal government reforms to the Safeguard Mechanism in 2023 and the introduction of new savanna fire methodologies in April 2026.
ALFA NT reinvests all revenue from credit sales into land and cultural management, employing more than 300 Indigenous Rangers across its projects.
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“Every dollar from the sale of ACCUs is reinvested into land and cultural management, employing over 300 Indigenous Rangers, training and community priorities,” said Adrian Enright, ALFA NT’s chief commercial officer.
Enright described the agreement as a model for a maturing carbon market, combining long-term supply certainty with high-integrity credits and measurable environmental and cultural outcomes.
The partnership integrates customary knowledge with modern fire management tools and supports economic development in remote Indigenous communities.
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