Isometric Certifies Savanna Fire Management Protocol for Carbon Credits

Carbon certification platform Isometric has certified version 1.0 of its Savanna Fire Management (SFM) Protocol, introducing a framework for measuring greenhouse gas reductions and carbon removals achieved through improved fire management. Announced on 22 October 2026, the protocol allows eligible projects to generate independently verified certificates by shifting burning from the late to the early dry season, reducing methane and nitrous oxide emissions while supporting carbon storage in trees and woody vegetation.

The certification follows a 30-day public consultation involving carbon credit buyers, project developers and academic experts. The framework initially covers northern Australia's savannas and southern Africa's miombo woodlands, where sufficient scientific evidence exists to quantify emissions outcomes. It establishes separate accounting requirements for preventing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing carbon removals, addressing two different climate benefits of savanna fire management.

 

Early Dry-Season Burning Reduces Wildfire Emissions

 

Savannas account for about 70% of the 7.7 million square kilometers of land burned each year globally, according to research cited by Isometric. Tropical savanna fires are estimated to release about 749 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent each year. Late-season fires are typically more intense because vegetation has dried out, temperatures are higher, and strong winds allow flames to spread rapidly across large areas.

Savanna fire management involves conducting controlled burns earlier in the dry season, when vegetation retains more moisture and fires generally burn less intensely. These burns create firebreaks and reduce the accumulation of combustible material, potentially limiting the severity and extent of subsequent wildfires. By preventing intense late-season fires, projects can reduce methane and nitrous oxide emissions while helping trees and woody shrubs survive and accumulate carbon over time.

 

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Protocol Establishes Separate Carbon Reduction and Removal Certificates

 

The new framework distinguishes between two types of climate outcomes. Emissions reduction certificates represent methane and nitrous oxide emissions prevented through improved fire management. Eligible projects can continue generating these certificates while maintaining qualifying fire management activities and demonstrating verified reductions against an established baseline.

Carbon removal certificates represent additional carbon dioxide absorbed and stored by trees and woody shrubs as their biomass increases. These certificates require evidence of measurable vegetation growth and continued monitoring for potential carbon losses, including those caused by future fires. The distinction matters because preventing emissions from entering the atmosphere differs from removing atmospheric carbon dioxide and storing it. Certification of the protocol itself does not mean that individual projects have already generated verified certificates.

 

Historical Baselines and Monitoring Support Carbon Credit Integrity

 

Isometric's protocol requires projects to combine remote sensing, field measurements, and scientifically established emission factors to calculate their climate impacts. Emissions reduction baselines use ten years of historical fire activity in the project area, allowing project performance to be compared with past burning patterns. Isometric states that rising wildfire risks associated with climate change could make historical baselines conservative, as future emissions without intervention may be higher than past levels.

Carbon removal assessments follow the baseline approach established under Isometric's Reforestation Protocol, with suitable quantification modules used to measure changes in stored carbon. Projects must also account for emissions associated with their operations and monitor the risk of fire activity shifting beyond project boundaries. Geographic eligibility is currently limited to regions supported by adequate scientific data, although Isometric expects additional landscapes, potentially including Brazil's Cerrado, to become eligible following further research and review.

 

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Indigenous Community Safeguards Form Part of Project Eligibility

 

The protocol incorporates environmental and social safeguards as mandatory eligibility requirements. Projects affecting Indigenous Peoples or customary land users must obtain Free, Prior and Informed Consent. Developers must also engage and resource local and Indigenous communities, respect existing customary fire management institutions, and publicly disclose how they share project revenues.

These requirements reflect the importance of traditional fire management knowledge in savanna ecosystems. In northern Australia, established fire management programs have combined Indigenous land management practices with scientific monitoring and carbon finance. Isometric cites national inventory findings showing that the region's savannas shifted from a net emissions source of approximately 19 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually to a net sink of 3.5 million tonnes across the respective historical assessment periods. Improved fire management can also help protect biodiversity, reduce damage to settlements and infrastructure, and create local employment opportunities.

 

Carbon Finance Could Support Expansion Across Southern Africa

 

Isometric's Science Team developed the protocol with input from its independent Science Network of more than 500 academic experts. Maki Planet Systems, an Australian climate technology company working in savanna fire management and carbon project development, partly funded its development. Isometric says its scientific team retained responsibility for all methodological decisions and that an independent accredited auditor can issue project certificates only after confirming compliance.

Julien Gastaldi, Chief Executive Officer of Maki Planet Systems, said, "Certification of this protocol is an important step towards unlocking the global potential of savanna fire management." He highlighted Australia's experience and the company's work in Botswana as examples of how traditional fire knowledge, scientific methods and carbon finance could support wider adoption.

The certified protocol provides a route for developing fire management projects that can demonstrate both avoided greenhouse gas emissions and additional carbon storage. Its wider application will depend on reliable monitoring data, independent verification, and continued participation by local communities.

For carbon credit buyers, the framework clarifies the distinction between emissions reductions and removals, along with requirements for baseline setting and long-term monitoring. Its success in expanding savanna fire management will ultimately depend on whether projects can deliver measurable environmental benefits while maintaining credible safeguards and community participation.

 

Source: Isometric