Carbon Credits

* ACCUs = Australian Carbon Credit Units.

Total Credits

FULL DATA

Explainer

  • Carbon credits are a mechanism to sell and buy the 'credit' for achieving carbon emission reductions.
  • In Australia, carbon credits are called ACCUs — Australian Carbon Credit Units.
  • 1 x ACCU represents 1 x tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂-e) prevented from being in the atmosphere, because it is stored or avoided.
  • Carbon credits and offsets are part of an evolving and often contested field.
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Data

Aus

Total Credits

YEAR

ACCUs

NET

2016-17 13,151,991 22.7%
2017-18 12,207,903 7.2%
2018-19 13,663,409 11.9%
2019-20 15,476,458 13.3%
2020-21 16,466,275 6.4%
2021-22 16,508,527 0.3%
2022-23 15,686,027 5.0%
2023-24 18,671,719 19.0%
2024-25 11,124,267 40.4%

Source: CER via OnlyFacts | Updated: 03-02-25 | License: CC BY 4.0

Trend

Aus

Total Credits

Source: CER via OnlyFacts | Updated: 03-02-25 | License: CC BY 4.0

Comparison

Aus

Total Credits

Source: CER via OnlyFacts | Updated: 03-02-25 | License: CC BY 4.0

States and Territories

Data

Aus

States and Territories

STATE / TERRITORY

ACCUs

%

NSW 4,267,673 19.2%
Qld 3,866,037 17.4%
WA 1,008,184 4.5%
NT 660,627 3.0%
Vic 645,383 2.9%
SA 254,794 1.1%
Multi 208,782 0.9%
Tas 154,932 0.7%
ACT 57,855 0.3%
Australia 11,124,267 100%

Source: CER via OnlyFacts | Updated: 03-02-25 | License: CC BY 4.0

Trend

Aus

States and Territories

Source: CER via OnlyFacts | Updated: 03-02-25 | License: CC BY 4.0

Methods

Explainer

  • ACCUs are created when individuals or businesses do things that are recognised as avoiding emissions or storing carbon.
  • Australia's Clean Energy Regulator (CER) issues ACCUs to approved projects.
  • Eligible activities include planting trees to establish permanent forests, capturing methane at landfills, or upgrading industrial equipment to be more energy efficient.


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Data

Aus

Methods

METHOD

ACCUs

%

Vegetation 5,554,382 25.0%
Waste 2,998,959 13.5%
Savanna Burning 994,846 4.5%
Industrial Fugitives 641,235 2.9%
Facilities 596,177 2.7%
Agriculture 199,873 0.9%
Energy Efficiency 138,795 0.6%
Carbon Capture 0 0.0%
Savanna Fire Management 0 0.0%
Transport 0 0.0%
Total 11,124,267 100.0%

Source: CER via OnlyFacts | Updated: 03-02-25 | License: CC BY 4.0

Trend

Aus

Methods

Source: CER via OnlyFacts | Updated: 03-02-25 | License: CC BY 4.0

Comparison

Aus

Methods

Source: CER via OnlyFacts | Updated: 03-02-25 | License: CC BY 4.0

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