Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) Scheme Snapshot

The ACCU Scheme continues to evolve, with significant developments in project registrations, market dynamics, and policy reforms. Here's a concise update based on the latest data from the Clean Energy Regulator (CER).

Project Registrations

As of March 31, 2025, the CER's project register includes a diverse range of projects across Australia, with recent additions focusing on soil carbon, vegetation, and waste management.

Source: https://cer.gov.au/markets/reports-and-data/accu-project-and-contract-register

Market Dynamics

Supply and Demand: In Q1 2024, the ACCU market saw a net balance increase to 38.6 million units, indicating strong supply.

Source: https://cer.gov.au/markets/reports-and-data/quarterly-carbon-market-reports/quarterly-carbon-market-report-march-quarter-2024/australian-carbon-credit-units-accus

Spot Prices: ACCU spot prices have shown variability, with prices increasing from $34.34 to $36.25 in Q3 2024, and reaching $42.50 by November 2024, driven by high activity from Safeguard entities.

Source: https://cer.gov.au/markets/reports-and-data/quarterly-carbon-market-reports/quarterly-carbon-market-report-september-quarter-2024/australian-carbon-credit-units-accus

Policy Developments

Safeguard Mechanism: Reforms to the Safeguard Mechanism require Australia's largest emitting facilities to significantly reduce emissions by over 200 million tonnes by 2030, influencing ACCU demand.

Source: https://cer.gov.au/markets/reports-and-data/quarterly-carbon-market-reports/quarterly-carbon-market-report-march-quarter-2023/australian-carbon-credit-units-accus

Transparency Enhancements: Amendments to the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Rule 2015 mandate the CER to publish more detailed information on the ACCU Scheme project register, improving transparency.

Source: https://cer.gov.au/news-and-media/news/2025/february/transparency-changes-accu-scheme

Why trade carbon instead of tax it?

Governments use carbon trading to reach climate targets because:

  1. Polluters pay — incentivising emission reductions

  2. Capital flows to innovation — rewarding lower-emission practices

  3. The profit motive works — it creates momentum across sectors

  4. It's scalable — able to engage thousands of businesses at once

Co-benefits beyond climate

Trading carbon credits from farming practices comes with a host of on-ground benefits:

  • Better soil structure and water retention

  • Improved nutrient cycling

  • Reduced erosion and runoff

  • Higher resilience in dry seasons

  • Greater biodiversity and food security

Healthy soils mean healthy landscapes, healthy food — and a healthy business.

Farming offsets are a tradeable commodity

Participating in the ACCU Scheme is like any other form of commodity production:

  • You decide what you can “grow” (soil carbon, tree cover, emissions reduction)

  • You follow a method and deliver credits to a standard

  • You can use service providers (project developers or aggregators) to help

  • You can manage risk through pooling, diversification, and good information

Experience Counts

Carbon Management Services brings together decades of expertise in:

  • Carbon method eligibility

  • On-farm emissions reduction

  • Soil carbon sequestration

  • Project development and aggregation

  • Navigating the ACCU Scheme

We know the trading landscape — and we work to put growers first. CMS is here to ensure you make informed, safe, and beneficial decisions.