Climate, Nature and Agricultural Futures

Delivery: Online
Course dates: 28 October – 6 November 2026

Course convenor: Emeritus Professor Mark Howden

About the course

Climate change is creating new challenges and opportunities for agriculture, while biodiversity, natural resources, markets and policy are increasingly shaping how farming systems respond.

Climate, Nature and Agricultural Futures is designed to equip farmers and agricultural practitioners with the knowledge, frameworks and practical insights needed to better understand and respond to these interconnected challenges.

The course explores climate science, climate-smart and nature-based farming approaches, greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration, environmental and economic value, monitoring and auditing, carbon markets, policy, and the social dimensions of climate action.

Through expert presentations, practical examples and facilitated discussion, participants will build their climate literacy and confidence to engage constructively in conversations about the future of agriculture and identify opportunities for positive change within their own farms, organisations and communities.

The course also connects participants with a broader network of people working on climate change and agriculture solutions, including the ANU Institute for Climate, Energy & Disaster Solutions (ICEDS) and the ANU Agrifood Innovation Institute (AFII).

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, fully engaged participants will be able to:

1. Explain the main implications of climate change for agricultural systems, including changing climate trends, extreme events, risks, opportunities and emissions reduction pathways.
2. Begin evaluating climate-smart and nature-based farming approaches that support adaptation, emissions reduction, biodiversity, ecosystem services, resilience and sustainability in agricultural systems.
3. Begin assessing the environmental, economic and social benefits, co-benefits, risks and opportunities associated with climate-smart and sustainable agricultural practices.
4. Describe major greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sinks in agricultural systems, and start to evaluate practical options for emissions reduction and carbon sequestration on-farm.
5. Understand the policy, market and social factors that influence climate action in agriculture, including carbon markets, communication challenges and opportunities for engagement.
6. Identify a broader network of people working on climate change solutions in agriculture, including the ANU ICEDS and AFII teams.

Course topics

The course moves from understanding the climate challenge to considering practical responses on-farm, how these responses can be measured and valued, and the wider policy, market and social context in which agricultural climate action occurs.

• Understanding climate change and extremes for agriculture
• Climate-smart and nature-based farming
• Greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sinks on-farm
• Demonstrating the value of climate-smart agriculture
• Carbon markets, policy and agricultural climate action
• Social dimensions of communicating climate change

Course delivery

The course is delivered online over six days from 28 October to 6 November 2026.

Sessions combine expert presentations with facilitated discussion and Q&A, with interactive elements such as polls or quizzes included where appropriate.

Participants are encouraged to bring their own experiences and perspectives into the discussion and consider how the evidence, frameworks and examples presented relate to their own farms, organisations and communities.

Course approach

There is no single climate-smart farming solution that applies to every enterprise, industry or region.

Rather than prescribing particular practices, this course provides evidence, frameworks and practical examples to help participants:

• better understand climate-related risks and opportunities
• evaluate possible on-farm responses
• understand environmental, economic and social trade-offs
• interpret emerging market and policy requirements
• ask informed questions
• engage confidently in discussions about climate change and the future of agriculture.

The emphasis throughout the course is on connecting current research and evidence with practical agricultural contexts.

Important information

The course program may be adjusted slightly depending on presenter availability.

Detailed session information and online access arrangements will be provided directly to registered participants.

For course enquiries, please contact the ANU Institute for Climate, Energy & Disaster Solutions professional learning experiences team at icedscourses@anu.edu.au.