The Minister for Climate Change and Energy has amended the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Rule 2015 (CFI Rule).
The amendment brings the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Amendment (2024 Measures No. 2) Rules 2024 into effect.
It means more Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) Scheme project data and information will be available on the Clean Energy Regulator's (CER) website.
This includes:
- more detail of project activities for all projects under all methods
- description of any suppression mechanisms identified and removals of suppressors relating to the project
- type of estimation approach used
- project crediting period start and end dates
- project permanence start date
- start date for the chosen tool or modelling approach used to calculate abatement for each carbon estimation area (CEA) of a project
- published link in the Project Register to any enforceable undertakings
- the names of all agents authorised or any other person who is significantly involved in a project's registration or administration.
The amendments aim to build public trust in the ACCU Scheme by improving transparency. This was a recommendation of the 2022 Independent Review of ACCUs.
The amendments were developed following public consultation with:
- the community
- Australian Government departments
- state and territory governments
- First Nations people.
There are 2 exemptions to publishing the information above, including where:
- withholding the information is required to protect or respect 'Aboriginal tradition', as defined in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984
- publication may threaten, damage or cause harm to a threatened ecological community or threatened species.
The amendments give the CER a transitional period of 6 months to publish this data.
