The Climate Change Authority recommends changes to improve the operation and transparency of key schemes for measuring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions and crediting emissions reductions. The proposed changes to the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (NGER) Act and the Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) Scheme will ensure they remain fit-for-purpose as Australia aims to meet its 2030 and 2050 emissions reduction targets. 

The NGER Scheme, which is used to measure and report greenhouse gas emissions and energy production and use, continues to be integral to meeting Australia’s international energy and emissions reporting obligations, tracking progress on emissions reductions and informing climate change policy development. However, the authority has found there is demand for more detailed emissions and energy data, the potential to improve the accuracy of some emissions estimates and the opportunity to broaden the coverage of the scheme.

Key recommendations

• Publishing more facility-level data to increase the transparency of the NGER scheme.
• Extending reporting under the NGER scheme to agriculture and land emissions in a staged manner.
• Extending NGER reporting to publicly owned landfills where legally possible.
• Introducing an optional market-based reporting for renewable liquid and gaseous fuels once a framework for approving certifications for renewable fuels is operational.
• A number of recommendations aimed at enhancing the accuracy of fugitive methane emissions reported under the NGER scheme.
• Strengthening current mechanisms in the scheme that underpin its integrity.
• Implementing a range of measures to improve transparency in the ACCU Scheme to ensure that investors, carbon credit buyers and the broader community have access.
• Sufficient information to sustain their confidence in the integrity of the ACCU Scheme.
• Supporting the establishment of a carbon dioxide removal industry in Australia by funding investment in ‘engineered removal’ technologies