Origin Energy has contracted Carbon Consious Ltd to plant more than six million trees over the coming three years in what the companies believe is the largest carbon pollution reduction bio-sequestration project in Australia to date.

Carbon Conscious will plant native mallee eucalypt trees in wheat-belt regions for the purpose of generating carbon permits tradeable under the federal government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction scheme. In return, Origin will pay Carbon Conscious a total of $26 million, by way of planting fees and licence and management fees for a period of 15 years

If Origin exercises further options under the contract, the full project would potentially provide for the planting of more than 30 million mallee eucalypts and sequester about six million tonnes of carbon.