If you wish to source ACCUs you may consider:

• Searching the Carbon Market Institute’s Carbon Marketplace to identify parties that may have ACCUs for sale or can facilitate a sale.
• Searching the Emissions Reduction Fund project register to identify parties that may have ACCUs for sale.
• Establishing an Emissions Reduction Fund project to generate ACCUs.
  

Carbon Market Institute’s Carbon Marketplace

Australia’s Carbon Marketplace is an initiative of the Carbon Market Institute with support from the Australian Government

The Carbon Marketplace contains information about projects generating abatement and a market directory for organisations working in Australia's domestic carbon market to provide their contact details.

The information provided can be used to determine projects and agents that may have ACCUs for sale.

Emissions Reduction Fund project register

The information provided in the Emissions Reduction Fund project register can also be used to determine projects and agents that may have ACCUs for sale. Projects on this register that are not subject to a carbon abatement contract may be more likely to have ACCUs available for purchase. Some contracted projects may also have a surplus of ACCUs then they require to fulfil their contract.

The Carbon abatement contract register includes information about how many ACCUs have been contracted and delivered, which may also be useful to identify projects with surplus ACCUs.

Establishing an Emissions Reduction Fund project to generate ACCUs

The Clean Energy Regulator provides a range of information and tools to help you directly participate in the Emissions Reduction Fund, including the interactive questionnaire, which enables you to find out if your project meets the eligibility requirements.

ACCU market in Australia

The Clean Energy Regulator publishes a Quarterly Carbon Market Report, providing updates on market trends including the supply and demand of ACCUs in Australia.

• Quarterly Carbon Market Report

For more information on the ACCU market, see market engagement and resources.

Sources of demand for ACCUs

There are multiple possible sources of demand for the Australian carbon credit units (ACCUs) generated by Emissions Reduction Fund projects, including:

• Emissions Reduction Fund auctions
• safeguard mechanism
• Voluntary markets
• State and territory governments.

For more information about the sources of demand for ACCUs, see the Clean Energy Regulator’s presentation “Sourcing ACCUs in the market”.

Emissions Reduction Fund auctions

Emissions Reduction Fund participants with a registered project may bid for a contract to sell their Australian carbon credit units to the Clean Energy Regulator. The Clean Energy Regulator will run auctions to select bidders according to price.

Contract holders may also purchase ACCUs from un-contracted projects to meet contractual obligations.

See more information on Step 2 – Contracts and auctions

Safeguard mechanism

Under the safeguard mechanism, particular facilities are required to keep their emissions at or below a baseline set by the Clean Energy Regulator.

Safeguard facilities who exceed their emissions baseline are able to surrender Australian carbon credit units (ACCUs) to offset excess emissions. Both Kyoto and non-Kyoto ACCUs can be used as offsets under the safeguard mechanism.

Read more about the safeguard mechanism.

Other markets

Organisations may wish to voluntarily offset their emissions for meeting certification under the Climate Active Carbon Neutral Certification Standard (formerly the National Carbon Offset Standard).

State and territory governments are also seeking to be carbon neutral and may source ACCUs to offset their emissions.